, 1919-03-20
On the Long
Way Round
~
(Copyright.)
By A. R TIETJE

aga
acacia bushes, Jack Ford slammed
down his ~portmanteau, and began to
brush the dust from his new gray
trousers and russell shoes.
To have his arrival at an out-of-the-
way station in the Adlrondacks delay
ed by an accident, till the unheard-of
hour of $3.50 a. m; to have found no
conveyance, and to have been forced
to walk four miles along n billy road,
had not pleased the Adairs' new
chauffeur.
eyes scanned the estate of his master
to-be, annoyance gave way to salts
faction.
The long, velvet lawns, edged with
geraniums and a~sters; the tennis
courts; the graveled walks sweeping
up to the porte-coShere of the Eliza
bethan house, on the chimneys of
which glimmered the first rays of the
sun-ali these brought a CLEAN of
pleasure to the chauffeur's features.
His lot had evidently fallen into a
summer of eden.
Suddenly Ford's glance, in its rapid
survey, lighted upon the veranda.
Even thus early, 1t seemed, someone
was stirring. There was q swish of
dainty white skirts and a fiutter down
the steps. The girl was pretty. Ford,
no mean judge. ventured that. The
brown hair, ripping in morning dis
array about the shoulders, the ten
derby oval face, the light step, promised
well.
Mentally as the figure drew nearer,
Ford found himself measuring the girl,
as he did all others, by Lucy.
He judged her twenty-five; that
would be Lucy's age. Ali If Lucy
had kept her word last summer, but
pshaw! the rich girl had only played
with him. AS soon as she came upon
the ugly fact of his poverty she had
faded away. At the hotel, when he
had called the last morning, there had
been merely a note with some cruel
lines about the necessity of luxuries,
the scale she was accustomed to, etc.
The near music in her laugh called
Ford back from his reveries. Lucy
had laugkSe sike that-an enchanting,
woodland Atla.
Eagerly he peered through a leafy
crevice. The girl, her head slanted
back, was laughing at a great bull pup
tearing across from the kennels. In
Its frantic haste the animal had tripped
and plowed up a yard of turf.
"Poor Snipr" the girl said. "Come
on, then
AS she turned to continue her stroll,
the pup, bounding up and down, lick
ing her hands furiously, the girls face
came into full view.
Ford stiffened. The chin. the up
tilt of the nose-the straight, white
forehead, glimpsed between the waves
Of hair-above all, the deep hazel eyes
facing life sc openly-these had been
Lucy's. This-was Lucy.
Ford had half won a girl at the sea-
shore ten months beforehand this was
the girl. He bounded through the
acacias, their delicate petals shower
ing about his head as a wood gods.
Lucy The cry was sharp and
sudden. The girl paled and started.
But Ford would have wore her lips
shaped Jack"
If so, this girl, so like Lucy, gained
her balance rapidly.
Down, Snip!' she said to the growl-
ing dog.
Then turning to the man she went
on with an intense calmness: you are
mistaken, 1 think. My name is Adair
Ellen Adair."
But the man was not to be put off.
Lucy! you don't know" he began.
The dog had ceased snarling.
81 assure you" she repeated, my
lame is not Lucy; there is no Lucy
here. Come, Snip"
In stupefaction Ford followed the
rustic of the white skirts over the
gravel. The girl, whoever she was,
was brave. The chin had not quiv-
cred; she was not q%uickening her
steps. But-that she was not Lucyl
Lucy's hair, voice, walk, eyes, md yet
not Lucyi 1t was monstrous. 1t
could not be.
And then, in a flash, truth dawned
upon him.
1t was Lucy.
But If chauffeurs have griefs they
also have duties.
Only three hours later, before the
porte-cochere stood the small, ~one-seat-
ed automobile. Idly the new chauffeur,
still in his "gentlemen's" clothes, Won
dered why this machine had been or
dered to convey a guest to the train,
then allowed his thoughts to drift to
Lucy.
"Mr. Ford, the mistress says Miss
Lucy must be sure and make the
eight"
Ford was lost in a maze of wonder
ment. For the face that was turning
pale beneath Its mesh of lace, ever as
he aided the girl to her seat, was the
n he had seen in the morning. the
face of Lucy.
For II short space the two watched
the white rfhhon of road unu,indfnu ha-