The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1911-02-24
13ie
COLONIES
LADY
BY CURRAN RICHARD
GREENLEY

Down the white pike, a cloud Of
dust foretold the coloneps homecom-
ing. Jack watched it grow nearer
with wistful eyes. So much hung
upon what ne would have to tell. She
dropped the tweed coat, we'll past the
mending, that lay across her knee,
and ran down the avenue to meet
him, the sunrays glinting the red Of
her curls as they sifted through the
beechen boughs.
Ruy Bias curveted through the gate
as the girl caught at his bride. Tell
me, daddy"
The colonel dropped the bride on
Ruy Bias neck mo use, Jack, no
use! It's the same old story! Thomp-
son doesn't want to be bothered with
the loan any longer. They have orders
to close it out"
She followed him up the avenue.
The brightness was gone from the sun
shine, the tender bloom from the
young bluegrass; and the old house,
it's warm red bricks mellow with time,
took on a human nearness, an appeal
that hurt with the keenness Of blow,
for soon 1t would be theirs no longer.
Down in the pasture, blind old Danna
nickered at the sound of Ruy Bias
footballs. Old Danna would have but
a short time to live; a bullet through
her shapely head would end it all for
her. Old horsefesh must go the way
of other useless things.
Further down, where the creek
wound away into the shadows,
cleaned the chestnut sorrel coat of
Guilderoy, the last of the Wandlow
stud. Straight-limbed deep-chested,
mighty in flank, the colt gave promise
of barking back to old Diomed's rec
ord. The small ears, needle-pointed,
lay close to the delicate head, and the
restless eyes showed the wicked CLEAN
of white that was the hall mark of his
begetting. He was paving uneasily,
for out of range of the colonel and
Jacqueline in the avenue, woman
rode swiftly around the bride path,
pausing at the pasture bars. Her eyes
followed the colt as he approached her
horse with bristling name; then went
to the colonel and Jacqueline just
coming into sight, Jacqueline talking,
but the colonel silent with down-bent
head leading Ruy Bias.
He has told her and she knows
that it means ruin. She has known
it would come soon or late, yet she is
as unapproachable as a shabby prin-
cess. and she will guard him, guard
him with those calm eyes that seem
to read me into nowhere-where l be-
long She laughed, a sad little laugh
that held no note of bitterness. 81
would give half own-all of it even
to have been always just that" The
gauntleted hands dropped as her eyes
went over the reach of pasture and
rolling river, coming back to the old
house; then, with an impatient move
ment, she gathered her reins and rode
down to where the path joined the
main road
Mrs. Trezev6nt Van Haag had
dropped down upon the reserves of |
the old county scarcely twelvemonth |
before, taking possession Of the Gothic
castle that had been a two-year ex-
citement in its building Who she was, |
no one knew; but that she had plenty |
of money, end was a wholly attractive |
person, none could deny. Yet, the old |
county hesitated, and the lady of Hill |
crest found it slow going that first |
winter
A few bold spirits called, but the old |
families were slow to follow, and even |
after the long living room at Hillcrest |
became the center of gayety for that |
formal neighborhood, Col Wandlow |
and his daughter held aloof. Therein
lay the crux of the whole matter, for
Therese Van Haag cared little for the
county or its approval as weighed |
against that certain approval.
One nod of the coloneTs white head |
was he desired accolade, and Jacque-
line-that slim maiden in her shabby
muslin-was moEe delightful than |
Lefty elroy in her latest importation. |
She could never quite shut out from
the present the memory of the days
wher the colonel from up there on
the hill rode down the white pike.
careless and debonair, past the toll
keepers cottage where barefooted |
child waited at the bar for his smile.
Lean years, that had slipped into the
limbo of forgotten things, since the