Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-12

At the Rafnbow. f5s ateod On the door,
step, sndinR the evening cir with rts
nose and pricking up his ears with outi-
osity during sevrance'a little talk with
mine host.
Particularly / noticed that he darted
quick, queer glance at US when automobiles
were mentioned one would havo fancied
him struck with a new idea. He caught
my eve upon him, bowed politely and, turn
ing, rc-entered the hosteirys Sevrance RatE-
cred up the reins, clucked to the animal In
the shafts and we moved on
After a few hundred yards turned In
my seat and looked back. Saltsea Regis
had vanished--nfolded by the hills wherein
It drowsed out its placid existence.
We had rounded shoulder OF the downs
and we're descending a gentle slope. Before
us lay a vast and desolate expanse OF
downs, bathed in the ruddy light of the
setting sun. sinister TO view, depressing the
Imagination strangely with its effect OF iii-
finite, grim distances; a savage and inn
placable wilderness.
settled back in my seat smuggling be-
meath the lap robes with a little shiver.
Presently we had reached the Lowell evea
and could see no more than hundred
yards or 80 of the winding road before us.
Even the sea, its nearness made manifest
by the suen growing that filled the air,
lay Invisible for the greater part OF the
way Only once or twice we came out tiupon
hilltop or drove near the edge OF low
chalk cliff overlooking the waters and once,
if i remember distinctly the road debouched
upon the verge Of a long. low and sandy
beach, where our wheels sank deep in the
yielding sands, following an ill-defned way
between wide reaches Of shuddering coarse
grasses.
For couple of hours we Travelled on,
meeting no one. Night succeeded linger-
ing twilight, adding to the desolation that
surrounded us. Sevrance stopped our beast,
got down and lit the lamps, remarking that
1t seemed more cheerful.
He may have so regarded IL for my. part
II but accentuated my sensation Of lone
liness
l conceived hatred, then and there, for
English downs a hatred which win stay
with me to my dying day, fancy.
After Il while, however It seemed that
were driving somewhat inland into a
more friendly region We passed infreuuent
farmhouses, their position evidenced by
glowing windows Above us the winter stars
seemed to increase their cold brilliancy. SO
that the general conflguratlon of the coun-
tryside became more easily dscernible.
Sevrance finally broke, a wearisome
silence
I'VE should be near Saltacres," he said.
"If 1 remember the lay OF the land, we will
come upon the park before many minutes"
THE park! / calculated. "A park in
this godforsaken locality"
IT'S not so beastly over there" he ex-
planned; tits higher, better ground. Salt
acres itself Is a vast game preserve more
than anything else--a protected park, lying
between the road and the sea, with the
house in the very middle of II. Sir Henry
has his private yacht landing on the sea
edge of the grounds"
But how will you know 1T"
"Oh." he returned confidently, 'the house
stands near enough the road for the lghtS
TO he visible through the trees-especially
at this season Of the year, when there 10
little or no foliage"
"But supposing there are no lights-sup-
posing they are not ,there?"
They're there" he was sure
but IL they haven't arrived"
"Now, be sensible, Gordon" His tone
was impatient. Where else would they be7
What would they be doing all this time?
We are virtually positive they left Lon
don yesterday, and they cannot but have
arrived before us"
But II they didn't come"
"They did Her ladyship said they
would"
That was unanswerable. I could only
Justify myself feebly by reference to the
statement Of the landlord of the Rainbow.
"He said that no automobile had been
seen for weeks"
Naturally they would come by n roun-
about way, to escape observation. There's
q road across the downs from somewhere
near Lincoln, for one; or they might have
driven up to GrlmSDy-All-SAlnts, IN the
north, and doubled back here"
1t seemed more hopeful in the light OF
that explanation. / began to feel more as
sured of finding Hearts Desire at this jour
news end Indeed, l was afre with eager
ness and impatience when Sevrance finally
drew rein.
"The gates are closed" he announced,
"hut here's the lodge at any rate. Jump out
there's a light in the window on the other
side"
leaned forward, peerng into the dense
darkness of the roadside. At the first 1 saw
nothing at all. but gradually, by dint of
straIning my eyes, made out the high arch
OF an old iron gateway and, blacker against
the general darkness, blurred smudge
that might stand for small lodge building.
Therefore 1 obeyed Sevrance and jumped
out lie followed me, leading the fly and
the thing that had drawn 1t to hitching
post, which, concluded, he found by In
stinct
But possibly his eyesight was more keen
than mine, for when protested that saw
nothing in any way resembling light
asserting that there was no such thing
there. he contradicted me fatty.
"On the farther side of the lodge" he
Indicated l stepped to one side, and was
forced to admit that he was right A faint.
yellow radiance did percolate through one
window. falling athwart a stretch of dead
grass, and, finally, upon low shrub that
grew nearby.
CONTINUED MONDAY.