The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-09-03
BECAME MRS. WAYNE
1.-THE Age Of ChivaIry" and 1.-THE
Age Of Fable Hand
in Hand.
BY JEAN DickERSoN.

| by JEAN OINN6noSNs
When her duties as visiting secro
tary brought Anne Blair to fill q new
engagement In Gregory Waynes biz
house, she smiled delightedly at the
task allotted to her.
Mr.. Wayne's lawyer. Amos Smyth
had hired Anne through the recon-
mendation Of q 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 q lot to do here. and II
you need an assistant In the work, !
leave 1t 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 q
collector? He has sent me list COM
piled from his catalogue, and the books
mentioned In this list are to be re.
moved from the 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.
II love work like that" said Anne
enthusiastically. Just think Of spend.
Ing days and days with these books!
It's a privileged"
Then you'll be quite contented hero
alone. I have instructed Mrs. Babb.
the bookkeeper, to prepare luncheon
for you every day and cup Of tea II
you care for 1t 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"
II 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
tall step-ladder in the Wayne H.
brary, her sunny head bent over a
great crimson leather bound volume In
her lap. 1t was copy of Bulfinch's
Age Of Fable" and in the charm Of
Its vellum pages Anne quite forgot
that she was alone in the big house.
Mrs Babb and Sarah had gone to a
funeral, and the other servants would
not return until their master made his
appearance. Outside on the avenue
there was the smooth rumble of
"HtCio vi .HC Ncl d0PHdlI r'iu VIC "
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
q 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 1t 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 q
sound In the room.
Her heart beat little faster 10 she
looked down at the room which should
have been empty. OF course It might
be Mrs. Babb or Sarah. but these two
servants would have knocked for id.
mittance. A vague Of terror took pos.
session Of her and held her speeches.
for few moments.
Peering down. she made out mans
dark shape standing near the IRE. His
back was toward her.
Anne could make out that the in.
truder wore dark macintosh and a
small darp cap.
There was only one explanation of
his appearance. Some thief, learning
Of Mr.. Wayne's early return home had
resolved to help himself to some of
the millionaire-collector' treasures.
Why such valuable collection of
books, pictures and porcelains should
be left unprotected, might be answered
by the fact that Gregory Wayne was
entirely impractical and had unbound.
ed faith in his fellowmen.
The room darkened until the only
visible light was that made by the
IRE against which the mans still form
was silhouetted dimly.
Anne's cramped Nmhs grow ,.A