The Ordway new era., 1917-12-14
CHAPTER III.

Louise awoke the next morning
filed with curious sense Of buoyant
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.
'It is half-past nine, madam, and
your breakfast is here. The old i'm
becile 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 1 have never known
household SO strange and disagreeable.
That D.. Jennings, who calls himself
the butler-he is q person unspeak-
able, savage"
Louise's eyes twinkled.
II don't think they ara fond of wom-
en- In this household Aline," she re-
marked. 'Tell U-, have you seen
Charles?"
Charles mas 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 to
start before midday"
"Thnt does not matter" Louise de-
clared, gazing eagerly out of the case
ment window. Immediately below was
4 grass-grown orchard which stretched
upward, at precipitous angle, toward
belt Of freshly plowed field beyond, a
little chain Of rocky hills. sheer over
head. The trees were pink and white
with blossom; the petals lay about
upon the ground like drifted snow
fakes. Here and there yellow jon
Quils were growing among the long
grass. A watt of perfume stole into
the room through the window which
she had opened.
"Fin my bath quickly, Aline." Louise
ordered. Il must go out. 1 want to see
whether it is really as beautiful as it
ooks."
Aline dressed her mistress in ST.
ence. Then, suddenly, little excla-
nation escaped her. She swung round
toward her mistress, and for once there
was animation in her face.
he nI
have remembered The name Strange
gey. Yesterday morning you read it
put while you took your coffee. You
spoke of the good fortune of some
farmer in the north of England to
whom some relative in Australia had
left q great fortune-hundreds and
thousands Of pounds. The name was
Strangewey, the same as that. l re-
member it now"
She pointed once more to the family
tree. Louise sat for a moment with
parted lips.
"You are quite right, Aline. 1 re-
member it all perfectly now. I wonder
whether it could possibly be either of
these two men?"
Aline shook her head doubtfully.
ut would be unbelievable, madam
she decided. "Could any sane human
creatures live here, with no company
1ut the sheep and the cows, If they
aad money-money to live in the
aities, to buy pleasures, to be happy
Unbelievable, madam!"
Louise remained standing before the
window. She was watching the bios
oom-lnden boughs of one Of the apple
trees bending and swaying in the fresh
morning breeze-watching the restless
shadows which came and went upon
the grass beneath.
THAT is just your point Of view
AIine," she murmured; "but happiness
--weii, you would not understand
They are strange men, these two"
Louise found her way without diff
Guilty across cobbled yard, through a
postern gate set In red-brick wall
into the orchard. At the farther end
IL came to . gate, against which she
I reStsd for moment. leaning her arma
upou ths topmost bar. Before her wai
~ Mttle belt Of plowed earth. the
fteoH puneenf odor Of which was q
Il nd6v ttlng to her; . little way to ths
= &ho rolling mooriand, starret
" ~ = <unapo n9 sorse; In front, across
Gfd u ~ other side Of the gra,
Il ii ~ ruek-sfrswn hills. Tn
~ 4 seemed y -
4; 4; : . q ~ - 40 Mttle pa1nsl
A u y N y L e1uIl