The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-02
PART SECOND.
CHAPTER I

" NO1AlF WITCH ADNN+NN0 - ~AeeO -S~--
Leah. Il was dated Tuesday"
Come down Immediately" she wrote.
IF you can think OF plausible pretext
but don't say that / sent for you. Miss
Fielding win not ask you herself, but
We need you very much. trust to
you"
/ took an early afternoon train the
next day. and. finding no one TO meet
mo at the station, engaged a carriage
to take me over 10 Miss Fielding's place
My driver would. l am sure. have been
glad to gossip with me upon the Iadys
affairs, b"t / headed off ell his hints,
knowing pretty we'll from Uncle Jerdon's
.insinuatlons what the tenor OF the neigh
borhood talk must be.
Midmeadows was about four miles from
the station, ard a half mile back from
the county road. The house was ap-
preached by two long lanes overgrown
with shrubbery and hazels. one from the
seaside on the east. and one from the
main road on the north. We took the
latter, wild and tangled wagon track.
filled with stones and hummOcks, and
worn into deep holes. The boughs Of
trees constantly scraped across the top
OF the buggy and often hung low enough
10 threaten our eyes Near the house.
the lane took a turn round the corner of
an extensive, Old-fashioned garden OF
hollyhocks. rose bushes. peoples, and
violets, then swung up TO the green,
eight-paneled front door, with its tran
som Of old bull's-eye panes. The copse
came IN close 10 the garden. partly in
closing il on tw" sides. To the right Of
the house vegetables were planted. with
meadows beyond. and behind. the hill
rose almost from the stable. The whole
place had a charming natural wildness.
and seemed. as indeed II was. miles away
form any other human habitation; but it
was not uncared for; its natural features
had bean amended and composed with
the care OF a true artist
The house Itself was long and low.
covered with unstained shingles. A
great, square, brick chimney rose from
the middle Of the gambrel roof The
lower windows were loaded and built out
irtO wide bays, but they showed above
the little paned sashes Of the original
building The front was almost hidden
by climbing Cecil Bruner roses. now
odorously in bloom The southern side
was lined with a row of geraniums,
which rose I'm huge bushes Here. in the
second story, was another bay window
of curious construction, somewhat re-
sembling the stern Of an old galle0n. 1t
was Miss Fieldings sitting room, which
1 had not yet visited.
The place seemed deserted, for not
even the dogs were visible. I got out
and knocked. while my driver waited
to n1.f,F
rare glimpse OF the mistress Of the
house
JOY herself, wearing a white duck
sailor suit. with q red handkerchie;
knotted about her neck. answered my
knock. She held her hand to her eyes
10 shade them from tile rays OF the
afternoon sun. so that I could not. at
first, quite make out her expression. The
first thing she showed after her surprise
was a most cordial satisfaction at see
ing me. She did not, apparently, expect
me, bat my presence delighted her /
saw next that she was In trouble The
very intensity Of her welcome alarmed
me The two vertical lines between her
brows We're deeply cut into her forehead,
her lips We're quivering, there were dark
circles under her eyes.
She drew me quickly into the library.
anu 4 saw Af4 lA4 AZ AAEt l0uhs 11tf CHECKS
were pale and wan. Her hand trembled
as Z lay on the back Of a chair where
she leaned.
"Oh. 7 am so glad you have come"
had been her first speech. murmured in
the hall. and it was repeated now as
stood before her. Il am so glad you
have come! need you sou
p I had fancied before that her face was
one capable Of expressing tragedy-not
every woman's is Tragedy Swallowed
Pier face now. giving her newer, more
dramatic beauty so moving that, despite
my alarm, I could not help wondering
at IT,
You are not Well" I exclaimed
''Oh, well enough she replied
Something is the matter-what is it?"
''sit down and I'll try 10 tell you"
She dropped into a chair. with her ell
bow on the table, letting her cheek fall
into the hollow OF her palm. Her eyes
closed for a moment, the soft, long
lashes shading her pale cheek Then
she shook herself and sat erect.
I'm so sleepy" she moaned. 81
haven't slept since night before last"
/ sprang up from the window seat.
Wont you lie down here and rest?
Do" I pleaded.
"Oh, ! don't dare! ! don't darer she
cried.
Tell me what is troubling you. so
that / may try to help you"
She looked up and said: Leah has
gomez And she put out a hand that
trembled with a despairing gesture.
Gomez I repeated. "Where?"
Il don't know where. / don't know
when she went. I don't know even
why"
"Do you fear she has met with an
accident, then?'
"Oh. no: not that Worst than THAR
She spoke helplessly.
"Worse?" l could not understand.
Il mean 1 think I must have driven
her away
I still could not guess. why. how
could you have done that? You mean
that she took offense at something. per-
haps?"
"oh. I must have made it impossible
for her 10 stay"
But what did you do? She was de-
voted 10 you"
She sprang up and walled out with
bitter vehemence: "Oh, I don't know
I don't know. II / only knew, l could
do something. But what can do
now? She's gone She was my right
manu-, 1llg eyes my ears, my uleiUOIy
but it's not that. It's that I could have
been cruel enough to her to drive her
away. Where is she? Where could she
have gone do you think? I've waited
and waited TO hear from her. or for her
to come back--two whole days. I didn't
go to bed at all last night. I didn't dare,
lest she should come while I was asleep"
You expect her TO return, then?"
She was walking up and down the
room, her hands clasped behind her back
tightly. ] could see that she was on the
verge of hysteria. She returned 10 me
again. and said;
"Oh, Leah would never abandon me.
never! She's too true for that But she's