The Elbert County tribune., 1917-10-12
CHAPTER III.
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filed with a curious sense of buoynnt
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,
hnstened Mt once to her bedside.
"It Is half-past nine, madam, and
your breakfast is here. The old i'm
beetle from the kitchen has just
brought 1t up"
Louise looked npprovlngly at the
breakfast tray. with the homemade
brend 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.
1.-THE homemade things are well
enough in their way, madam" Aline
agreed, but l have never known
household so strange and disagreeable.
That n. Jennings, who calls himself
the Dutler-he is person unspeak-
able, n savagel"
Louise's eyes twinkled.
II don't think they are fond of wom-
en- in this household, Aline," she re-
marked. Tell me, have you seen
Chnrles?"
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 to
start before midday"
.That does not matter" Louise de-
clnred gazing eagerly out of the case
ment window. Immediately below was
grass-grown orchard which stretched
upward, ut 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 waft of perfume stole into
the room through the window which
she had opened.
FIJI my bath quickly, Aline," Louise
ordered. II must go out. want to see
whether 1t is really as beautiful as it
looks"
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.
but, madam" she exclaimed, 81
have remembered The name Strange
wey. Yesterday morning you read 1t
out 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 hnd
left a great fortune-hundreds and
thousands of pounds. The name was
Strangewey. the same as that. I re-
member 1t row."
She pointed once more to the family
tree. Louise sat for moment with
parted lips.
''You are quite right, Aline. re-
member 1t all perfectly now. I wonder
whether 1t 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
but the sheep and the cows, If they
had money-money to live In the
cities. to buy pleasures, to be happy
Unbelievable. madam
Louise remained standing before the
window. She was watching the bios
som-laden 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
Aline," she murmured; "but happiness
well, you would not understand
They are strange men, these two"
Louise found her way without diff
Guilty across cobbled yard, through q
postern gate set in red-brick wall
into the orchard. At the farther enc
she came to gate, against which she
rested for moment, leaning her arms
upon the topmost bar. Before her was
the little belt of plowed earth, the
fresh, pungent odor of which was q
new thing to her; little way to the
right, the rolling moorland, starred
with clumps of gorse; in front, across
the field on the other side of the gray
stone wall, the rock-strewn hills The
sky-unusually blue 1t seemed to her
and dotted all over with little masse.
~ faarv white rlunds-seemed some