Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1919-11-27
THE LADY EVELYN

A Story of Today
BY MAX PEMBERTON


old building was in a shocking state
certainly; the plumbline declared
surprising departures from that state
ly grace OF perpendicularity the text
books had taught him to esteem.
Gavin should have taken the greatest
interest in all this, but he did not
Had you spoken to him yesterday, he
would have been ready to declare that
nothing on earth could be more fas.
cinating than the very task he now
pretended to be engaged upon; but
his habitual candor came to his res.
cue to day and he now pronounced
the work to be almost distasteful. For,
in truth, he had discovered secret
as old as man, and the delight of that
new knowledge surpassed the work
| er's dreams by far.
He stood upon dizzy height, but
custom had stalled the peril OF his EN-.
ployment. and in this aspect, fear was
unknown to him. A high trembling
ladder permitted him to climb up to a
couple of boards suspended from the
parapet above by frail ropes cunningly
I wound about the embrasures of the
| battlements. He stood with his back
to messy wall; beneath him lay the
| fair domain of Melbourne Hall; its
| ancient trees so many children's fret
| ted toys; its grass lands supremely
green; pool and lake and river ablaze
with the golden light Of an Autumn
| sun. But more to Gavin than these
| was the figure Of the Lady Evelyn
herself, clearly to be seen in the
glade where the gypsies had pitched
their camp-the figure OF an English
girl divinely tall. of one whom the
splendid woods might we'll choose for
their divinity.
She rode through the glade and by
her side there walked a rough fellow,
| who, Gavin thought, would have been
much better in Derby Jail than idling
in the home park at Melbourne. Some
chance observations which had fallen
| from servants lips had made him &C.
| quainted with the circumstances un-
der which these apparent vagrants
had come to Derbyshire; and he was
| quick enough to perceive the connec-
ton between the Earl's younger days
and this odd visitation.
| He knew these fellows in Rou-
mania and they have come here to
blackmail him." was the unspoken
comment. Their master is shady
Roumanian Count-one Of the long.
haired brand, who ogle the women.
take 1t that she had promised to mar.
ry this man, not altogether at her faith.
er's bidding. but just because he is
romantic liar enough to appeal to
one side Of her imagination. That's
what sent her to London play-acti1g.
She had to escape from this monotony
or it would have killed her. Well,
think know the temperament-a
very dangerous temperament which
has sent many a woman the wrong
way and will send many more before
the world is done with"
He turned again to the crumbling
stone work and passed his hand idly
over 1t. This old house, how many
women's hearts had it not imprisoned
love and passion could it not unfold
II these rotting stones might speak?
Many a Di Vernon had gone forth
from secret doors to meet her lover;
many one had lived and died with
her girlish secret unspoken. Study in
those records and the true story c.
Evelyn, my Lord of Melbourne's
daughter. would be read. A brave
girl, lonely girl full Of the stuff Of
u.h iph h., I>a
lieved her to be. And she had com:
rddenly into his life, impotently a.
man may look upon precious thing
re may never possess. For even 4
he loved him, what right had he t.
Teak to her; what position or nam,
had he to give her? He was a work
er in clay. Bricks and mortar wer,
not the tokens in which a woman'l
imagination deals.
"If built cathedral" he said I,
himself ironically. "she would merel!
say. How draughty!' 1t is necessar!
TO be brigand or q musician !,
roach the heart of her desires"
30 the work went on little savage
Y. He had the scaffold shifted to tn,
over OF the chapel where the clocl
ace records the deeds OF that Lord o
'elbourne who fell with Picton'
roop at Waterloo. "Tlme passe,
bove his head but will turn to Loo
t him :" the inscription wen.
'avin was cleaning the dust of th
'entury from 1t when he heard voic
ipon the parapet above, and lookin
;p he perceived my Lady Evelyl
here. standing by the battlement an
watching him curIously.
"Is not that dreadfully dangerous :?
he asked him, indicating the fral
ca 'old upon which he stood
He answered at once by anothe
irestion.
do you refer to Time? II So ye.
Is always dangerous. Time neve
leeps. remember"
She laughed and leaned over. q III
le afraid OF the height, but desiring
she knew not why. to hear him tall