The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-07-31
CHAPTER I
.W A.A:MILNE

TN the drowsy heat Of the summer
l. afternoon The Red House was
taking its siesta. There was a lazy
murmur of bees in the fower-bor-
ders, a gentle cooling of pigeons in
the tops of the elms. From distant
lawns came the whir of moving
machine, that most restful of all
country sounds; making ease the
sweeter In that 1t is taken while
others are working.
1t was the hour when even those
whose business 1t is to attend to the
wants Of others have a moment or
two for themselves. In the house
keepers room Audrey Stevens, the
pretty 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
him for fifteen years"
''As I told you all this corning"
said her aunt. 1--WE been mere five
years, and never heard of brother.
/ could say that before everybody IL
I was going to die tomorrow"
You could have knocked me down
with a feather when he spoke about
him at breakfast this morning.
didn't hear what went before, ma
turally, but they was all talking
about the brother when / went in.
Mr.. Mark turns to me, and says
you know his way-'Stevens,' he
says, my brother is coming to see
me this afternoon; I'm expecting
him about three he says. Show him
into the office he says, just like
that. Yes, SIR I says quite quietly.
but 1 was never so surprised in my
life. not knowing he had a brother.
My brother from Australia he says
there, I'd forgotten that. From
Australia"
We'll. he may have been In
Australia" said Mrs. Stevens, judi
cially. But what / do say is he's
never been here. Not while I've been
here. and that's five years"
Wei, but, auntie. he hasn't been
here for fifteen years. 1 heard Mr..
Mark telling Mr.. Cayley. Fifteen
years. he says. Mr.. Cayley having
arst him when his brother was last
in England. Mr.. Cayley knew of
him, heard him telling Mr.. Bever-
ley, but didn't know when he was
last in England-see? So that's why
he arst Mr.. Mark"
I'm not saying anything about
fifteen years, Audrey. / can only
speak for what I know, and that's
five years Whitsuntide. If he's been
In Australia, as you say, well, /
daresay he's had his reasons"
What reasons?" 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 q gentleman
goes to Australia. he has his reasons.
And when he stays In Australia fif-
teen years, he has his reasons. And
respectfully brought-up girl doesn't
ask what reasons"
Got into trouble, suppose" said
Audrey carelessly. "They were say
Ing at breakfast he'd been a wild
one"
The ringing OF 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. / suppose
he doesn't want the other ladies and
gentlemen to see him. Well, they're
all out at their golf. anyhow-Won-
der 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 little start as she saw Mr..
Observation-Disclosures