New-York tribune., 1918-02-10

Settlng rise out of his wife, and as he
also had very genuine admiration for a
pretty face, he was in the seventh heaven
OF happiness, and remained there for the
next three days. Pipe in mouth, he invaded
me schoolroom constantly and unseasona-
bly, and reduced his daughters to a state of
lIcoherent giggling by retailing to Miss
holland various ingenious schemes for
their corporal punishment, airing humor
GUS fragments of a language he called
French and questioning their instructor
on supposititious romantic episodes in her
career. He thought Miss Holland hardly
laughed as much as she ought. Still. she
was a fine girl
at table he kept his wife continually
scandalized by his jocularities; such a.
hoarsely whispering, "I'vc lost my half of
the sIxpencc, Miss Holland" or repeating
with a thoughtful air, "Under the apple
tree when the moon rises; must try and
rot forget the hour" Miss Holland was
even less responsive to these sallies, but he
enjoyed them enormously himself and still
maintained she was a fine girl.
Mrs. Craigie's opinion of her new acqui-
sltion was only freely expressed after
ward, and then she declared that, clever
though Miss Holland undoubtedly was, and
superior though she seemed, she had al
ways suspected that something was little
wrong somewhere. She and Mr.. Craigie
had used considerable influence and per
suason to obtain a passport for her, and
why should they have been called upon to
do this-by a lady whom Mrs. Armitaee
admitted she had only met twice-sirnplv
to give change of air to healthy-looking
girl? There was something behind that.
i Besides, Miss Holland was just a trif1e too
good looking. That type always had a
history.
"My wife was plain Mrs. Craigie before
the thing happened" observed her hus-
band, with twinkle, "but, dash it, she's
teen Mrs Solomon ever since!"
1t was on t,G fourth morning of Miss
Hollands visit that the telegram came for
her. Mr.. Craigie himself brought it into
the schoolroom and delivered it with much
facetious mystery He noticed that it
seemed to contain message of some I'M
portance, and that she failed to laugh at
all when he offered waggishly to put chin"
up for the night. But she simply put it in
her pocket and volunteered no explanations
He went away feeling that he had wasted
q happy quip.
After lunch Mrs. Craigie and the girls
were going out in the car, and Miss Hol-
land was to have accompanied them. 1t
was then that she made her only reference
to the telegram. She had got wire, she
said, and had a long letter to write, and so
begged to be excused. Accordingly the
car went off without her.
MOT five minutes later Mr.. Craigie was
smoking a pipe and trying to sum-
mon up energy to 60 for stroll when Miss
Holland entered the smoking ROOM He
noticed that she had never looked so smil-
ing and charming
"Oh, Mr.. Craigie," she said, 81 want
you to help me. Pm preparing little sur
prise"
"For the girls"
"For all of you"
The laird loved practical Jest and
scented happiness at once.
I'm your man" said he. What can I
do for you?" *,
"lll como down again in half an hour"
said she, "and then | want you to help me
to carry something" ~
She gave him swift, bewitching smile
that left him entirely helpless, and hurried
from the room.
Mr.. Craigie looked at the clock and de-
cidcd that he would get his stroll into the
half-hour, SO he took his stick and saun-
tered down the drive. On one side of his
drive was Il line of huddled, wind bent
trees, and at the end was a gate opening
on the highroad, with the sea close at hand
just as he got to the gate stranger ap>
pearcd upon the road, walking very slowly
and up to that moment concealed by the
trees. He was a clergyman, tall, clean
shaved, and with what the laird aftcrward
described as a "hawky kind of look"
There was no haughfincss whatever
about the Laird of Breck. He accostcd
friendliest way.
"A fine day" said he heartily "Grand
weather for the crops if We could Just gci
wee bit moro of rain soon'
The clergyman stopped.
"les, sir" said he, "it is fine weather.
His manner was polite, but not very
hearty, the laird thought. However, he
was not easily damped, and proceeded tc
contribute several more observations
chiefly regarding the weather prospects
and tending TO become rapidly humorous
| And tbcn ho renou hnrod bc onpo;rt~,n,+