The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-08-05


And this place is yours!" 1
sang out, feeling that all the years
of my life | had been destiny's
love-child. This old abbey is
yours! The park is yours! The
garden is yours! The sun-dial is
yours!"
And the girl is mine!" he
said, with a grave smile. 81 am
careless of all the other"
His gravity sobered my wild
spirits.
And your father was = Lord
Erskine?" | finally asked.
He was-LOrd Erskine," he
answered. Gle married out of
his station-far, far above his
station, l think"
His big beautiful mouth set
grimly. but he said nothing more,
and | knew that this was as heav-
lily as he would ever tread upon
the ashes of the dead. Gradually,
bit by bit, l learned the history of
the muddy pool of mistake and
fault, out of which the tender
blossom Of his boyhood had been
dragged. His father had never
seen him, but a certain stiff-neck-
ed family pride had caused him to
provide material bounty for his
child. The combination of a good
education and rugged plebian in
dustry had made him what he
was.
But why didn't you tell me-
that day when you first came to
see me and We talked about this
place-why didn't you tell me
that 1t was your ancestral homer"
why. because / had made up
my mind to marry you!" he said.
You told me that this old place
was a sort of dreamland of yours
and l didn't want to complicate
matters. | wanted your love for
me to be reality"
We'll, tit is" I confessed.
After a long while-that is. the
sun-dial said it was long while
sudden thought of my waiting
hosts at Bannerley came over me.
II must get some word to Mrs.
Montgomery" | said. "They will
be thinking that my rash Ameri-
can ways have got me into some
dreadful scrape, I'm afraid.
But the serene man at my side
was still serene.
Mrs. Montgomery knows ev-
erything-except that we are go
ing to be married-when did you
say, tomorrow" he smiled. I've
been staying with them, and they
told me about you, and | told
them about you = and we had
rather a satisfactory adjustment
of neighborly relations"
| looked at him in awe.
Did you chance to know that
| would take bad train and be
delayed here this morning at sun
rise?" | asked. Did you know
that | should be compelled to
waste precious morning hours
pacing up and down a railway sta
ton PLATFORM"
why, of course" he answered
imperturbably. Mrs. Montgomery
sent me over to meet YOU"
Then why didn't you meet
me?' l asked, with the horror of
shocking English propriety over
whelming me. Come! We must
go to Bannerley at once"
He rose and followed me to-
ward the main garden path. Then
he pointed the way to the house
door.
I've had Collins telephone
that your train was very, very
late,' he explained. She'll not
be surprised-nor too inquisitive.
She even suggested this morning
that IL you shouldn't get in until
evening-the drive to Bannerley
is very fine by moonlight"
| In the late afternoon the chilly
dusk sent little forerunners
ahead. A CHEEKY fire was kindled
in the room which had once been
the library Of Lady Frances Webb.
| This was Larry Frances own
desk, they tell me-" Maitland
said. as he was showing the an
cient treasures to me. "This was
where all her famous books were
written"
| l crossed the room to where the
little locked secretary stood.
| And she wrote those letters
here" l said in a hushed voice
DO you suppose she has some OF
his letters locked away some.