The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-07-29
Revenge

tndL Is BTSdL uedl, Sdptdlu MAI
riott!"
She smiled as she concluded, and
at the same moment a maid entered
the drawing room with the tea equi-
page.
The situation had been discussed.
purpose, which had been accom-
plished. Now they were alone togeth-
er, and all the primary business of
their meeting was finished and done.
She poured out a cup of tea daintily
and handed him the cup and a plate
of egg-shell china upon which the
golden-brown homemade scenes were,
with an infinite grace.
And So" she said, you are going
to Germany tonight, Captain Mar
riott-all the way to Germany? How
far away 1t seems now; and yet my
memories as little girl are still
fresh and vivid. All the way to Ger
many" she conluded, and her voice
dropped.
Was there a certain regret in her
voice? That was the question Basil
Marriott asked himself.
YES" he said, II am going all the
way TO Germany upon a business as
strange and bizarre as l suppose any
man living could be embarked upon.
| have only one regret"
And what is that?" she said. 81
thought you told me, Captain Mar
riott, that the whole enterprise ap-
pealed to your spirit of adventure,
and that you were absolutely delight
ed that Fate had brought you into It,"
Il did say that" he replied, land
it is perfectly true, Miss Hobson, but
have a regret"
AS he said it the handsome young
sailor looked straight into the face of
his hostess. What she saw Thereon
what she realized that she saw-sent
the color into her cheeks again.
II wonder she said, 'if you would
like to look round the garden, Captain
Marriott? This is a very old rectory,
you know, and the gardens are really
quite nice, though, of course, we can
not afford to keep them up as they
man in three days week, and my
father is keen, but that is all we can
manage. Still, / think you will like
to see the gardens"
IF you will show me the gardens"
Basil said, they will be to me, now
and always in memory, like the gar
dens Of the Hesperides."
She looked at him straightly for a
moment, smiled a little, and led the
way out of the fragrant drawing room.
They went into the garden.
Phlox, stocks, and hollyhocks!
What a wealth of color 1t was, and
how the tangled trumpets of the mas
turtiums blazed upon the beds! In
the distance they saw the old rector
busily engaged with his balls and NAL
let, picture of smooth, green lawn,
a lawn like mint sauce, with black
figure moving across it like beetle
on billiard table.
II think you ought to see what we
call the Nuns Walk" Daisy said.
IF you are interested In history at
all, Captain Marriott, you will like
it. We can go down here. 1t is to
the right"
He followed her through laurel
walk, and together they turned into
an ancient avenue of dark green trees
dark as Chinese jade, and with the
same beauty Of dull, specific color.
Now. is not this fine?" she said,
with real enthusiasm in her voice.
You know, at one time this rectory
was nunnery. They say that the
old Prioress, Helena Fitz Urze, still
walks up and down the avenue here
when the moon is full. I have never
seen her, but the maids that we have
had here at various times have come
to me with ghostly stories Of the ap-
partition"
"Oh." Basil said. when the moon
Is full on a summers night, what
could be more wonderful than this
avenue?"
Il am so glad you say It," she re-
piled, because, though we are all
poor here-my father has been rector
for very many years and Is much be-
loved on the countryside take a
pride and pleasure in my home"
"Home!" Basil replied. THAT is a
wonderful word. Do you know. Miss
Hobson, that ever since my earliest
youth i have never known what home
is?"
She turned to him.
"Oh, how sad" she said, simply
II think home is the most beautiful
thing In the world"
"My home" he replied, has been a
home of winds and waters. / am like
Ulysses. / have sailed the seas, year
in. year out, all over the world. / see
the sun rise over tropic oceans, see
1t set like a great govt of blood in the
seas Of the South. My ship is an
chored in many star-refiecting har
bors, and these changing scenes are
all ] have of home. Yes, | am like
| Ulysses! But there is no Penelope
waiting for me in a distant port"
She did not answer him. but looked
into his face.
| They had come to the end of the