The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-09-11

this castle!"
Yes"
AS she studied the picture il
silence he went on with his work
The action seemed to imply GER
tain Indifference tor failing tt
realize--the quality of his visitor
This apparent indifference to hel
presence was something new fol
Lady Octavia, and, silently, she
resented 1t. At the same mo-
ment, however, she remembered
her present attire, the old hat. A
faint smile. unobserved by the
workman. came to her lips, and
with ii came an entertaining idea
Why not continue the deception
Perhaps he took her for the gar.
dner's daughter. Being an ignor-
ant mana common person-he
would naturally be deceived by
superficial things.
How long have you been
here?"
Three days"
do you come from London?'
"Yes, | came here from Lon
dom"
For whom are you doing
tbis?" she asked.
For an agricultural firm"
1T is they who hire you?"
Yes"
mot the Earl of Drumworth
nor his SOM"
No"
But they know you are here,
of course?"
oh. yes! 1t is with their per-
mission"
After standing beside this man
a moment she became deeply in
terested In his work.
He took up four other drawings
on tracing paper, OF the same
tower, and laid them before her.
which do you like the best? ?"
he asked.
Il am no Judge. l know too
little of architecture" ...s
However, she laid a finger-in
the soiled garden glove-upon
one of the tracings.
Il think I prefer that one"
so do l."
And in his voice, as he spoke,
there was a slight note of enthu-
siasm, almost boyish; and a sug-
gestion of a friendly appreciation
of her good judgment.
She began to like the man.
81 will show you" he said,
how it looks with the rest of the
CASTLE"
And laying a piece of tracing
paper over the drawing he pro-
ceeded to sketch the tower of
their choice. He drew it rapidly
and with what seemed to her a
marvellous facility and precision;
and all with picturesque effect.
She looked on in surprise-and
admiration-as this new tower
took shape beneath his pencil.
you must enjoy your work. T"
Indeed, l do. Life is worth
living when ones labor is more
absorbing than ones amuse-
ments."
AS he spoke, he raised his
head, and their eyes met. This
was her first real knowledge of
his face; for, being a workman in
a blouse, he had received but a
thoughtless glance. The eyes
into which she now found herself
looking brought a mild surprise
not SO much from anything
startling in their appearance as
from elusive memories they arous-
ed. These memories, shadowy and
indefinable, seemed related to a
far away period - to her child
hood days. For an instant
she struggled to reunite the brok-
en- threads, but in vain. They
were strangely familiar, these
eyes. They were a light gray
or blue, perhaps-with lashes al
most black.
Merely to break the silence,
and to relieve her own embarrass-
ment, she said:
81 see you have man in armor
over the gateway in one drawing
but not in this last one"
Eyes. l copied 1t from that
old chap up there" And he point
ed across the room to a suit OF
fourteenth-century armor, stand
ing beside the old chimney. Lady
Octavia frowned. To hear
sainted ancestor, hero of histor-
ic battles. the renowned Richard
of Drumworth called that old
chap" sent a thrill of resentment
through every nerve OF her patri-
clan being. But calmly she re-
piled:
HE IL believed by those ia.
miliar with English history to
have brought more glory to the
house of Drumworth than any
other soldier"
But such easy glory, and sc
cheap!"
Indeed! 1t might be interest,
ing to know why"
well, that suit of armor is Q
wonderful piece of work. l have
been examining II. From crown
to toe there is not weak placs
In 1t. In such get up he was al
safe in the thick OF battle as a
home In HIS own bed"
The lady tried hard to suppress
her indignation. Those he tough
against wore armor just as good.
Eyes, a few OF them. The grea
mass, however. the rank and fill
he had the fun with. we're clad II
homespun--or leather, with pos
sibly q casque or a breast-plate. I