BREET.1E HOUSE
| By Katherine Newlin Burt 1
Claire laughed It was a sound }
of almost barbaric delight. It j
was as foreign and startling as
herself. Just as the invalided
earl in his wheel chair, his grave,
pale wife, and Lady Jane sitting
at Claire’s feet -just as the trees
and the rug and the tea-table,
and the old manservant moving
slowly away towards the house
above them, were beautifully
harmonious, so this gi-1 was
beautiful]} discordant. Her hair
in the dying sunlight was gold;
her face was vividly white, her
eyes were keenly blue.—blue of
Vikings’ eyes. She was of a
grace entirely independent of
accessories. When she moved
frothing trailed or floated. Her
tailor skirt, ruffled blouse, and
trim shoes were as uncompro
mising as the boyish rippled
parting >f her hair, or the sweep
ing line from ear to chin. She
was as eager as a rising tide, as
unconscious of her power, as ir
resistible. Iirccme House had
Dover held a happier visitor.
“Nothing could spoil the
glamour of all this,” she pro
tested; “and oh, Lord Breeme!
you are wrong about five o’clock
teas. They’re as different as
ran be over here. In the first
j'.ace, Jane introduced me to
Mrs. Poling quite as though she
were the head of the conspiracy,
fend I felt like murmuring a pass
Avord, or making a sign in the
uiir. Then Jane led me away and
placed 4**e between two Miss
Meridons. They were so exactly
4il ike—-clothes and everything.
And they both begun putting
questions. It w'as like some
frame in one of the A.ice hooks.
The Miss Meriden with the cur
ly-bting asked:
“Are you really an American,
Miss WiltonT But, really, now T”
“We can’t believe it, you
know!” said the Miss Meriden
with the straight bang.
“1 assured them that I was
probably the most American per
son that they had ever seen, and
that they had better take a good
look at me, because they might
never see another.
“But you’re not the least bit
|ikc an American!” they cried.
“Not the least bit!”
“Of Course,” twinkled Claire,
“I knew just what they meant.
What they had expected was
this.” Here she thrust out her
<-hin, and spoke in a harsh nasal
voice: “Hay. 1 guess you don’t
■Know that I’m Miss Iowa In
-dianapolis, from Idaho, and that
my poppa could buy up the
whole village of Five Pastures
bore if he had a mind to it!
A ripple of mirth went round
amongst her hearers, and Claire
dropped back into her own
character.
“1 have met Americans like
that—in English plays and
stories. I suppose there must be
such a type, but I couldn’t find
any of them to show to Jane,
over there. J think you really
like us that way. I think it’s a
bore to you when wo just seem
human. I’m sorrry. If you like,
I’ll play ‘Miss Indianapolis’ all
the rest of my visit.”
A eh< rus of protest rose.
“Ploy Claire Wilton, if you
please,” said Jane. “She does
very well, and isn't altogether
‘human either.”
Claire leaned back in Hei
•wicker chair amidst the laughter
of the others.
Lord Breeme to her was not
merely an invalided K’lgl’.-.h
nobleman; he was Ye Belted
Earl of Ballad Lore, and she
simply refused to note his modern
dress. Besides being a belted j
earl, be was a splendid comrade. J
He had a grim, dry gift of hu
mour that tickled Claire. She (
and the earl gave out sparks in
each other’s company. They fell,
almost at once, to battles royal
at mealtimes, tea-times, and
other times, on every subject
from Prohibition to Spiritualism.
Claire’s laughter clashed bright
ly with dry chuckle.
Lady Breeme, the second wife
of the earl and the mother of
two rosy youngsters at play with
their governess a few yards off,
was a cold, pale matron of
mighty virtue, dignity, and un
attractiveness. She had all
•Claire’s respect, and fitted well
into the stateliness of Breeme
House.
The beanty of the place, its
enchantment and rarity, centred
to Claire's mind in June. This
would have surprised any other
member of the household, for
Jane was not a greatly consider
ed person. To her American
friend, however, she personified
all the seclusion, the silence, the
quiet and- varied humors of the
setting. Lady Jane was the ex
quisite flower of Breerne’s
honorable history. She was its
embodied soul.
“Claire,” protested Jane sud
denly, with one of her silvery
bright upward looks, “don’t
please, look at me like that! I’m
not used to it.”
“How am 1 to look at von,
then? You’re just as much for
me to look at as the Van Dyke
portrait. It’s not niv fault 1hat
you’re a sentient being. You
oughtn’t to have asked me here
if yon hadn’t meant me to look
at you like that.”
“I shall be glad when Alec
comes to distract you.”
“Did 1 seem to find him very
distracting?” ashed Clair*, idly.
Jane’s eyes had wandered
across the lawn, and were watch
ing a tall figure strolling down
to them.
“You can ask him yourself,”
said she. “He has arrived!”
Lord Tremont came deliberate
ly near, kissed his stepmother,
steadied his eyes before his
father’s somewhat probing look,
put a finger under Jane's chin
and turned, with a smile, to meet
the guest. There was a quick
color in Claire's cheek, And it
sprung suddenly to his.
“So you got here all right
from Plymouth!''
The young man stood, looking
down at her, then slowly turned
his eyes to where his little step
brother and sister played under
the trees.
“I’ll go over and see the kid
dies for a moment. Tell you all
about things this e veiling,
father.”
lie left the group less placid
than he had found if. The sha
dow that Claire had been aware
of had definitely deepend. She
decided to leave them to them
?elv« s.
Before going in, Claire turned
to look down at them all. What
a beautiful, quiet scene! The
sunset sky behind the trees, the
circling rooks, the lawn, so vel
vet-green. And those courteous,
gentle people, well looking and
quiet eyed! Claire shook her
head as though to dispel any
suspicion of their anxieties, and
wrent into the hall.
CHAPTER VI
THE LADY JA.n’E
Lord ’’Yemont did not look like
a man who would take much
trouble over children, but as he
thr>»w himself down near the low
wieker chair occupied by Aline
Parkes, the governess, he allow
ed Humphrey and Violet to climb
over him without lifting a
fnger in self-defence.
Miss Park es smiled r.t Claire
Wilton as she went by them, but
a mcme it later the smile passed
into a blank, follow ing look, and
the ehroehet between her lingers
fell to her lap.
Aline was the daughter of a
poor, ohl Five Pastures rector,
dead a year or so before, always
befriended bv the earl, and b< -
friended now by a helping hand
to his oldest child. She was
gifted with a pair of beautiful
green-gray eyes, which could ex
press every emotion of their own
er, but held, for the most part,
a look of ironical patience. With
this lok, her smile, not quite
straight and far from happy,
very well accorded.
In answer to a questioning
glance from Alee, she used the
smile, still keeping her eyes in
the doorway before going in.
“Wouldn’t you t'ke her,
somehow for the lady of the
house?'* said she, “I never kr.tw
anyone wi• h such a possessive
air. When Miss Wilton looks at
anything, she owns it.”
“What,” asked Tremont,*‘has
think she means to—own it.”
“The Van Dyke for one
thing,” was Aline’s answer, at
which Ale« sat up sharply, send
ing little Humphrey sprawling.
“You don’t mean—I say, Al,
do vou mean she wants to buy
itt”
Aline shrugged, looked at him
a moment, dropped her eyes, and
do*» her needle de°" v2to the
grass,
‘‘N-no, not buy it.. At least, 1
believe not. But I think she
means to—’’Here, pausing, a
flush ran up her thin cheeks. “I
she means to—own it.”
Alee opened his narrow, color
less eyes. Then he laughed
shortly, fell back and lay still,
gnawing his lip and thinking
hard, with very little expression
of any kind on his face.
“Did you have any luck?”
asked Aline presently, beginning
to crochet again. ‘‘Was your
trip worth while?”
Tremont turned over and
propped his long chin in his long
hands.
‘‘No,” he growled, and told
her in a few jerky sentences the
story of his fiasce. ‘‘I’ll have
to fess up, I fancy. The pater
will surely get at it sooner or
later; don’t you think so,
Aline?”
“You know how ill it made
him last time. Isn’t there some
oilier way? You owe such a
ghastly sum. Really, Alee, I’d
think better of you if you work
ed it out yourself.”
She reproved his as coolly as
though he had been little Hum
phrey, and under the quiet tone
Tremont colored.
“You’re not exactly a little
comforter, are you, Al?”
“Yes, she is, too, a comforter,”
broke in Humphrey who had
been rubbing an injured knee
on the shadiest side of Aline.
“Don’t you say anything against
my Miss Aline, Alec, d’ye under
stand?”
Tremont smiled, but the
governess’s face did not change.
She bent it a little lower over
her work.
“I don’t think it’s exactly
comfort that you need, Alec. I
think it’s help and—a lesson.
You’ve had your lesson, I sup
pose, but help doesn’t seem to
be coming. Oh, I wish we could
spare Lord Breeme ! It will hurt
him more than anything. He’s
been so bothered of late.”
Tremont glowered, but made
no response.
“What do you think of Miss
Wilton, Alee?”
The work was getting on very
fast indeed, and required nice
attention. Alec watched the busy
white fingers.
“I think in a sort of way she’s
probably the most striking beau
tiful girl I’ve ever met.” His
voice rang with a studied in
tensity, not at all habitual with
him. “Certainly she’s the most
amusing. She makes me think
of a racehorse under a tight rein
And when she sits in the sun
with that white face and that
hair, she makes me think of 8
witch. I keep wondering what
she’s made of.”
He fixed his narrowed eyes
upon Aline’s profile, and the
corners of his mouth drew them
selves in in a manner that was
boyishly cruel. He looked like
himself at eight years old, teas
ing the eat.
He waited. She finished her
row of crocheting and then look
ed up. Whatever Tremont had
expected to see in the beautiful
green-grey eyes, it was not the
cool look she gave him. lfis
lips lost their cruel little grin
at once.
“I know one thing that she is
made of,” said Aline, in a tone
not particularly becoming to her
girlishness. “And that is—
money.”
iremont s iaee had gone
rather pale. The children, in
stinctively feeling tension in the
air, paused in their play and
looked at thor elders.
“Is that your advice to me,
Al?” asked Alee evenly.
“I don’t give you any advice,”
her mouth twisted into an un
happy smile. ”1 merely make
suggestions, practical sugges
tions, practical suggestions. 1
suppose, to be practically useful
ta all of you is the justification
of my being here. 1 warn the
children when they waste their
time in day-dreams, and don’t
puf^heir minds upon their duty.
With some people, lucky people
like you, Alee, duty falls in very
pleasant places. Claire is very
beautiful. She is very amusing.
She can get anything she wants.
She wants the Van Dyke. I dare
say she wants—”
Alec broke in roughly.
“Don’t, Aline; I hate that
tone and look of yours I”
“Then 1 shall most certainly
use it whenever and as often as
1 can,” said she, and pinched
her lips together.
“Are you gora’ to punish any
one!” asked Humphrey anxious
ly, his round eyea fixed on her
face.
She paid no attention to him.
Alec stood up.
“Where can I find Miss Wil
ton, I wonder?” he asked care
lessly.
“liefore the Van Dyke, I fan
cy,” answered Aline. “She
spends a great deal of her time
there. You must be quick,
though. She’ll be going up to
dress for dinner soon.”
Tremont did not hurry himself.
He stared down at her for an
instant, at her bent head and
slight shoulders and rapid fing
ers.
“Look up a second, Aline,”
he commanded.
The beautiful green-grey eyes
were like bright stones.
Alec said something under
his breath, snapped his fingers,
and wheeled abruptly away, tak
ing the terraces between himself
ai d the Louse with swinging
strides.
“What’s Alec running for,
Miss Aline?” bsked Violet.
“What’s he goin’ to get for
you?”
“He’s going to get something
very nice for himself, I think,”
she murmured, “before very
long. But he’ll get nothing at
all for me. It’s time for you to
say good-night to mamma now,
and go in to supper.”
On tin voyage, Claire’s vehe
ment enthusiasms had distracted
Alec, and the flattery of her
evident liking had soothed him.
But C.'aire ou the lawn of Breemo
House, Claire ki the familiar hall
under the pictured eyes of the
famous Van Dyke was anether
matter. He could not take her
for granted here. He felt rather
that she had stolen a march on
him, and got somewhat treacher
ously behind his defenes. He half
believed that Claire had come to
Breeme House with a purpose,
and Aline “s remarks strengthen
ed the belief.
Nevertheless, when he saw
Miss Wilton moving slowly along
before the row of portraits in the
hall, her beauty struck him
forcefully, and he paused in his
train of Thought.
As he came across the thres
hold she stopped directly before
the Van Dyke portrait, and
beckoned to him.
“So glad you came in. I want
to shew you something, Come
here quickly. I’ve made a dis
covery about the ‘Lady Jane’.”
He came there “quickly”.
Motioning him back to the full
width of the room, so that he
could see the portrait in the
strongest light, she expectantly
regarded him.
(TO BE CONTINUED) *
Dinner Menu
Breakfast—Apple sauce, cereal,
thin cream, salt pork in craem sauce,
diced potatoes, graham muffins, ..grape
jelly, milk, toffee.
Luncheon—Pigs in blankets, twice
baked potatoes, hearts of ceiery,
lemon sponge, plain cookies, milk,
tea, whole wheat bread.
Dinner—Baked bam, scalloped po
tatoes, steamed spinach, pineapple
salad, whole wheat rolls, bachelor’s
pudding, milk, coffee.
Children under school age should
not be given the salt pork In cream
sauce for breakfast and do not need
the ham for dlnrer as the ‘‘pigs In
blankets" provide protein and fat.
Pigs in Blankets
Twelve large oysters 12 thin slices
bacon, salt and pepper, lemon Juice.
Wash and drain oysters and dry
between towels. Sprinkle sparingly
with salt as the bacon is salty. Sprin
kle with pepper and lemon juice.
Roll each oyster tightly In .a slice
of bacon, fasten with toothpicks and
broil in a hot frying pan until the
bacon Is crisp. Turn often to cook
all sides.
Baked Ham
One eSlce ham cut 2 Inches thick,
1-2 cup brown sugar, 3 tablespoons
dry mustard, 1 1-2 cups sweet cider
or grape Juice or vinegar from sweet
pickles diluted with water.
Wash ham and remove rind. Let
stand 1 hour In cold water to cover.
Drain and parboil. Mix sugar and
mustard thoroughly and dissolve In
cider or grape Juice or the diluted
spiced vinegar. Put ham In casserole,
pour over prepared sugar mixture,
cover and bake 1 1-2 hours in a
moderate oven.
If spiced vinegar is used less sugar
will be needed in tho dressing.
The Juice from canned plums or
other tart fruit can he substituted for
cider or grapo juice.
Bachelor's Pudding
Two cups stale bread crumbs from
the soft part of the loaf, 1-2 cup
cleaned currants. 1 cup finely chop
ped apple, 2 tablespoons butter, 1-2
cup sugar, 3 eggs, 1 lemon, 1 tea
spoon baking powder, 1-2 teaspoon
nutmeg, 1-2 teaspoon salt, milk.
Mix apples,, bread crumbs, cur
rants, grated rind of lemon, sugar,
salt and nutmeg. Add eggs well beat
en and let stand half an hour. Soft
en butter and stir into mixture. Dis
solve baking powder in 1-4 cup milk
and stir into mixture. If the mixture
is at all stiff, add more milk, enough
to make quite moist. The size of
the eggs determines the amount of
milk necessary. Turn into a well but
tered mold and steam three hours.
Serve warm with hard sauce, lemon
sauce n- —cream.
The secret
of coed bread: ICKSC
Are your
children sturdy?
If your child is delicate, ir
ritable, backward in school, *
look carefully to the food
eaten. Have plenty of good
home-made bread. It’s
wholesome and children (
lcve its flavor.
i
i
Send for free booklet
"The Art of Baking Bread”
Northwestern Yeast Co*
1730 North Ashland Ave.
Chicago, 111.
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“Willy-Wi.ws,” up to this time un
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This flight, whleb was designed as
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