Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-07-31
l.

In the drowsy heat of the summer
afternoon The Red House was TAX
ing it's 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 a moving
machine. that most restful of all
country sounds; making ease the
sweeter in that it is taken while
others are working.
1t was the hour when even those
whose business it 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 hat about Mr..
Marks brother. Fancy not seeing
him for fifteen years"
AS L told you this morning."
said her aunt, I've been here five
years. and heard of a brother.
l could say that before everybody if
l 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 I 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 say Just
like that. Yes. SIR l says quite quiet
ly. but l was never so surprised IN
my life, not knowing he had a
brother. My brother from Aus
tralia,' he says-there, I'd forgot
ten that. From Australia"
We'll, he may have been sin
Australia" said Mrs. Stevens, judi
cially. But what l do say is. he's
never been here. Not while I've been
here, and that's five years"
|. We'll, but auntie, he hasn't been
here for fifteen years. I heard Mr..
Mark telling Mr.. Cayley. Fifteen
years lie says. Mr.. Crayley having
arst him when his brother was last
in England. Mr.. Cayley knew of
him, l heard him telling Mr.. Bever-
ley, but didn't know when he was
last in England--see? So that's why
he arst MI. Mark"
I'm not saying anything about
fifteen years. Audrey. l can only
speak for what 1 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, l say
this, Audrey--when a gentleman
goes to Australia, he has his reasons.
And when he stays in Australia If
teen years, he has his reasons. And
a respectfully brought-up girl doesn't
ask what reasons"
Got into trouble, I suppose sai6
Audrey carelessly. "They were say.
ing at breakfast he'd been a wilc
one"
The ringing of a bell brought Au.
drey to her feet-1o longer Audrey
but now Stevens. She arranged her
car 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
ne doesn't want the other ladies and
gentlemen to see him. Well, they're
alt out at their golf, anyhow-Wun-
der If he's going to stay-P'raps he's
brought back a 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 unobtru-
slVely in a seat beneath one of the
front windows, reading.
NO reason why he shouldn't he
/ thRrp. 7Cartainlv a ~,,,,L ,~aJ.~ 49,.
than the golf-links on such a day:
but somehow there was a deserted
air about the house that afternoon.
Mr.. Cayley, the masters cousin. was
a surprise; and, having given a little
exclamation as she came suddenly
upon him, she blushed, and said,
On, L beg your pardon sir, l 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 a gentleman.
Mr.. Cayley," she thought to herself
as h went on. and wondered what
the master would do without him. If
this brother, for instance. had to be
bundled back to Australia, it was
M. Cayley who would do most of
the bundling.
SO this is Mr.. Robert said Au-
-%NJ ~ iCiotlI 90 SIG CAME IN 9lQnI
of the visitor.
She told her aunt afterwards that
she would have known him any
where for Mr.. Marks brother, but
she would have said that in any
event. Actually she was surprise d.
Dapper little Mark, with his neat
pointed beard and his carefully
cured mustache; with his quick
darting eyes, always moving from
n to the other of any company he
was in, to register one more smile
10 lis credit when he had said a good
thihg one more expectant look when
ne was only waiting his turn to say
lt; ne was a very different man from
TINS rough-looking. addressed colo
NAL, staring at her so l~oweringly.
Il want to see Mr.. Mark Albeit"
ne growled. 1t sounded almost like
a threat.
Yes, sir. He is expecting YOU, if
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
empty. IF you will sit down, sir. |
WIZ md the master. 1 know he's in,
because he told me that you were
coming this afternoon"
OH" He looked round the room.
What d'you call this place, Ell ?"
The office. SIR"
"The office? 2"
The room where the master
works, SIR"
Works. Ell? That's new. Didn't
/ know he'd ever done a sfroka of