The L'Anse sentinel., 1924-02-22

to the next boat. A long morning's
telephoning to the Offices Of the Gu
nard and the White Star brought MrA
Hignett the depressing Information
that 1t would be q full week before
she could sail for England. That
meant that the infiammable Eustacs
would have over two weeks to con-
duct an uninterrupted wooing. and
Mrs. Hignett's heart sank, till sudden
ly she remembered that so poor sail
or as her son was not likely to have
had leisure for any strolling on the
deck during the voyage of the Atlantic.
Having realized this, she became
calmer and went about her prepara-
tons for departure with an easier
mind. The danger was still great, but
there was a good chance that she
might he In time to Intervene. Sho
Iwound up her affairs in New York and,
on the following Wednesday, boarded
the Nuronia bound for southampton.
The Nuronia is one of the slowest
Of the Cunard boats. 1t was built at
a time when delirious crowds used to
swoon on the dock IL an ocean liner
broke the record by getting across in
nine days. It rolled over to Cher
bourg. dallied at that picturesque port
for some hours, then sauntered across
the channel and strolled into South
ampton water in the evening of the
day on which Samuel Marlowe had
sat In the lane plotting with Webster.
the valet. At almost the exact moment
when Sam, sliding through the win
dows Of the drawing room, slid into
the cupboard behind the piano. MIRA
Hignett was standing at the customs
barrier telling the officials that she
had nothing to declare.
Mrs. Hignett was a general who be-
lieved In forced marches. A lesser
woman might have taken the boat train
to London and proceeded to Windles
at her ease on the following afternoon.
Mrs Hignett was made Of sterner STUFF.
Having fortified herself with a late
dinner, she hired an automobile and
set out on the cross-country journey.
1t was only when the car, d genuine
antique, had broken down three times
in the hrst ten miles, that II became
evident to her that 1t would be much
too late to go to Windles that night,
and she directed the driver to take
her instead to the "Blue Boar" in Win
dlehurst. where she arrived, tired but
thankful to have reached 1t at all. at
about eleven o'clock.
AT this point many, indeed most
women, having had a firing journey,
would have gone to bed: but the IA
miliar Hampshire air and the knowL
edge that half an hours walking wguld
take her to her beloved home acted on
Mrs. Hignett like a restorative. One
glimpse of Windles she felt that she
must have before she retired for the
night, If only to assure herself that II
was still there. She had q cup Of cof-
fee and a sandwich brought to her by
the night porter, whom she had reused
from sleep, for bedtime is early In
Windlehurst, and then informed him
that she was going for a short walk
and would ring when she returned.
Her heart leaped joyfully as she
turned In at the drive gates Of her
home and felt the well-remembered
gravel crunching under her feet. The
silhouette of the ruined castle against
the summer sky gave her the feeling
which all returning wanderers know.
And. when she stepped onto the lawn
and looked at the black bulk Of the
house, indistinct and shadowy with its
backing of trees, tears came into her
eyes. She experienced rush Of emo
ton which made her feel quite faint,
and which lasted until, on tiptoeing
neArer to the house in order to gloat
more adequately upon 1t, she per
ceived that the French windows of the
drawing room were standing ajar.
Sam had left them like this In order to
facilitate departure, II hurried de-
parture should by any mischance be
rendered necessary, and drawn cur
, tains had kept the household from
noticing the fact.
All the proprietor In Mrs. Hignett
was reused. This, she felt Indignant
| | iy, was the sort Of thing she had been
afraid would happen the moment her
, back was turned, Evidently laxity-
. one might almost say anarchy-had
set In directly she had removed the
eye of authority. She marched to the
window and pushed 1t open. She had
now completely abandoned her kindly
/ scheme of refraining from rousing the
sleeping house and spending the night
, at the inn. She stepped into the draw
! ing room with the single-minded pur-
! pose of rousing Eustace out Of his
sleep and giving him q good talking to
. for having failed to maintain her own
standard of efficiency among the do
. nestle staff. If there was one thing
|. on which Mrs. Horace Hignett had al
, ways insisted 1t was that every win
} dow In the house must be closed at
D lights-out. ~