The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-11-23

me to fits. Fairly caked with mud, and i'm
in bed with spraine6 ankle. It's that
valet of is, spose.'
A minute later found Cleek back at the
spot where Ailsa had left him. She had
returned, and for few moments they
paced the lawn in silence; then Cleek turned
with little smile.
81 suppose we shall have to go and meet
the general" said he serenely. "Shall we
meet Lady Katharine's father as well?''
"Oh, dear, no! The mans in bed with
sprained ankle. Can't put his foot to the
ground
ooh! Indeed? Then that explains it, Of
course. / wondered"
Explains it? Explains what?"s
"Why, his not being about at such time
not appearing to take any interest in his
daughters affairs, especially her deliver
ance from a loveless marriage. Probably
have heard the wrong version of the story
Have /? / was told that it was he who
compelled her very much against her will
to accept the attentions of the-er-Count
de Louvisan and to become engaged to
him.
"That is cutie true. Indeed happen to
know that she even went SO far as to get
down on her knees to Lord st. Timer and
implore him to kill her rather than compel
her to give up Geoff-and specially for a
man she loathed as she did the Count de
Louvsan. That same night Lord st. Timer
asked her to come to him alone IN the
library at Ulmer court. They were together
for two hours. The next day she accepted
the Count de Louvisan.'
"And in spite of all that, she still loves
this father?"
"She is loyal to him, but how can she
love father whom she had not seen since
he was a baby-whom she did not even
know when he came back to claim. her?
Why, she hadn't even picture to tell her
what he looked like, and in all the years
ne was away he never wrote her so much as
one line
"Do you happen to know if the late Count
de Louvisan was ever in Argentina, Miss
Lorne?"
"No, do not"
"Turned up suddenly at Ulmer court,
didn't he? Any idea from whereof
"Not the slightest. He called quite, IN
expectedly one evening after We had been
over to the autumn races at Fourfields
That was an unfortunate day altogether.
We did not see the conclusion of even the
first race. Lord ST. Timer was suddenly
taken i'll, although he had-been quite we'll
moment before, and was SO bad that we
had to leave immediately
"Hum-m-m! Bad as that, was he?" he
asked. "What did the local doctor think
caused the illness? Or did his lordship re-
cover on the way nome anu Anu ~
essary to call him in at all? Ab he did, eh?
Possibly his present illness came with equal
suddenness. Did it,"
~ don't know, I'm sure" replied Miss
Lorne cat the railway station Lord ST
Ulmer said he would step round to the
news-stall and get an afternoon paper; and
when we came out, there he was, poor man,
sitting on a seat and grooming. He stepped
On banana-peel, he said, and turned his
ankle. A few minutes later Count de Lou
visan put in an appearance.
"Count de Louvisan was to have joined
US at Liverpool st. station, and no doubt
would have done so, but at the last minute
Lord St. Ulnler had made up his mind to
Journey by an earlier train than originally
arranged Anyway, his lordship made him
70 and wire to General Raynor that he was
afraid our visit would have to be post
poned indefinitely, as ne had met with an
accident and was going direct to the Savoy
hotel. Of course, the general came with
lis motor and wouldn't listen to his stop
Ding there; SO we all came on, as agreed,
% Wuthering Grange That was the day
before yesterday, and Lord St. Ulmer has
been in bed ever since"
Every neat, very neat, indeed com
mented Cleek. Couldn't tell me who is