Alma record., 1914-02-05

The front door was open, showing
hall where stood a grandfather's clock
and spindle-legged table holding a
bowl OF potpourri. The timepiece had
landed from sailing vessel at James
town wharf with the household goods
of that English Garland who had
adopted the old Middle Plantation
when Dunmore was royal governor un-
der George III. Framed portraits and
engvavings lent tints OF tarnished sill
ver old-rose and sunset-golds-colors
time-toned and reminiscent, carrying a
charming sense of peaceful content, OF
gentleness and long tradition. The
dark polished stairway had at its turn
a square dormer-window which looked
out upon one of the rose-arbors.
Down this stair, somewhat later that
afternoon, came Shirley cambridge,
booted and spurred, the rebellious
ly filleted as a Greek boys, in a short
divided skirt of yew-green and a cool
white blouse and swinging by its rib
bon a green hat whose rolling brim
was caught up at one side by crisp
blue-black hawks feather. She stopped
to peer out Of the dormer-window to
where, under the latticed weave Of
bloom beside a round iron table hold
ing hoop of embroidery and a book
or two lady sat reading.
The lady's hair was silver, but not
with age. 1t had been so for many
years, refuted by the transparent skin
and a color as soft as the cheek OF an
apricot. 1t was solely in her dark
eyes, deep and strangely luminous,
that one might see lurking the SOM
Der spirit of passion and OF pain. But
they were eager and brilliant withal,
giving the lie to the cane whose crook
one pale delicate hand held with a
clasp that somehow conveyed a sense
of eXasperate if semi-humorous re-
bellion.
She looked up at Shirley's voice. and
smiled brightly. "Of for your ride,
dear?"
Yes. I'm going with the Chal
mers."
"Oh, of course Betty Page is visit.
ing them, isn't Ehe?"
Shirley nodded. She came yester-
day. I'll have to hurry, fof saw them
from my window turning into the Red
Road" She waved her hand and ran
lightly down the stair and across the
lawn to the orchard.
She pulled green apple from a
bough that hung over a stone wall and
with this in her hand she came close
to the pasture fence and whistled a
peculiar call. 1t was answered by q
low whinny and soft thud of hoofs,
and a golden-chestnut hunter thrust
a long nose over the bars, fiaring
tlame-lined nostrils to the touch of her
hand. She laid her cheek against the
white thoroughbred forehead and held
the apple to the larger reaching lip,
with several teasing withdrawings be-
fore she gave it to its juicy crunching.
She let down the top bar of the
fence and vaulting over, ran to a
stable and presently emerging with a
saddle on her arm, whistled the horse
to her and saddled him. Then open
ing the gate, she mounted and can
tered down the lane to meet the on
coming riders-a kindlyfaced, middle
aged man, younger one with dark
features and coal-black hair, and two
girls.
Chisholm Lusk spurred in advance
and lifted his hat. II held up the
Judge, Shirley" he said, "and made
him bring me along He tells me
there's fox hunt on tomorrow; may
Gomez"
"Pshaw! Chilly" said the Judge. II
don't believe you ever got up at five
o'clock in your born days. You've
learned bad habits abroad"
You'll see," he answered. "If my
man Friday doesn't rout me out to-
morrow, I'll be up for murder"
They rode an hour, along stretches
of sunny highways or on shaded bridle-
paths where the horses hoofs fell muf-
fed in brown pine-needles and droop-
ing branches flicked their faces Then,
by a murky way gouged with brusk
gullies, across shelving fields and
"turn-rows" in a long detour around
TOM AhOuhOdihs a iOu6h oPoA IL
the shape of an Indians head that
wedged itself forbiddingly between the
fields of spring corn and tobacco.
do let us get drink" said Chilly
Lusk I'm as thirsty as cotton
batting camel"
"All right, we'll STOP" agreed the
Judge, "and you'll have chance to
see a local lion, Betty. This is
where Mad Anthony lives. You must
have heard of him when you were here
before. He's almost as celebrated as
the Reverend John Jasper Of Rich
mond."
Betty tapped her temple. Where
have All heard of John Jasper?"
He was the author of the famous
sermon on The Sun do Move He
used to prove it by bucket Of water
that he set beside his pulpit Saturday
night. AS 1t hadn't spilled in the
morning he knew it was the earth that
stood STILL"
Betty nodded laughingly. "Ah re-
member now. Is Mad Anthony really