The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-11-10
CHAPTER III.
P


Louise awOke the next morning
filled with q curious sense of huoyant
expectancy. The sunshine was pouring
into the room, Frightening up its most
somber corners. 1t lay across the quilt
OF her bed, and seemed to bring out the
perfume of lavender from the pillow
on which her head repOsed.
Aline, hearing her mistress stir,
FASTENED at once to her bedside.
1T Is half-past nine, madam, and
your breakfast is here. The old i'm
beetle from the kitchen has just
brought it up
Louise looked approvingly at the
breakfast tray, with the homemade
bread and deep-yellow butter, the
brown eggs and clear honey. The
smell Of the coffee was aromatic. She
breathed little sigh of content.
How delicious everything looks =
she exclaimed.
"The homemade things are well
enough in their way, madam" Aline
agreed, but l have never known
household so strange and disagreeable.
That NJ. Jennings, who calls himself
the butler-he is a person unspeak-
able, savage!"
Louise's eyes twinkled.
II don't think they are fond of wOni-
en- in this household, Aline," she re-
marked. 'Tell me, have you seen
Charles;'
"Charles has gone to the nearest
blacksmith's forge to get something
made for the car. madam" Aline re-
piled. "He asked me to say that he
was afraid he would not be ready tC
start before midday"
. THAT does not matter" Louise de-
clared, gazing eagerly out of the case
ment window. Immediately below wa:
a grass-grown orchard which stretched
upward, at a precipitous angle, toward
a belt Of freshly plowed field beyond,
q little chain of rocky hills, sheer over
head. The trees were pink and white
with blossom; the petals lay abou
upon the ground like drifted snow
flakes. Here and there yellow Jon
quils were growing among the lonl
grass. A watt of perfume stole int
the room through the window wmcI
she had opened.
Fill my bath quickly, Aline," Louis
ordered. II must go out. want to Sc
whether it is really as beautiful as
looks"
Aline dressed her mistress in s
lence. Then, suddenly, a little e1cli
nation escaped her. She swung rouh
toward her mistress, and for once ther
was animation in her face.
"Rut. madam" she exclaimed,
have remembered! The name Strange
wev. Yesterday morning you READ
out while you took your coffee. 40
smoke of the good fortune of som
farmer in the north OF EnSlanu
whom some relative in Australia MI
left great fortune-hundredS an
thousands of pounds. The name W.
Strangewey, the same as that.
member Il now"
She pointed once more TO the lam,
tree. Louise sat for a moment VIII
parted lips.
.You are quite right, Aline. r
member it all perfectly now. L womb
whether It could possibly be either
these two men,?
Aline shook her head douDt1uils'
1T would be unbelievable, madam
she decided. Gould any sane NUM-
creatures live here, with no compa'
but the sheep and the cows II tii'
had money-money to live IN u
cities, TO buy pleasures, TO De nnpp'
Unbelievable, madam
Louise remained standing before =
window. She was watching tne Di'
som-laden boughs of one or the app
trees bending and swaying in the IRE
morning breeze-watching Tue les'Ae
shadows which came and went up
the grass beneath.
THAT is Just your point OF We
Aline.n she murmured; "but hlppine
well YOU would not undersaai
They IRE strange men, these Two
Louise found her way without VI
Guilty across a cobbled yard, through
posteru gate set in q red-brlck WI
into the orchard. At the farther {
she cane TO a gate, against WHICH
rested for a moment, leaning ner al
upon the topmost bar. Before her v
the little belt of plowed earth'
fresh, pungent odor Of which was
new thing 10 her; a little way 10
r;,ht tho rolling moorland, starr
with clumps of gorse: In front, acr'
the field on the other side OF the y
stone wall, the rock-strewn hills.
sxy-unusually blue 1t seemed 10
and dotted all over with little mas
81 feecy, white clouds-seemed sos