Evening star., 1911-08-21

dangled over his head like sharp sword,
which might fall at any moment and cut
short the thread of his happiness. while
it lasted the thread was Of glistenine
gold.
He could not be sure whether Lesley
Dearmer believed in him rs Lord Love
land. or whether she really thought him
a rcpentant impostor, whom she was be-
friending and trying to reform: but she
was unvaryingly kind, and the subject OF
cussed. He was too proud to allude to
and force 1t upon her, after the doubts
which she had limited. and she seemed to
have no wish to bring it UP. AS to that
sweet and kindly lady who was chaperon
and aunt, she appeared to take Mr.. Cor
don trustfully for granted as an unfortu-
nate but talented young gentleman, res
cued from a run of bad luck. She spoke
to him pleasantly when necessary. asked
polite questions now and then about the
car, or his personal comfort in the house,
but otherwise seemed to regard him with
no very lively interest.
Lesley was everything to her. She
adored Lesley. and whatever Lesley did
or wished to do was perfect in her eyes.
Therefore it was not odd that she should
accept the transp!anted actor as one OF
Lesley's lucky finds
In the house he and Miss Dearmer had
no intercourse, and he did not even know
what the girls daily occupations were or
what visitors she saw. But at least three
hours out of every twenty-four gave her
to him as an intimate companion, near
in mind and body: therefore. until the
hateful Cremer should fall out Of a clear
sky, Val was not eager for home news
which would leave no excuse for lingering
1t this old homestead In the blue grass
country.
Though he was paid employe, the Hill
Farm seemed to him the pleaSantest place
i'm which he had ever lived not excepting
any splendid and we'll ordered country
mansion where he had been hattered
member of house party.
Ways at the Hill Farm We're simple
ways. and there was TO grandeur. no dis
play in the quaint, rambling red brick
house All the servants were colored.
and were either elderly men and women
who had served 1.-The family before the
war which freed them from slavery, or
else young. happy-go-lucky sons and
were great many Of them about the
place, indoors and out. so many that
Loveland could hardly tell one face from
another, but they were all kindly. dark
faces. that frightened into glittering grins
at sight Of the English chauffeur.
Everything was done on a lavish, though
far from pretentious. scale. but the or
dering Of the establishment might mean
wealth, or might mean no more than a
comfortable competence The furniture
was good and In the best or taste, out II
was almost all antique. brought from
England by ancestors of Mrs. Iroveland' s
or Lesley Dearmer's. perhaps, In that
good time when Chippenda.e and Shera-
ton treasures were regarded as ordinary
possessions.
In the stables We're couple of beauti-
full hunters, Lesley's property. for Love-
land soon discovered that true daughter
of Kentucky considers it a disgrace to the
county for every girl not to be fearless
and accomplished rider. There We're two
fat old carriage horses, also, and other
animals for the iarm work, which was
carried on by q middle-aged married cou-
pie. Altogether it was clear that Mrs
Milton's and Cadwallader Hunters esti-
mate OF the ladies' circumstances had
been unjust. Mrs. Love and and her
niece were not teachers taking holiday
while their money lasted" Perhaps the
farm and the money were all Mrs. Love-
lands: but Lesley had told Val on ship
board that she earned enough for self
support by writing stories Therefore,
she was not in any case entirely depend
ent upon her aunt, and 1t was evident
that the girl and the elderly lady were
very content in that state OF life to which
1t had pleased God to call them.
II seemed TO Val that Lesley was al
ways happy; and because she was happy
herself she could not bear 10 see others
sad or nnfortVpate. Though she asked
no questions about her chauffeur's Eng
lish past, she showed frank interest in
his American experiences. She led him