Show P o ue t we le MARTHA By t to t O 0 MARTHA SERVICE 4 14 I THE STORY THUS FAR FARJ FARri l' l J ri d' d Lovely Independent Autumn Dean returning home to British Columbia from J abroad without her fathers father's knowledge stops at the home of Hector Cardigan I an old family friend He tells her that she should not have come home that I I things have changed Arriving home at the Castle of the Morns she Is greeted ne ie lovingly by her father ather Jarvis Dean who gives her to understand that she Is 18 welI welcome wel I I come for come for a short visit Her mother former belle named Millicent Odell has hasl l b been n dead for years Autumn cannot understand her fathers father's attitude though lp 10 t gives him to understand that she Is home for or good She has grown tired of life In England where she lived with an aunt Her father gives a welcoming dance at the la lah castle Autumn meets Florian Parr dashing well educated young man of the t countryside Late In the evening Autumn leaves the dance rides horseback to the neighboring ranch where she meets Bruce Landor friend and champion of her herl fad Uld l childhood days He lie takes her to see his mother an invalid His father Is dead Jo I I thought to have killed himself As soon as his mother sees Autumn she commands com corn j mands Bruce to take her away that death follows In the wake of the Autumn o Is both saddened and perplexed Bruce apologetic can offer olTer no reason for his mothers mother's attitude Autumn calls again on Hector Cardigan this Cardigan this time to find out the reason for Mrs Landor's Landor s outburst From his conversation she inferred that Geoffrey Landor killed himself because he loved Millicent Dean her mother Meanwhile Mean while Bruce Landor rides to the spot where his fathers father's body was found years before be fore There he meets Autumn who leaving Hector was searching for a lost child I Bruce had found the child and there Autumn and he talk of their families They 1 I agree that her mother and mother and his father loved each other deeply deeply and and that their love loveis loveI of antagonism J I is the cause ause present CHAPTER IV Continued IV-Continued Continued 6 1 J Even old Hannah had slowly readjusted reAdjusted reo re- re o Adjusted adjusted her whole psychology with Autumn J as the center and control- control filling J ling g force of the new order That no him no doubt was what irritated He could never have admitted to himself that anything or anyone in inthe the world could have usurped his place in this house that had sheltered sheltered shel- shel I him for almost a quarter of a century Nor was the girl conscious of what she had done done he he would say that for her She would be the first to protest that he was still master in his own house and his word was law She was loyal if loyalty could be said to exist in the hearts of these young young and she was affection itself He had loved the tIl girl devotedly during the years she i 1 had been away from him but the I feeling he had for her now that she was back had grown so deep that the tears started to his eyes now as asbe ashe ashe he be thought of her g B Just now he was more resolved jJ 3 than ever that they should quit the country He had seen Autumn in inthe inthe l the company of this young Parr There was a nincompoop if ever there was one What was wrong cl C with a man like old Elliot Parr that p he could breed nothing better than thana 7 a hare-brained hare numbskull like FlorIan Florian Flor- Flor ian iian The race must be going to the dogs And what could a girl like Autumn see in him He wasn't even 61 thoroughly a bad one one one-he he was a amere amere ti mere nothing Why in the devil hadn't the girl found herself a decent decent decent de de- de- de cent husband long ago He blamed her 1 Aunt Ant Fin Flo for for nr that thaL Flo never I u f had been one you could count on i Well Vell he would have no daughter of his mate with Florian Parr Parr much much T 1 fas as he admired Elliot A cold chill passed over him as r his thoughts turned to Bruce Lan Lan- dor Jarvis had seen Landor and and Autumn riding home together last night after that fool affair of the lost Willmar boy What was getting into w people that they couldn't take care of their own brats any longer Damn it all parents nowadays had no sense of responsibility Well he heu u would look after his own at any i rate If he was called upon to do doSo doso doso so he would tell Autumn emphatically emphatically emphatically cally that the Deans and md the Lani Lan- Lan i dors belonged to different worlds a and they would stay where they be be- tR longed If that wasn't enough he fl would go further He would would But But why get so wrought up over a mere x hypothesis I He got up quickly at the sound of ofa a motor coming to a halt before the Chouse house He tossed his smoked half-smoked cigar into the fireplace and stepped n to a small cupboard that stood back in one corner He poured himself a sizable drink of his favorite Scotch i blend and held it for a moment toward the sunlit window before he drank it He closed the cupboard and went to his room on the same samer r floor He would have to brush up a aI abit abit I bit before going down to dinner I Florian Parr filled the two glasses 5 jl a second time and handed one to Autumn He was well pleased with himself He had spent a large part of a beautiful Sunday afternoon in inthe inthe inthe the company of Jarvis Deans Dean's daughter and had watched her as asli li she swung her car dizzily over trails he had never traveled before He had listened to her gay chatter and had done his best to contribute his own share of small talk about London London London Lon Lon- don and Paris and the men and women that belonged to the world he had left when his father had made it plain that if he wished to remain in it any longer he would have to pay his own bills It had been a delightful outing outing almost almost like a visit with an old friend He had thought Autumn beautiful when he had sat beside her during their ride but he had never seen anyone quite so ravishing as the theu u girl who stood before him now and andL L lifted lilted her refilled glass She was ss' ss gowned in a coolly glowing white whited d satin that clung the length of her body and flared out almost to the thea a floor small tips of green pumps peered out from below the white and at her throat on a platinum chain hung a large single emerald her fathers father's gift she had i explained on her twenty-first twenty birthday t L He raised his glass toward her herand herand herand and smiled You may drink to f what you please he said but ut Im I'm f H toasting the queen of the Upper i rI 1 r Country I Queens are becoming so old fash she countered I Iam am wn not nattered flattered My error he apologized with a slight bow Ill compromise on the Princess they're still in style arent aren't they Expatriated she observed Good enough he said and drained his glass eagerly Autumn sipped her cocktail and took a cigarette from the box on the thelow thelow thelow low table that held the shaker an its tray You know Florian went on setting setting setting set set- ting his glass aside I cant can't help thinking of you as carrying on the legend of your forebears your forebears your mother and her mother They must have been lovely creatures to have given l life e to such traditions as they have handed down Lovely Autumn said and and flaming Lovely Lovely and and flaming Florian repeated My father has told me about your mother especially You must be very like her I know very ery little of my mother moth moth- I er Autumn replied except what I have been told He came and stood beside her erect and confident in his manner His eyes were narrowed as he looked down at her You will find me very abrupt at times Autumn he said I have I learned it simplifies matters very often to speak ones one's mind I have been thinking about about us Us Florian Autumn smiled Id almost swear you were going to propose to me But I am he said I believe you and I were made for each oth oth- othI I er I She laughed lightly Why Florian Flor Flor- ian what ian what a quaint ideal I dont don't believe believe believe be be- lieve those words have ever been used before They may have been he admitted admitted admitted ad ad- but never more We both come from adventurous adventurous adventurous stock There is something untamed in both of us We Ve are both both gamblers gamblers But Ive I've never been more serious in my life I want to marry you Autumn could not doubt his se se- se- se The knowledge made her thoughtful Florian she said you really are a dear A perverse humor seized her Suppose I tell you that Ill I'll think it over Excellent he replied placing an arm abruptly about her ders You are permitting me to hope then She laughed up at him Not at atall atall atall all Florian she said I am in am-in in effect refusing effect refusing you His serious mood vanished sudden sudden- ly He was actually amused at the situation He chortled and stepped back from her It was the first time he had ever really proposed to any girl in earnest earnest and and she thought she was turning him down Jarvis Deans Dean's girl at that with a background as iniquitous as sin It was that background that lent piquancy to his quest after all and besides by the Lord Harry he was ht 1711 r r r r nV bout the irl I a J u. u g 6 Presently his amusement subsided and his lips drew to a thin petulant line Ill give you time to think about it Autumn he said striving to carry it of off with a gay inconsequential air When we are alone again Ill I'll tell you how I love you And how do you love me Florian Florian Florian Flor Flor- ian Her tone was gently mocking Florian stepped toward Her again and grasped her wrist Autumn was amazed to see that his face had gone suddenly pale Dont be a little fool he said You know when youve you've met your equal equal in in nerve nerve nerve-in in contempt for life You are arc going to marry me Autumn because we see see eye eye to eye He released her and walked away as Jarvis Deans Dean's footstep was heard descending the stairway Autumn turned to greet her father Come along in Daddy she called Florian has just been proposing proposing proposing pro pro- posing to me Jarvis Deans Dean's face lighted with a smile as he entered the room Hell be safe enough so long as you dont don't accept him he saidI saidI said I UI think it was the cocktails that l id id it it Autumn laughed A good dinner will fix that said the Laird giving Florian his hand How are you my boy Topping Florian said as their hands crossed I hope you have no objection to my proposing to Au Au- I really couldn't help it vou you Kno v. None whatever sir Its It's my opinion opinion opinion ion that she has had some experience ence in the business She ought to tobe tobe tobe be able to look after herself by this Rather Florian drawled She managed the affair quite nicely I should say Can I help you to a cocktail sir No Jarvis replied Im a serious se se- se- se rious man and have too much respect respect respect re re- re- re for my stomach thank God to punish it with such infernal concoctions con con- Florian laughed and filled his own glass Father sends you his respects respects respects re re- re- re sir he said and would like to see you when you can take a aday aday aday day off And Id I'd like to see him too Jarvis replied seating himself I have asked Autumn down for forthe forthe forthe the polo game next week-end week Florian Florian Florian Flor Flor- ian went on Perhaps you could find the time sir sir sir- Not yet not yet Jarvis replied Its a busy time of the year for me Besides you youngsters will have more fun without too many old codgers hanging about His big white head was thrust forward forward forward for for- ward in its characteristic way as though he were eager to show an interest in the plans and projects of these youngsters while his mind and his obscure spirit remained withdrawn remote Autumn had seen the deaf and the blind make that same piteous effort at sociability ity Now Daddy she rebuked him Youre just fishing You want us to assure you that you are the best best- best best- It was the note of the Basque bell looking and most fascinating gentleman gentle gentle- man in the Upper Country and that no party would be complete without you The tapers of the Lairds Laird's infrequent infrequent infrequent quent smile lighted for a brief moment moment moment mo mo- ment of pleasure in his eyes I could go perhaps go-perhaps perhaps he admit admit- ted Ill see how things are in a weeks week's time Id I'd enjoy a day with Elliot Parr Old Hannah stepped into the doorway doorway doorway door door- way and announced dinner An hour before sunset the sky had been overcast with a purple caravan of thunderheads in the west the thrumming of insects and the humid flower smell of the air presaged rain On a grassy hilltop hilltop hilltop hill hill- top ten miles eastward from the Castle Autumn dismounted from her horse and let the animal graze while she stood and looked into the valley below On the slopes that streamed into the valley vaIley like smooth reddish cascades cascades cascades cas cas- cades in the low sun more than seven thousand head of sheep moved in bands twelve hundred to a band At dawn the herders had started them from home on the trek up into the mountains to the very margins of the eternal snows in the relentless relentless relentless relent relent- less lonely quest for grass Now from the hillside directly opposite opposite opposite op op- op- op her across the little valley vaIley a crows crow's flight mile half-mile away came the limpidly sweet note of a bell It seemed to Autumn that the sound was almost visible floating like some silver bubble within that rosy dome of silence lingering and vanishing vanishing vanishing van van- into the infinity whence it had come It was the note of the Basque bell A fancy had seized her that morning morning morning morn morn- ing while she had watched her fathers father's fathers father's fathers father's fa fa- departure departure de ther's men preparing for their Only a week before there had come to the ranch a youth of nineteen or twenty whose appearance appearance appearance appear appear- ance had been so bizarre that the thc Willmar children had gathered around him with frank curiosity He had come from the soda mines up north and was seeking employment as a n herder He was slight of build not over medium height and on the back of his head he had worn a shapeless homespun cap set so that thata a n twine-colored twine mop of hair started out abruptly from beneath its peak He had worn a short tight fitting coat a n jerkin Autumn had supposed it was also homespun and of a faded pea-green pea so incommodious in the sleeves that the red joints of his I wrists stuck painfully out from be be- neath them Under the Jacket he had worn a checked shirt and where the jacket gaped aside suspenders of a brilliant green drew his threadbare threadbare threadbare thread thread- bare trousers almost up to his armpits armpits armpits arm arm- pits leaving his bare shins exposed He had worn hobnailed boots and had carried a birch stick over his shoulder at the end of which a gray bundle had been securely lashed The Laird out of the kindness of his heart and probably a whimsical cal humor had given him employment employment employment employ employ- ment as old Absolom's helper His name they had discovered was Clancy Shane but Jarvis Dean had jocularly nicknamed him Moony On a sudden impulse Autumn had gone back into info the house and brought out the Basque bell She had entrusted it to the keeping of Clancy Shane who had secured it to the wether of his flock And now from the opposite hillside came the pure sound of the bell singularly innocent innocent innocent in in- across the hollow distance The sound turned her thoughts again to |