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Among the others who had left the train, which, now, had been switched off to a crude side-track, the cars left there and the locomotive started at the handling of dirt-dump-cars, were two tall, sunburned strangers, whom Miss Alathea, who had noted them as she did everyone, had classed as engineers or surveyors, but who had not, when they had arrived, mingled with the other men employed on the construction of the railroad.
There was a general laugh. The Colonel's gallantry was ever-blooming. Frank applauded and the ladies bowed. "By the way, Frank," said the Colonel, after they had been made comfortable in a merry group before the cabin-door, "where is that particular masterpiece of Nature which you've written us so much about? Where is the Diana?" Miss Alathea smiled at her somewhat worried nephew.
This would be a surprise for Alathea when she returned to lunch. I read my journal in bed, and thought over the whole of our acquaintance. Yes, certainly she has greatly changed in the last six weeks. And possibly I am nearer my goal than I could have dared to hope. Now my method must be to be sweet to her, and not tease her any more. How wonderful it will be when she does love me.
The ladies were very worthy of attention, too. Miss Alathea Layson, the elder of the two, was slight, beautifully groomed despite the long and dirty trip on rough cars over the crude road-bed of a newly graded railway. A woman whose thirtieth birthday had been left behind some years before, she still had all the brightness and vivacity of the twenties in her carriage and her manner.
Miss Alathea smiled. The attitude of the young master toward the aged negro often was amusing to her. She liked to watch the constant evidence of that rare affection which formed an inseparable bond between them. Suddenly she heard the crunching of a man's heavy footsteps on the gravel, back of them. Turning, she saw that the newcomer was the Colonel, and the Colonel in great haste.
But, my, I hope she will!" "She will," said Frank. "She will. And my dear Aunt oh, you will love her." "Miss Aluth Aluth ?" She stopped, questioningly, still bothered by the name. "Miss Alathea," he prompted. "She'll like you and you'll love her." The girl smiled happily. "Uh-huh." Her acquiescence was immediate. "Reckon maybe I'll love her, all right, and I hope the other will come true, too."
She had turned from me, and her little body was drawn back as far in the corner as possible. My own emotions were queer. I did not feel actually excited. I felt just as I used when we were going to take up a new position on the line where great watchfulness would be necessary to succeed. The maid Alathea had engaged arrived in the morning, and I had had the loveliest flowers put in all the rooms.
"An affair of business which must be attended to at once," she had announced. Pierre standing at the door had heard all this. Burton added "He said that Mam'zelle was that scented and that got up, of course Miss Sharp must have known what she was." Alathea apparently had answered with dignity, that she had received no orders to give any address, but that letters would be forwarded.
Antoine came to my room by the passage, and said "a lady was in the salon to see me by appointment." For a moment I was not suspicious. I thought it might be Coralie, and fearing Alathea might be somewhere about, and it might be awkward for her, I hastened to rise and go in to see and get rid of the inopportune guest. I told Antoine he must never let anyone in again without permission.
"You know her real name, Nicholas? And her family history? You have guessed, of course, from my asking you for the twenty-five thousand francs, that they were in some difficulty?" "Yes, I know Alathea is the daughter of the Honorable Robert and Lady Hilda Bulteel."
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