The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1913-08-29
BECAME MRS. WAYNE
"The Age of ChivaIry" and "The
Age of Fable" Hand
in Hand.
BY JEAN DIcKERsoN.

When her duties as visiting secre-
tary brought Anne Blair to fill new
engagement in Gregory Wayne's big
house, she smiled delightedly at the
task allotted to her.
Mr.. Wayne's lawyer, Amos Smyth,
had hired Anne through the recon-
mendation of mutual friend, and now
he stood in the great Wayne library
looking down his long nose at little
dark-eyed Anne.
well, Miss Blair" he said kindly,
you'll find lot to do here, and IL
you need an assistant in the work, l
leave it to you to select one. What
ever you do will be satisfactory to me.
Mr.. Wayne is bringing home lot of
new books-you understand he is
collector? He has sent ME list COM
piled from his catalogue, and the books
mentioned in this list are to be re-
moved from tfe shelves and placed in
the small study upstairs. You are to
recatalogue the shelves in this room
and rearrange the books according to
the plan he has sent for the purpose
Mr.. Smyth laid bundle of papers
on the table and ran his fingers
through his silvery hair.
"Quite job, eh?" he smiled down
at her
81 love work like that" said Anne,
enthusiastically. Just think of spend
ing days and days with these books!
It's privileged"
Then you'll be quite contented here
alone. l have instructed Mrs. Babb,
the bookkeeper, to prepare luncheon
for you every day and cup of tea if
you care for it in the afternoon.
Sarah, one of the housemaids, will
carry books to and fro for you-she is
stout and strong. Any other help you
may need is at your disposal"
Thank you, Mr.. Smyth, shall get
along splendidly When did you say
Mr.. Wayne would be here?"
'In about six weeks time-he is
stopping in Paris at present"
81 shall be finished long before his
return" said Anne, pulling off her
gloves I'm going to start right in.
Good" commended the lawyer, and
after shaking hands with Anne he
went away
One rainy afternoon three weeks
later Anne was perched on the top of
a tall step-ladder in the Wayne H.
brary, her sunny head bent over a
great crimson leather bound volume in
her lap. 1t was a copy of Bulffnch's
Age of Fable" and in the charm of
ita ualluuo paUoo Anna o1,ita foroOf
that she was alone in the big house.
Mrs. Babb and Sarah had gone to
funeral, and the other servants would
not return until their master made his
appearance. Outside on the avenue
there was the smooth rumble of
wheels on the wet asphalt and the oc-
casional clip-clop of horses hoofs. Ex-
cept for these sounds there was dead
silence in the great stone mansion.
Below her the long room lay in rich,
light and shadow. A small fire flick
cred on the marble hearth. At the top
of the ladder Anne's blue gown made
a bright splash of color, and the Grim.
son bow at her throat and the vol
ume in her lap with its gold-edged
pages, made it gay up there near the
ceiling.
AS the afternoon passed the light
waned and Anne had stretched out
her hand to the electric chandelier
close by when she was conscious of a
sound in the room.
Her heart beat a little faster as she
looked down at the room which should
have been empty. OF course 1t might
be Mrs. Babb or Sarah, but these two
servants would have knocked for ad-
mittance. A vague of terror took pos
bession of her and held her speechless
for few moments.
Peering down. she made out mans
o-...t.. A.. tayt.L 80,