The Ordway new era., 1910-03-25
She went daily to Craven. Thee

She went daily to Craven. Thees
had never been q word since the night
she left Tempest In the empire.room
regarding her appearance or his ex.
pecting her, She went: whether or
not she knew 1t to be unconventional;
whether or not she feared the criti.
cism OF Mrs. Ramsdill and Tempest's
servants and was above It: whether
or not she knew she had a sacred
duty to fulfll to art. to posterity. In
enabling the master to work: (for
work he did without even the tribute
Of personal word for hoursD wheth.
er there was another reason for her
goinK-the strongest. most cogent Of
reasons. against which no woman can
reason without being aided BY mans
indifierence!-at all events. to Craven
Lucy Carew went faithfully. daily
walking the half mile between Rams.
dill's cottage and the castle.
This year there was no November
drcariness to chill her spirit or aid
her to consider soberly what folly
she was guilty OF. what danger she
ran. Someone drew upon the calen.
dar Of brilliant days with reckless ex-
travaGance. II 1t were Tempest. he
saw that his scribe approached Craven
In a shower of sunshine.
Her walk lay by way Of . field and
meadow path for quarter OF a mile:
passage through hedge by means
of . little old stile. when she gained.
with an abruptness that always
seemed a sort OF impertinence. the
front Of the castle.
Every morning Craven mot her ap.
I~eciative. beauty.loving eyes with
fresh insistence. The perfect con.
Gruity OF its ensemble: the correct
ancient lines OF Tudor architecture:
the space and dignity: the harmony Of
dim. faded stone: the bigness OF the
mass. whose Importance was visible
the country round from hill to hill.
Close to the house. like a shadow. was
the blur Of pine.growth. the red of
bseches In the near encroachinE dens.
ity OF the park. where she had once
been with Tempest.
Park and wood-the dim avenue by
which she came: the lie Of the val
leys. their edges softened and nodded
by hedged farms and full-limbed oaks:
the haze OF atmosphere pink and gold
In color: the slow.rising smoke from
little. nestling cottages and from the
leaf Ares ON the green. all held by an
eternal silence and peace that the old
countries alone know. soothed her
mind and spirit anew at each long
look she gave. Everything on which
her eyes rested suggested age and
tradition-there was nothing new In
the landscape from farm and field,
hedge. grove and noble trees, to the
castle door. II spoke to her. all Of It,
with one voice. England met her here
in a friendly way-in. one might say,
a motherly way. making an appeal to
some latent heritage In her blood pos
sibly-certainly finding response In
Lucy Carew.
These Impressions and delights
were, Of course. above all. the on.
,velope. the subtle. delicious surround:
was absorbing her. She at times ~.
belled at the mastery Of the force that
drew her SO irresistibly and wondered
II some voice out OF the new world
would not speak out. recall her But
alas for Lucy Carew! there was NO
such voice to call.
She arrived at ten to write in Mr..
Tempest's study until little after 12.
Then. with no invitation from him to
remain to luncheon, and a sincere
gratitude on her part that there was
no question OF 1t, she departed by
the way she had come. reaching Rams
dills for a meal OF Spartan simplicity:
as II by consent to an unspoken wish
Of hers. no bonmots were sent to
her there any more.
He gave her no evidence of the
pleasure he took In her presence. as
with faithful accuracy and unfailing
patience she bent over the pages that
grew like snow-piles at her side.
But had there been another observ-
err he might have thought as she bent
unconsciously over her pages that his
eyes studied her-her lovely head
there under the dark mass Of her hair
a sort of freight seemed to burn the
edges with bronze and redden her
slender hand as it Travelled over the
pages: her leaning form; the pure
outline of her grave. interested face
indeed. the observer might think
that Tempest inspired himself from
this youth and loveliness. When she
lifted, as now and again she did in
query. her eyes to him. he drank from
them as from wells.
(TO BE CONTINUED)