Show Q I 1 t BY J J BELL i Q t copi right by joseph bowie mr paton was very proud of his auses every morning after breakfast he strolled round his lawn and reveled in his beautiful possessions although still on the right side of 40 he was a retired business man the death of a relative had enabled him to quit an occupation both distasteful and un profitable mr paton had no foolish scorn of the tea trade but he felt no reluctance in leaving it when his rel elives legacy allowed him to indulge the two desires of his mind literary work and gardening his success in ahe latter was apparent to anyone who passed alla view in the former he had not yet made a bid for fame ow ing to a strange lack of appreciation on the part of publishers james paton was a confirmed wo nan hater although ten years had passed since his first loe had all ed him james was still unable to see the I 1 amor of that event or of anything else in the world it was a gay morning in early april and the bachelor was enjoying his ac customer cus tomed promenade along the care fully tended walks of his garden his whole attention was concentrate concen trat ed on his crocuses and he strolled round and round never seeming to raise his eyes from his beautiful lawn A movement in the shrubbery along the south wall put him on the alert and stooping down he picked up a couple of pebbles from the path in addition to women mr paton hated cats the cat had evidently son business in view tor she was crouch ing and preparing foi a spring sud denly mr paton s arm went up aid the next moment a nasty thump on the ribs caused the cat to emit a dis roal yell and leap for the top of the wall oh naughty naughty said some one behind him mr paton wheeled round quickly A little girl hugging a hideous doll was standing on the footpath gazing at him I 1 beg your pardon did you speak said mr paaron she simply nodded and repeated her observation naughty naughty mr paton stared at the child for a moment then continued his stroll poor pussy cat said the little one naughty man she added as the ob eject of her disapproval moved further away finally annoyed at his want of at she picked up a small hand ful of gravel and flung it through the the missile did not come near striking mr paton but it scat thred and fell among his crocuses go away little girl he said an or get the policeman tor ou two minutes later a wall came from the railings lost my dolly lost my dolly said a tearful voice mr paton s eyes immediately caught sight of a ragged looking bundle lying at the foot of the low stone wall well it serves you right for being oo 00 careless he said unkindly you 11 never see your dolly again he added solemnly are you nowa A storm of tears was the answer he received well well he exclaimed hastily now it I 1 give you back our dolly will you promise never to come here the child signified her acquiescence in the arrangement whereupon mr paton stepped gingerly over the soft damp earth and secured the un attract ive looking object of juvenile affection mas dolly s china head had apon a stone and was split in twain never mind little girl whispered mr paton hurriedly and to tell the truth dreadfully sorry oh naughty had man you has my dolly cried the child pas de think I 1 did it why it you re maning a mistake see don t go awa but the small figure was moving along the railing and pressing hel j broken joy against her bosom the bachelor shut the gate and walked up to the house without so muan a glance at his he shut himself up in his but somehow he could not apply to his work in the afternoon he took the train to glasgow rifling late in the evening the next morning he proceeded to make his usual promenade of the gat den but it might have been observe 1 that his eyes turned oftener to the railings than to the lawn he remained out of doors longer than was his wont ind when he went la at last there was a queer worried look about his eyes after an early dinner he surprised Ms landlady by telling her that he was going out for the afternoon it should be mentioned that mr paton had not lei I 1 as house or garden for years t the express purpose of a visit to the cit but for the time being mr paton was in an extraordinary frame of and an old desire had been rou ed to trouble the peace he j had foicey upon himself james pa ton haci fallen in love aaen with tho von an who jilted him ten years be tore who married a man in the eyes of her parents immeasurably superior to a struggling tea merchant james had neither seen nor heard of his faithless sweetheart sance the night she too t her freedom and yet as it her frozen memory had suddenly melt ed the old langins took possession of him once i mr paton carrying a brown paper parcel under his arm set out that afternoon to try to find the little maid whose acquaintance he had made so unhappily the previous morning he felt that she could not be dwelling far from ailsa view so he began opera eions by making a careful survey of the shore for nearly a quarter of a mile being he took the side roads one I 1 y one an 1 then he camue i u ia f a 1 11 at lait ti ca aj d sno mint a i took himself 1 on thing however ha 1 hapit ned duding bis walk he lail l ail n ade i 1 Is mind to burn all his tb idaer he cartullo car tully closed the gate of alla view behind him suddenly he stopped and looked across the lawn here and there his crocuses had been torn up by hanu fuls and the banow walks were aprin sprin 1 kiad with the aulne 1 flowers 1 ee was a restel by something moving among the ahr abbery in the direction of the gate childish fingers and his own caught the handle almost at the same instant the man gray with anger stood looking down on the child white with tear what a your asked mr pa ton sternly M marjory she replied i marjory he repeated gently so gently that tl e child looked up at him in wonder marjory I 1 never broke your doll you hurt my puss she observed as a tear crept into each eye ifa sorry marjory he said quite humbly want me to forgive you she ghisi ered mr paton replied it you please marjory I 1 forgive ou she said seriously and then she burst into tears will you come with me to the seat up yonder asked the bachelor and want to kiss you said marjory see what in this parcel ive been looking for you all afternoon re marked mr paton on the way up the walk saw you goin out said marjory then all at once her tears flowed i afresh what Is it marjory you re not afraid of me now are you he asked awant you to forgive me she 4 sol bed I 1 forgive you marjory he re turned gently but now we must both be happy he added cheerfully as they reached the seat want to kiss you said marjory without a woid the bachelor bent down better now sighed the child 14 why awa crying she demanded abruptly nonsense come away now and open the parcel it s a pres ent to you from me marjory marjory s shrill voice rent the air with one long of delight over the finest doll that mr paton had been able to procure in glasgow want to cuddle you she ahia nd he took her up in his arms I 1 say marjory he observed a little later it s about you were suing home what will your daddy say ta jou or being away so ions mr paton as they went along the road i got no daddy returned the child daddy dead long time ago and your mother mummy s never angry sometimes sorry said marcoly the bachelor was about to bid her ada but she insisted upon his corn ing in to see her other dolly with its head in sticking plaster and to make friends with her pussy cat tie smiled good natu and accompanied her up the path to the house marjory marjory have you beena cried a voice and mr paton looked so queer that the child gazed at him in alarm round a clump of rhododendrons came a woman at the sight of the bachelor stood staring like one suddenly awakened from a dream how do ou do jamesa said mar jory alio elder holding out her hand to mr paton |