The Detroit times., 1910-02-16

ne seems 10 Do. But what do yu,
know OF that kind OF thing?"
Ailsa flushed vivid crimson. She
could have told "A tale had she pleased
It's the men that make us what wo
are the old woman croaked. .'Don't
let one II them spoil your life. And
now be on. for you have no business
here"
ne last words were almost kindly
slnheh. Lthe-hard. grim, wrfnkIod
race ala not relax again. The old.
strange heavy silence settled on the
mousse again, broken presently by tho
ramp OF heavy feet in the hall and
.ne sulIeh banging OF the front door.
lhoinas had departed on his nys.
terious errand. evidently; Ailsa was
alone In the house with Susan Sun
pose that the old woman was taken
al IN tho night ana died? Ailsa nut
the thought away from her II seemed
To her tnat She could hear noises
everywhere stealthy footsteps in the
great reception.rooms overhead. IL
was pure Fancy. OF course nobody
was likely TO come there. All the same.
Aiisa TOOK up one al the candlesticks
from the polished lake OF the mahoy.
any table and walked upstairs to the
great room above
Nobody there; nothing but silence
and dust. and the scratching OF mica
behind the panels 1t was not once
year that Ailsa entered these rooms:
their grandeur overpowered here. Sho
did not nnow thai the blackened orna-
ments here and there represented
some OF the most priceless old silver
In England. Ailsa paused Just mo-
hent before a portrait hanging be-
tween two OF the suffered windows.
Il was the presentinent OF Archibald
Coiville. done ten years ago by one OF
the most famous painters OF his day.
Aiisa had never carefully noticed
the picture before. She felt sure that
here had been speaking likeness at
the time II was painted. A dark.
rather hard face as II il had been
soured by trouble and misfortune
rather than the nand OF Nature. Yet
the eyes and mouth were sad. the
folded hands had suggestion OF
resignation about them They were
slim, yet resolute hands: on the one
little finger was curious snake ring
OF diamonds with ruby eyes. Ai!sa
of her guardian. and in some queer
way il always fascinated here II fas-
cinated her now 50 that she almost
forgot TO wonder why Archibald Col
vile had changed from black to ALSO.
lutte grey In ten years.
Il wonder why" Ailsa unused aloud.
Perhaps II was old Susan who set
ne thinking, bur | never connected
my grim old guardian with a romance
before. Perhaps all the love went out
OF his life calmly and left IT grey and
colorless. DO we ali suffer in the same
way, | wonder? And what would Arch.
ibald Colyille say If he knew that |
too had loved and lost, And yet IL
seems almost absurd, seeing that
was but 4 child tho last time | parted
with Ronald BgaybrcCke, | wonder IL
he guessed how much the child OF &c
cared for him"
Ailsa stopped, conscious OF the fact
that she was talking aloud In that
old home, the echo OF her own voice
almost frightened her. Stijl. the broken
romance was still very fresh and pure
in her heart. Ailsa was not the girl
10 pine and die over a thing like that.
but her neart ached at times when the
happy old days rose up before her
mental vision. And she was very rest
less and uneasy tonight.
II seemed To her that she could
hear stealthy footsteps overhead. and
again that somebody was down In the
kitchen talking in whispers 10 old
Susan. Ailsa let her mind run riot
until she could hear the blood running
through her veins She had never
been so restless and uneasy since she
had come TO the old house. Perhaps
ii was the anticipation OF the morrow
that so strangely affected her.
Il am positively Ridiculous the
girl told herself Really, should
like something ont of the common to
happen Better than rusting out like
this, or becoming slowly and gradual
~ melancholy. What blessed thing
Is bed"
Ailsa made her way slowly down
the stairs again She wished that
the house was not quite so stil. She
could hear the roll and rattle OF cabs
outside. the Jingle OF harness. and
presently soft laughter in girlish
voices. Evidently the people next
door were giving a party OF some
kind
IL was no use sitting there; far bet
ter 70 be in bed and asleep. Presently
old Susan shuffled about downstairs.
putting the lights out. Ailsa could
still hear the rattle OF carriages next
door as she dropped off into uncon-
sciousness II seemed 70 her that no
time hardly had passed before she
was sitting up again listening intentlv
to the cry OF somebody near at hand
t.rryrutty- --wtszstet-Feti--
4. Ailsa. was out OF bed in her dres-
sing gown In moment. Ii required
courage To open her door and look
out, but the girl did not hesitate.
The moaning cry was repeated from
somewhere downstairs, and Ailsa
called out to know who was there.
Again came the cry-to Ailsa's un.
utterabIe relief-in the 'croaktng
voice OF old Susan.
Ailsa flew downstairs on the wings
OF the wind What was going To hap
pen lf\this woman was Ill or dyingy
She lay huddled up at the foot OF the
basement stairs. Ailsa wondered
vaguely what she was doing here at
this hour. for claeking old clock
somewhere struck the hour OF two. d.
There was an ugly bruise on the side
OF Susan's head.
Il slipped" she moaned. II had
toothache. and | came to get some
of the stun that | rub on my gums.
balieve that I have broken some