Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-24
CHAPTER NXXIN

ALLAN sat writing in his library. Ten
n years had now slipped past since the
last of the Folk had been brought to the
surface and the ancient settlement in the
bowels of the earth forever abandoned,
Heavily sprinkled with gray. the mans
hair showed the stress of time and labors
incredible.
Lines marked his face with the recotd
of their chsracter-building, even as his
rapid pen traced on white paper the all
but completed history of the new world
whereat he had been laboring so long.
Through the open window. where the
midsummer breeze swayed the silken cur
tains drfted hum from the long file of
beehives in the garden. Farther away
sounded the comfortable gossip Of hens as
they breasted their soft feathers into the
dust baths behind the stables "A dog
barked.
Came voices from without Along the
street growled motor. Laughter of chill
dren echoed from the playground Allan
ceased writing a moment, with a smile.
and gazed about him as though waking
from dream.
Can this be truc?" he murmured After
having worked over the records of the
earlier time they still seem the reality and
this the dream" :"
on the garden path sounded footballs.
Then the voice of Beatrice calling:
Come out, boy See my new roses
lust opened this morning !"
He got up and went to the window. She
-matronly now and of ampler bosom
vet still very beautiful to look upon
was standing there by the rose tree, scis-
sors In hand.
Allan, Junior. now a rugged hardy-look-
ing chap of nearly sixteen-tall. well-buit
and with his fathers peculiar alertness of
bearing--was bending down high branch
for his mother.
Beyond, on the lawn, the ten-year- old
daughter, Frances. had young Harold in
charge, swinging him high in stout ham,
mock under the apple trees
Cant you come out a minute. dear?"
asked Beatrice implorngly. Let your
work go for once Surely these new roses
are worth more than a hundred pages of
dry statistics that nobody'll ever read any
howl"
He laughed merrily, threw her kiss and
answered
"stil girl. I see Ah well, don't tempt
me Beta It's hard enough to work on
such a day, anyhow. without your trying
to entice me out
won't YOU come, 'Alan?"
.Just give me half an hour more and
IN call it off for today -
"All right; but make IL snort nal1-nour,
boy"
He returned to his desk, The library,
uke the whole house now, was fully and
beautifully furnished. The spols of twenty
cities had contributed to the adornment of
"Tbe Nest" as they had christened their
home.
In time Allan planned even 70 bring
art works from Europe to grace 1t still
further AS yet he had not attempted to
cross the Atlantic. but in his seaport near
the ruins of Mobile a powerful 150-foot
victor Yacht was building.
In less than six months he counted on
making the first voyage OF discovery to
the Old World.
contentedly he glanced around the IA
o,,,iar room. Upon the mantel over the
ca anacious fireplace stood rare and beautiful
bronzes. Priceless rugs adorned the pol
| shed floor.
THE broad windows admitted floods OF
sunlight that fell across the great jars OF
eowers Beta always kept there for him
md lighted up the heavy tiers of books in
their mahogany cases Books everywhere
under the window-seats. up the walls. ever
,,nins deep alcove in the far corner
pooks. hundreds upon hundreds, precious
and cherished above all else.
iCONTINUED MONDAY)