Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1885-10-29
THERE'S DANGER IN DELAY.
BY STELLA GARD.

The sun had never shone upon so fair
q June. The skies were never so blue,
the flowers so sweet, the breezes so
soft, the hours so rosy. So thought
Lorraine Lorrimer.
She lifted her eyes to her COM
panion's face at that moment, and met
his looking down at her. The eyes
into which she looked were ordinarily
laughing and blue, but their expression
was intensified just now. Dark and
soft, there was an electrical fasination
in their gaze that caused the warm
blood to tingle in her cheeks and flush
over her forehead. Her eyes dropped
swiftly. He smiled, and passed his
hand caressingly over the small brown
one that lay on his arm.
They were not lovers, these two;
they were "only friends" as Lorraine
would have said, then.
They were pacing with slow, linger-
ing footsteps a long country road,
which was shaded by arching trees that
met and embraced far above their
heads.
The air was charged with the odor of
honeysuckle, and vibrant with the song
of lark which had escaped the
confines of mortal vision, and was
beating it's little heart out somewhere
beyond the curtained fringes of
foliage, IN the depths of ethereal blue
through which the setting sun was
pouring glory of gold and red; but
these facts, though instinctively recog-
nlzed as fragments of the general har-
mony, made no very distinct impression
upon the consciousness of either of
them.
That dusty highway, with its tall en-
closing hedges and its whispering leafy
avenue, might have contained the whole
sum of life, so little they desired or
thought of anything beyond it.
But life holds more than success
sion of peaceful footsteps, even on a
fair June day. A few steps more
brought them to stile, and it had to
be crossed.
"You are tired" said the young man.
"Sit on this stile and rest awhile. /
will not let you fall"
He leaned on the stile beside her,
and held her hands, until his eye was
attracted by some flowers that grew
luxuriantly in the hedge on the oppo-
site side of the road.
II must get you some of that wood
bine," he said ;"I like the pale-colored
bloom better than that tinged with red
it is sweeter. Do not move until l re-
turn"
She sat still and watched him. He
came back soon, with fragrant, cream
hued cluster in his hands.
ado you like them?" he said, smiling
up at her, and caressing her cheek
with the dainty blossoms.
Between them they fastened them
into the folds of her fichu. Lorraine
tried first, but her hands trembled,
and the flowers fell, and were scattered
into her lap.
He smiled as he gathered them up,
and held them while she secured them.
Everything is better done when we
do it together, Lorraine" he said, as
he again folded her hands in his.
"Shall we come homer" he asked
softly.
Il am ready" she said.
"Yes, Lorraine, we must 60" he an
swered; yet still he fingered, while the
sweet, nameless odors of the summer
| twilight lowered about them, the rec
flush of the sunset fell over them like
benediction, and the warm air palpi
tated with the last thrilling notes OF
the weary warbler as he sank toward
his nest.
Lorraine, you look happy"
IL feel happy. Everything is so beau
tiful tonight" replied the girl, dream
lily.
"Yes, everything; the trees, the
birds, the sky, the sun, the flowers
and you Lorraine, l don't want Il
go home"
He drew closer, and again his eye!
sought hers, with the subtle, indefina
BILE magnetism in their depths which
caused the color to stir SO uneasily il
her cheek.
"Rex, we must go home," she said
nervously.
"Come, then; let me lift you down.
"No, Rex; please DON'T" she said
startled.
"Why not?" he whispered. And
lifting her in his arms he held her clos,
and kissed her.
Eight weeks later, Lorraine stood il
her bedroom, reading q letter from
Rex. She was paler and thinner thar
she had been in June, and there was {
heavy, wistful look in her large eye
| which then had been strange to them.
She read the letter through twice
and then she put IL down. It was
customary thing for Lorraine and Re-
to correspond, but this was the frs
letter he had written since they hao
met in June. 1t was long letter. 4
large part Of it was filled with half
serious, half-jesting apology for tn
long silence. "You vii see," wrot
Rex, ~that my holidSI has been exact
ing all my time"