Evening star., 1915-04-11

years ago. Yes Sir, you ii recognize the
place easy. There's a fish fountain in the
yard and red flowers around the front"
Barrow strolled jauntily up the maple
lane. "As easy as adjuncting a baby's
milk bottle, Bill had said. After all, it
was a nefarious performance, this follow
ing out of the constituencies Bills plot
1t had taken Barrow some weeks to agree
to it. Even now he told himself that he
had run down only out of curiosity to see
the girl the governor had seen fit to make
his hciress. Certainly he wouldn't be
guilty OF robbing a woman; though, to be
sure. as Bill had said, the money right
fully belonged to him.
Here his thoughts scattered; for he
found himself at the gate opening into the
grounds of the gray house on the hill. \
very old house it was, with the air of hav-
ing been on good terms with wind and
weather for many day. Halfway up the
box-bordered path Thomas came upon
the spouting fountain,-an immense fish
standing in a most unfishly attitude on
the end of its tail, and almost simultan-
eously his attention was caught by the
glow of late scarlet and gold blossoms
around the gray balustrade of the porch
tAItl DIS Ilt lOOkttl, lIOIll lle open WlHuOW
of the room at his right the sound of
piano aoated out to him. Someone began
to sing Some Day He'll Come, from
"Madame Butterfly"
Tom had heard famous artists render
this, but always with admiration of their
technical ability more or less blottng out
the human and appealing quality of the
words. But, standing still by the fish
fountain beyond the scarlet flowers he
was conscious of an unwonted lump in his
throat. Technical skill was not wanting
here, and the voice was rather extraordi-
nary; yet the thing that caught and held
one was its sheer, deep emotional appeal
to the feelings that underlic our shifting
and bubble-like fantasy of days
The song presently ended, and there
was the sound of light footsteps mounting
distant staircase. With the ceasng of
the song the spell that held Barrow dis
solved, and with an air of condescension
he assembled the steps and rang the bell.
Minutes passed; but nobody answered.
He rang again. Still silence. Impatient
ly he turned to the open window, and after
a moments struggle with good breeding
peared into the room beyond. \ beauti-
fully colored interior, subty toned in dull,
quiet hues, but restful and tremendously
inviting, impressed him to the point of "A
cough, "a slight preliminary warning that
brought no response. Very well, then
he would go in by the window.
HE was going in, very neatly and grace
fully, when suddenly his head came in
smart contact with the upper sash. The
window ratified violently On the heels
of this misfortune number of very un-
gentlemanly observations escaped him;
but when he Strengthened himself, with
further observations, on the inside of the
room, he perceived that he was not alone
A tall woman in blue, with very steady
gray eyes, was standing on the inner
threshold of the room looking at him.
Now, Thomas had been looked at many
times before. AS heir prospective of Il
rich man the thing had been rather over
done. And he had so long read approval
in futtering feminine glances that this
woman's appraising, level scrutiny had all
the effect of Il contemptous Halt there"
He stopped, took "A step forward, then ig-
ANONYMOUSLY turned to beat retreat
through the window