Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-05-07
The
LODGE
For a Time There Was a
Doubt as to Its Occupancy.
By F. A. mitchell

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bright spring morning. and the sun
shone down upon John at his work.
The trees had leaved not long before
and still wore something of the pale
hue of early spring. The birds were
building their nests and flying here
and there for material. John was a
young man, and the principle of nest
building was in him as well as the
birds. He was thinking of making a
home for himself.
Twenty years before the owner of
the place. n widow, Mrs. Alexander,
had a h~ousekeeper who, dying, left a
little daughter. a babe. The child was
without any one of her own kin to
care for her, and Mrs. Alexander as
sumed the responsibility. Anne Bur
kett when she grew older was sent tt
school and brought up as a member of
the Alexander family. She was a will,
full child, though not hayward.
Ordinary duties were burdensome to
her. She loved the country. In spring
she was never so happy as in watch
ing the opening of the buds and other
signs of the return of summer. In au
tumn her delight was to walk through
the woods knee deep in dead leaves,
kicking them as she went and listening
to the sound they made in the other
wise silent forest.
It was she whom the gardener was
thinking of in connection with his
home building. But more than ordi.
nary lovers doubts possessed him.
Anne. though the daughter of an upper
servant, had been brought up, if not
as a lady. at least In a fashion that fit.
ted her to assume the station Of a
lady. John was the son of a c~ultivator
of flowers which were sold In the city.
The boy inherited a taste for his ia
theirs work and had taken a curse In
an agricultural institution. after fin.
ishing which he accepted a position as
gardener. IL Anne was above the sta
ton in which she had been born John
was above the usual Interpretation of
the term gardener. But he had never
known Anne's people and had always
regarded her as a lady.
w It'll n1to. AitAdnQEl 01C0s Gl1CC cnC
left no children of her own. the place
passed into the possession of her neph.
ew, Edgar Alexander. He was living
5road. at the time Of his aunt death,
bUt returned to America and settled
down on the place he had inherited.
He was a bachelor over forty years
of age and had tired of rowing. His
new possession was exactly suited to
his taste. He made no change in any
thing on the place. leaving the admin
istration of the household in the hands
of the woman who had manager it
for Mrs. Alexander. He had heard Of
Anne through his aunt, but only as
the daughter Of a former housekeeper
and a dependent on charity. When
he came TO America and saw the young
woman he was surprised to find a diff
ferent person from the 4 he had ex-
pected to meet. He made no change
in her status in the household.
But he made a change in his own
status. He had been a clubman, a
man of the world and had avoided en-
tanglements with women He was
known to be well off, and bachelors of
means are usually supposed to be
weather. than they are. Women had
thrown themselves at him and had
been thrown at him by their mothers.
But he would have zone of them.
Toward this orphan girl he was diff
ferent. He drove with her, he played
games with her. When he was not
with her he seemed not to know what
to do with himself. For the first time
in his life h e>melted under a woman's
influence.
While John was thinking of Anne
Mr.. Alexander came out On the porch
and stood looking down on the grounds
surrounding his home. Seeing his gar
dener clipping the hedge, he came
down to where he was and began to
chat with him. He was W that
John had received an education to ft
him as an agriculturist, and John had
never said anything about possessing
a profession.
"John," said Mr.. Alexander, this
place should have a lodge at the gate
way. I'm thinking of building one.
But a lodge should contain some one
to admit visitors and keep out unde-
sirable persons. Now, if you were mar
ried l could put you in the lodge, and
while you were at work about the
place your wife would be ready for any
duty at the gate, though such duties
would, Of course. be nominal for there
is really no need for a lodge. / want
one as an addition to the place"
John ceased to snip the hedge, low
cred his shears and looked thoughtful
Had he been older he would probably
have kept his thoughts to himself. Be
ing young, he wished for sympathy, and
that makes one confidential
"The only woman | want for a wife,
Mr.. Alexander" he said. wouldn't
live in a porter's lodge"
But this would be a gardeners
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