Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-03-23
CHAPTER XIV
In The RloosI


lhe day was bright and warm with
tne golden stream Of sunshine poured
abundant'y from the sky's blue bowl
trees and flowers and grasses stool
motionless in the still. fragrant air
never a summer cloud dropped IT,
shadow over the broad, fertile acrcs Of
the valley. II was one Of those per
rect days which are like exQuisitely
executed canoes. And yet in the Stcth
erii house there was hush which was
almost a palpable thing, q strange Vi &.
lent command for silence, q breath
lessness like that Of waiting BY q sick
bed, an atmosphere not unlike TINT
OF another sort Of day when thicH
clouds gather ominously and the air Is
charged with electrical menace, when
it is with a sigh of relief that one
hears the first big drops Of the thunder /.
storm.
On" Of those times had come when
one cannot but realize that euch bu
man personality walks abroad clothed
IN its own aura. as in an invisible gar
mcnt. From joyous soul there spripgS
outward widening rings Of joyousness ~
that they carry their golden essence
into other souls. From the soul stepped
IN gloom there ti'ters the black oozc Of
despoonddency. Today strong pervad.
ing influence of hush and expectancy
was no less real than the objective
world over which 1t lay.
Even the servants, coming and going
about their work, were silent footed
quiet 'tongued throng.
Evelyn, since she had left Huddou.
had been restless, restless, restless. Sd.
peat iike'mad at the keys Of the piano so
thuf fpr a lttln
EoicS made II seem as though a thun-
derstorm had actually broken passion.
airly from the blue sky. Suddenly.
from the, swe ling volume of sound
there grew again empty silence az Eve.
lyn, S hands dropped listlessly from the
keyboard. She went abruptly to her
own room, in which for ten minute,
she moved aimlessly up and down. Sh,
called Browdy and sent her for Mr..
Haddon. She must speak with him
again. No sooner had Browdy gone
than Evelyn regretted that she had sent
her. And when the maid brought woro
that Mr.. Haddon had gone into Lock
worth her impatience to see him. TO
talk with him further. swept back upon
her fcvcrishly.
Bobbic Ashe, in his room, tossed
in his seething maelstrom, was
as restless. He stared moodily out of
ms window, smoked sayagely, let his |
pipe die out, struggling in fierce frenzy
to get solid ground under his feet.
In the kitchen. cook and serving maid
stared at each other out of anxious |
Eyes.
II feel all the time" whispered the |
cook, like every piece Of wood | poke |
IN the stove was a stick of dynamite.
For Rachel Stetheril, too, was anx-
GUS and nervous and restless, finding |
fault everywhere at the same time,
,ursing man aud maid. humping her old |
stick with viciousness which caused |
hose who heard to shiver and, shiver-
ng, get out Of her way with incredibly
oft footed haste. Even Ends bright
happiness of the morning waned, grow
ng as the afternoon wore on from quiet
ontent to wordless wistfulness. Little
tonnie's tears came readily and fire.
luently today.
The afternoon dragged on lingcringly
he house clocks licked with pronounced
istinctness as though they Knocked the
ainful progress of dumb and wounded
ay. The afternoons passing seemed
Ike a pretty child'S dying.
"Whcre's Haddon?" demanded Ra-
hel Stethcril for the dozcnth time, now
4 Ashe whom she had summoned
harply TO her study.
And when the boy answered az others
ad done before him, saying, "In Lock.
;orth, | believe" the old woman for
he dozenth time snapped:
Damn the man !"
Now she followed the caustic words
18th Il sharp, gimlet sort of look at
.she.
whats he in Lockworth for?" she
robed viciously.
Ashe turned his eyes, troubled eyes.
pom her, and for the moment made no
nswcr, He didn't seem to be think
lg either of her or of Haddon or of
nything else under the sun.
''Why. | suppose He went on
usiness."
What businessy Whose business?
lot mine. I'll be bound"
II don't know" said Ashe absently.
Don't know rasped the old
'oman. Don't know You don't
now anything. You look like a cursed
npty- headed owl
''Go outside and hoot. Good
Od How can ] do the right thing
hen Oh . Get out Of here Go
utsdc and makes eyes at the moon or
nat little fool Camden girl or
tec!e Have you got any sporting
Iood ia you?"
tCoNTlNUED TOMORROW