Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1910-05-27
COPYRIGHT. 1903. BY THE BoBBS-MERRHL
COMPANY

fuse a second opportunity to bask In
Arcadia" He laughed. "T really
couldn't presume to ask him again.
is the way she expressed 1t, but If
you can draw a sufficiently eloquent
picture of the rural attractions Of
Strathorn to voc him from } beloved
dusty byways you h.ve my permits
sion to try"
did she say that?" John Steele
spoke quickly. then, II am sorry it
is impossible. but" in a low tone,
chow is Miss WrayT"
Never better. Enjoying every mo-
ment. Jolly party and all that. Lord
Ronsdale and.- Here Sir Charles
enumerated a number of people.
lord Ronsdale is there?'
Eyes; couldn't keep him away from
Strathorn House now" he laughed.
las a matter of fact, he has asked my
permission to- There!' Sir Charles
stopped, then laughed again with a
little embarrassment. Eve nearly let
the cat out of the bag"
John Steele spoke no word. His face
was set. removable.
"You mean he has proposed for her
hand, and ~she"-Steele seemed to speak
with dificulty-'has c~onsentedP"
"Well not exactly. She appears
complaisant. as 1t were," he answered.
but, really. | shouldn't have mention
ed the matter at all. Quite premature.
you understand? Let's say no more
about it. And-what vas it you said
about going back with me?'
"Yes," said John Steele, with a sud
den strength and energy that Sir
Charles might attribute to the desire
to make himself understood above the
din of the street "Ill go back with
you at''-the latter words, lower spo-
ken. the other did not catch-"no mat
ter what cost"
Sir Charles and John Steele arrived
at S~tratLorn. This little hamlet lay
isAe slceHuiooskigg Del. AS tieesyEaF
swung down a hill he whipped up his
horses all literally charged upon the
town, swept through the main thor
oughfare ind drew up with a flourish
before De principal tavern. Sir
Charles shrted and stretched his legs.
John Stede got down.
"Strathfn House," he said to Sir
Charles. is near. | am In the mood
for e~xerciie after sitting so long and
should lik, to walk there"
"By all neans." returned the other.
''since ft's your preference. Pretty
apt to oveitake you" be went on, after
giving his quest a few directions. .es-
pecially If you linger over any points
of interestf
The traI which had been sent for
drew up aud the two men separated.
Sir Charlie ratified briskly down one
way, Steel turned to go the other.
Soon rosl before him the top of a
modest ster,le, then a church. within
the sanctua Y Of whose yard old stones
mingled W b new. He stepped In.
straight across the churchyard!"
had been S Charles direction. John
Steele move quickly down the narrow
path.
Strathorn House! A noble dwelling
massive an gray. And yet one that
lifted itself with charming lightness
from its SOP, b~aronial-like foundation.
1t adorned he spot. merged into the
landscape. Behind. the forest. a dark
line, pencild itself against the blue
horizon. Bfore the ancient stone pile
lay a ~noblebark.
Long theman looked. Through a
faint veil mist turret and tower
~quiyered, stong lines of masonry vi
brated. Wtering as in the spell Of
an optical ~IIlsion, the structure might
have seemedbut a Pigment Of imagina-
ton or oneof those fanciful castles
sung by thu Elizabethan brotherhood
of poets. Di the image occur to John
Steele? Die he feel for the time, de-
spite other disqu ieting, extraneous
thoughts. IL subtle enchantment Of
the scene? rhe minutes passed. He
did not NOV,
You find to your IikingT
A voice, resi-, gay, interrupted.
With a greaistarL he turned.
Jocelyn Wry. for it was she. laugh
ed; so absorhd had he been, he had
not heard b, light footstep on the
grass behind
His face fanging, Entirely" he
managed to ,ly. And then, Ibid
not know 20; were near"
mo? But could see that. Con-
fess." with s1ent a little derisory, II
startled you
She lookedt him curiously. shall
we walk o toward the house7 l
went down ito the town thinking to
meet my ulle," she explained, ''but
as / had aew errands, on account
Of a childr6s fete we are planning,
reached the Ivern after he had gone"
She steppl into the path leading
from the chchyard; 1t was narrow,
and she waed before him.