Page:Stewart Edward White--The Rose Dawn.djvu/73

Rh full quarter block, was planted with fine old trees, and a semi-circular driveway inside the grounds swept up to and past the house. The latter was of wood and ran greatly to peaked towers and woodwork. The boards were laid in patterns around and above the window frames, the posts and rails of the veranda were lathed into graceful bulges, the roof line bristled with vertebrae of scroll fretwork like the backbone of a fossil fish. It had stained glass, and a certain proportion of iron railings and grills, and a pair of stone lions. Indeed, it might fairly be called a mansion.

"We might see if Mrs. Stanley is home," hesitated the Colonel.

"It doesn't seem just the hour for a call," said Boyd. "Oh, we won't call," cried the Colonel. "We'll just drop in and see her. I'd like to have you meet her. She's a very fine woman."

He turned in to the drive and hitched the chestnuts to the usual rail.

"There she is now!" he cried, and started impetuously down a gravelled walk toward a distant figure. Boyd followed slowly and a little uncomfortably. It was, as he had said, no conventional hour, and Mrs. Stanley looked to be in no conventional attire nor engaged in conventional occupation. He saw a tall gaunt figure that moved widely and freely like a man. Her skirts were quite frankly pinned around her waist, exposing serviceable coloured petticoats. She wore long gauntlets and a sunbonnet from which escaped wild gray hair. Her face was large featured. In her left hand she carried an old painter's bucket into which from time to time she deposited treasure trove found under the leaves.

But she displayed no embarrassment at being thus caught.

"How do you do, Mr. Boyd," she acknowledged the introduction in a deep voice. "Newcomer, eh? Then you don't know yet what beasts snails are. They eat everything you plant."

"Medill says quick lime" began the Colonel.

"Medill is a fool," stated Mrs. Stanley. "The only thing that does the slightest good is ducks. And I won't have the silly quacking things about the place. Do as I do: pick 'em and put them in salt."