Evening journal., 1922-07-31
CHAPTER 1

Hurmur or bees IN the uOWer-oOr
sders. a gentle cooling of pigeons ii
The tops of the elms. From distan
s4awns oame the whir of a moving
rfnachine, that most restful OF al
country sounds, making ease the
sweeter in that It is taken while
leothers are working.
- It was the hour when even those
whose business II IS to attend TO the
wants of others have a moment or
two for themselves. In the house
Keepers room Audrey Stevens, the
zaretty parlormaid, re-trimmed her
best hat. and talked idly to her
aunt. the cook housekeeper OF Mr..
Mark Ablett's bachelor home.
~" Funny thing that about Mr..
Marks brother. Fancy not seeing
eAim for fifteen years"
"As ! told you all this morning, q"
said her aunt, I've been here FIVE
s'years. and never heard OF a brother.
NJ could say that before everybody II
TI was going TO die tomorrow"
y you could have Knocked me
mdown with a feather when he spoke
%about him at breakfast this morn
ming ] didn't hear what went before
mmnaturally, but they was all talking
aabout the brother when 1 went in.
@.1dr. Mark turns to me, and says
myou know his way-Stevens, he
4says,. my brother IS coming to see
sirne this afternoon; I'm expecting
~shim about three he says, Show him
ninto the Office he says, just like
THAT. Yes, sir I says quite quietly,
mbut was never so surprised in my
s.life, not knowing he had a brother.
nMy brother from Australia he says
~,--there, I'd forgotten that. From
",Australia."
well. he may have been in Aus
etralia.r said Mrs. Stevens. judi
mcially. "But what I do say is he's
mnever been here. Not while I've
,abeen here. and that's five years"
"a We'll but, auntie, he hasn't been
ahere for fifteen years. heard Mr..
alaMark telling Mr.. Cayley. Fifteen
inyears. he says. Mr.. Cayley having
Marst him when his brother was last
msn England. Mr.. Cayel knew OF
Chin, 1 heard him telling Mr.. Bever-
alley, but didn't know when he was
suiast in England-see? SO that's why |
nhe arst Mr.. Mark"
a. I'm not saying anything about |
ahfteen years. Audrey. I can only |
s@speak for what know. and that's
sffve years Whitsuntide. II he's been
in Australia, as you say, well,
daresay he's had his reasons"
What reasons2" said Audrey
lightly.
Never mind what reasons. Being
in the place Of a mother to you,
since your poor mother died, say
this, Audrey-when a gentleman
goes to Australia, he has his rea-
sons. And when he stays in Aus
tralia fifteen years, he has his rea-
sons. And a respectfully brought-up
girl doesn't ask what reasons
"Got into trouble, / suppose,
said Audrey carelessly. They were
saying at breakfast he'd been a Wild /
one"
The ringing of a bell brought Au-
drey to her feet-no longer Audrey,
but now Stevens. She arranged her
cap IN front OF the glass.
There, that's the front door"
she said. That's him. Show him
into the Office said Mr.. Mark. 1
suppose he doesn't want the other
ladies' and gentlemen to. SEQ him.
Well they're all out OF their golf, J
anyhow-Wonder If he's going to ,,
stay-P'raps he's brought back
lot Of gold from Australia"
Now. now. get on. Audrey"
"Just going, darling" She went
out.
AS Audrey came across the hall
she gave a little start as she saw
Mr.. Cayley suddenly, sitting unob-
frusively in a seat beneath one OF
the front windows, reading.
No reason why he shouldn't be
there; certainly a much cooler place
than the golf-links on such day; !
hut somehow there was a deserted
air about the house that afternoon
Mr.. Cayley, the masters cousin, was
a surprise; and, having given little
exclamation as she came suddenly
unon him. she blushed, and said,
"Oh. / beg your pardon sir, didn't
see YOU at first" and he looked up
from his book and smiled at her.
An attractive smile it was on that
big ugly face such gentleman,
Mr.. Cayley.' she thought TO herself
&c she went on. and wondered what
he master would do without him.
II this brother. for instance, had to
,e bundled back TO Australia, II was
Mr.. Cayley who would do most OF
he bundling.
80 this is Mr.. Robert" said Au-
arey to herself. as she came in sight
OF the visitor.
She told her aunt afterwards that
size would have known him any
where for Mr.. Marks brother, but
she would have said that in any I
event. Actually she was surprised
Dapper little Mark. with his neat "
pointed beard and his carefully V
curled mustache; with his quick
dartlng eyes, always moving from
one 20 the other OF any company he II
was in, 70 register one more smile OF
10 his credit when he had said a r
good hing, one more expeetant look q,
when he was only waiting his turn
10 say it, he was a very different -,
man from this rough-looking, H.
dressed colonial. staring at her go
loweringly. ~
Il want to see Mr.. Mark Albeit
he growled. It sounded almost Ike =.
a threat
Eyes. sir. He is expecting you, II
you will come this way"
Audrey went TO the second door
on the left, and opened It.
Mr.. Robert Alb" she began, and
then broke off The room was q
ON pity. IF you will sit down. sir, 4,
wifi find the master. 1 know he's