The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-03-11
BY CHARLES GARVICE
Copyright, 1909 By George H. Doran Company

Not now," she said, with laugh "I can see now how can lure you, Cara. I will play to you, sing to you, next time you come, every time you come. Why, it is tea-time! Shall we have it here. No; I want to show you the hall.''
 Arm in arm they went down the great staircase to the hall, where tea was already laid, and a footman was in attendance. Evelyn sent him away, and, as she poured out the tea, ans wered the unspoken questions in Ca ras eyes, as slowly they wandered about the beautiful place, the family portraits and pictures, the armour and flags, the bric-a-brac. It is one of the finest halls in England, and a more sophisticated person than Cara Raven, the miller's daughter, would have been moved by 1t; but she ut tered no exclamation, and sat and lis- tened in silence as Evelyn gave a brief account of some of the more in- 
 It was evident to her that Cara was drinking in every word; and Ev- elyn was delighted by Cara's quiet way of taking things. and her per- feet self-possession, though she was slightly surprised by the girls atti- tude amidst surroundings which must be so novel to her. She took her tea as if she had been accustomed to drinking it in just such place all her life; she leant back in the carved oak chair and seemed perfectly at her ease. It struck Evelyn that this girl, who had lived nearly all her life at the mill on thesmoor, was much more like lady than some of the women of undoubted rank with whom Eve lyn was acquainted.
 While they were talking, or rather, while Evelyn was talking and Cara listening, some one passed the win- dow.
 "oh, who was that" said Evelyn turning as the shadow fell across the floor.
 ''It was the gentleman who was driving with you the other day." said Cara, whose eyes were sharp. "How quick you are! That was Mir, Dexter Reece; he is staying here on some. business of my fathers. ] should not have thought you would have remembered him, for you seem ed to take no notice of him the oth- CT day. said Evelyn, with a smile.
 ''I have not forgotten him. said Cara; ''I never forget anyone; per- haps that is because see so few peo. ple."
 "He is a very interesting man, said Evelyn every we'll informed and most entertaining. I shall be sorry when he has gone; he will only bs able to stay few days longer" "He was very frightened the othe1 day." observed Cara, as if she were stating a not particularly interesting l fact.
 |
 "Did you notice that? And ye you seemed scarcely to look at him. don't think he is used to horses; an6 the cobs were behaving very badly l that morning. Will you have some more tea? Come over to this cabine and let me show you the carved ivory in it.'
 Cara's eyes had not misled her; j was Dexter Reece who had passed tn, window. He had been out all tn, morning, making the survey whicl served as an excuse for his prolong ed stay at Thorden Hall. He wen along the terrace and entered tn, conservatory, from whence there wa
 an inner door which led to the lib
 rary; he entered the stately room and, seating himself at a table, mad some notes of his mornings work
 then he stood up and looked abou him.
 The stately room, with its panelle, ceiling of carved oak, was lined witt bookcases. containing the rare vol
 umes which had been collected b.
 one of the Desboroughs, who ha
 been a bibliophile; in addition to tn
 books there were one or two cabinet
 containing rare manuscripts, illumin
 ated mlssals, miniatures, and othe
 things dear to the heart of the col
 lector. These cabinets were alway
 locked; but Sir Reginald had give
 Reece the key and permission to ex anime anything in which he might b
 interested; and Reece now went |
 one of the cabinets and looked at i absently.
 Everything in and about Thorde
 Hall interested him. The story a
 the stolen ruby, the abducted child
 was always haunting him; he was al
 ways on the search for. somethin
 that would throw light upon tn
 mystery which hung over the hous
 of Desborough. Still absentIy an
 mechanically he took small bunch o
 keys from his pocket, unlocked tn
 cabinet, and looked at the content. They had been very badly arranged l for the modern and the antique wer check by jowl; here a miniature c