The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1919-05-30
CHAPTER III.

Louise awoke the next morning
filled 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
beetle from the kitchen has just
brought it up"
Louise looked approyingly 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 I have never known a
household so strange and disagreeable.
That M. Jennings, who calls himself
the butler-he is a person unspeak-
able, savage"
Louise's eyes twinkled.
81 don't think they are fond of wom-
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 to
start before midday"
"That does not matter" Louise de-
clared. gazing eagerly out of the case
ment window. Immediately below was
a grass-grown orchard which stretched
upward at precipitous angle, toward
a 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
flakes. 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.
"Fill my bath quickly, Aline," Louise
ordered 81 must go out. 1 want to see
whether it is really as beautiful as 1t
looks"
Aline dressed her mistress in 81
lence. 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, y
have remembered The name Strange
wey. Yesterday morning you read il
out while you took your coffee. You
spoke of the good fortune of some
farmer in the north of England te
whom some relative in Australia had
left a great Observation-Disclosures ano
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 moment VIII
parted lips.
"You are quite right, Aline. re
member it all perfectly now. wondel
whether it could possibly be either O
these two menu"
Aline shook her heau QOuDlIully.
SIT would be unbelievable, madam,
she decided. "Could any sane human
creatures live here, with no compan'
but the sheep and the COWS, II the.
had money-money to. live In TN
cities, to buy pleasures, to be happy
Unbelievable, madam y
Louise remained standing before IN
window. She was watching the bios
som-laden boughs of one of the appl
trees bending and swaying in the fres
morning breeze-watehing the resties
shadows which came and went upo
the grass beneath.
.'That is Just your point of view
Anne," she murmured; but happlnes
well, you would not understand
They are strange men, these two.
Louise found her way without dill
cultv across a cobbled yard through
postern gate set in red-brick wal
into the orchard At the farther en-
she came to gate, against which sh
rested for a moment, leaning her arm
upon the topmost bar. Before her wa
the little belt Of plowed earth, II
fresh pungent odor of which was
new thing to her; little way to VI
right. the rolling moorland, start {
with clumps of gorse in front, acro'
the field on the other side of the gra
stone wall, the rock-strewn hills. IT
slSy--unusually blue it seemed to he
and dotted all over with little mass
of feecy, white clouds-seemed som