The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1913-12-26
By
BERTRAND BABCOCK


old apartment occupied by the uncon-
scious Brancaster had a more lovely
aspect. There were flowers every
where. but not in the profusion that
would have meant annoyance to the
i'll man had he been conscious of them.
There We're lilies of the valley in the
old stone vase built into the old dis
used fireplace. Their white loneliness
was accentuated by the long trailing
vines which formed their background.
for Lady Diana had seen to the COM
fort and the decoration of the apart
ment Of the man she was sure could
not be all quite bad.
The accident to this young man in
the prime Of his life had done much to
soften her pride of the very young.
and she realized that her judgment
was harsh.
In these days she accepted nearly
everything without question. When
the woman she had seen with Bran.
caster on the day he was known to
her merely as the artist called at Fal.
conhurst and asked to be allowed to sit
by the side of Brancaster the girl had
led her without question to the bed
chamber. though her grandfather had
subsequently seen that footman per
formed that Office.
Lady Diana had not inquired as tC
the woman visitor anything more than
her name. The Mrs. D'AQuila" she
had received told her nothing, and she
did not ask other information as to the
dark, foreign appearing woman who
seemed to take Brancaster'S injury so
deeply to heart.
There was within Lady Diana a deer
spiritual sense. She felt that the strick
en- earl might die. Indeed. she had
heard it so whispered. though the mar
quis tried to spare her such thoughts
as these. She felt in her pure con
seriousness of small sin that if he died
without receiving the benefit of the
Church of England or of any clergy
man there would be cloud upon botf
his chances in world which might
understand him better and upon hel
own conscience. She could not forget
those murmured words as the car sho
by her and that waving of the hand
Surely that within US which makes
for righteousness could not ignore
such spirit. His was a rare soul
which must have it's chance in tina
void into which it hourly seemed abou
to escape.
So she had dispatched note to tn,
vicar. innocently unmindful of the fac
that Sporting Jack" Thorpe rode fa
better to hounds than he did to grace
and that even then he was taking tn,
cure for govt far from the village. thu
great name of which was Beverley.
Today just as the sun was about tt
set she was waiting on the terrace Of
the Italian garden for the appearance
of Thorpe in answer to her summons
AS she walked to and fro along the
terrace, with many glances down The
little path known to her friends. who
did not wish to drive three miles along
the road through the acres of the mar
quis before they reached the castle
she was joined by her cousin, Captain
Greville Sartoris. The captain was, az
usual. "devilishly hard up" and hi
was trying to evolve a way to make {
killing"
To him Lady Diana expressed he
fear that Brancaste- might die before
clergyman could see him.
"My dear Dr." exclaimed Sartoris
'he's just as likely to come to himself
and wake up as he is to kick off. an(
when he does wake up. mind you. Di
he won't ask for any parson. Hell
ask for the lady who is sitting by hin
now"
The birth of what may have beef
jealousy began in Lady Diana. 1t wa
not strong and merely manifested it
self at this moment by curiosity no
usual with this gentle though self con
tanned English girl.
"Greville. who is Mrs. D'Aquila?
she asked suddenly.
There was establishment in he
cousins face as he realized that th
ordinarily self sufficient Diana, VIII
usually was content with the persona
knowledge that her own senses COL
Ney eu " htl, Hdu aSheu ulin q pue'
= ton on plane with those asked b
the ordinary members of her sex. NeN
ertheless he did not pause in his al
swer.
"Oh, you know, Di. she was stayin
at Rievers when the smash came
staying there with very tame chaI
r eron. oh. she does everything yer
correctly"
But who is she. Greville"
"She was a married woman movin
5 in good society,"" said Sartoris. "Sh
is-er-still received in some societ.
She is exactly the sort Of woman VIII
! suits the Brancaster sort of man, ST