Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-22
THE SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY FEBRUARY D. 1885,

! tne symbols OF her emancipation as IN
Others had been OF her bondage. The IA
| VI sunlight which sought her out from 90
I ca ST end Of the pOrticO was the inf0rmin
/ illu minati0n which had come 10 her. PEI
/ haDs one ~ 2ht even imagine the breez
which spOrpd about her head the liberia
4 atmnsl there in which she was hencefortl
| to walk.
Certainly she looked. despite the va@u
! air Of saa ness which now always accom-
/ panied he,.- creature pre-emineRtly q
one with tho stirring, eager. Zestful world
/ She was so stural Il figure IN it, now thai
! he saw her there, that March said 10 him
! self that she hSd never been more than
! eXiled from IL. He expected 70 find neI
: greatly changed.
/ Yes" SAID Mr., Echole, in answer to a
| question from March, fairly old. we
/ are not very good ~ the ancient on this
l side; we've NOS been at ii long enough.
/ But we can show excellent century, cen
I fury and a half manstOns-that master. "
{ be pursued, in his lsconic, faeile way
/ with d faint wave of his hand.
Mr.. EchOls had a larger share OF grace
than often falls to the Inheritance of men.
His moments were harmonious; his ges-
lures had a smooth, undulating ease.
When ne talked be leaned his head
slightly forward without bending his hOdV
in way that was indefinitely suggestive
OF compliment to his lnterlOcutor His
lips wore the inyeterate phantom eE a
smile.
''Of course, it's not fair race for an
I tiquity with You English. / don't know
| that we care to enter for it. Though. Ny.
March, there are the Indians. There's a
point or two there-Bahrings Strait
and that. If YOU don't bar them there is
certainly something to be said. Japan
nOW-that theory, you know. If We are
going in for age we must rely upon the
Indian. I've often thought that; that's
why it's q pity 10 treat him as we do. He
ought TO be Kept in a guarded treasury
with the other archives instead OF beng
eXterminated. That Is like the College Of
| Heralds sending out commissioners to
cut down the genealogical trees. Pm in
favor OF leaving them standing. It's true
Indian genealOgy isn't first rate, but it's
all we've got"
Mr.. EchOls asked March about his
plans. and they all listened with interest
as he told how he had brought over and
established his colony. He admitted that
ID had not been easy. He was not absO-
lutte head of the company, and there had
been some differences. HIS design of COM
bining considerable number Of small
farmers and farm laborers with the gen
| tlernen c0lOEists for whom he had made his
| first explorations lad not been found to be
perfectly simple matter. There were
other ideas. But in the end he had gained
his wish, and all were enyiably content
now.
''Feudal-a kind of small feudaL system
you are establishing over there" said Mr..
Echols. Il trust you won't find it neces-
sary to call your vassals out to render
| military service"
~ think you are the nearest Baron, -
returned March. Il hope you won't make
me fight"
"NO, think prefer to claim as tenant
in free and common socage, and when
use my right Of piscory L shalt send you
up some fish out of your own brook as
rent"
"It's a kind OF conspiracy your uncle is
/ getting up" said March. speaking to
| Constance tor the first time.
The daintest flush fled through her
! checks. She had been observing him di-
| rectly as he turned toward her, and sum-
/ moning before her memory the picture
! of certain memorable scene with the
/ unsolicited reunue of thoughts which al
ways accompanied it, she looked down
| with a consciousness almost perfectly
new to March's experience Of her before
responding.
you viii find it wonderfully harm
1 less" she said, at length. with her head
/ lifted to its usual firm poise.
/ She let fall upon him the admirably Sc
rene and gently confident glance which
! had caused March at their first meeting
in DR.. Van Clee9s garden to doubt the
! trusLwOrthiness Of some insular tradi
! tions.
Mrs. Echols suggested that Jacinth anC
Constance introduce Mr.. March to the
beauties Of the lake.
Mr.. EchOls ordered his horse and ch3isC
to drive his son and himself to town, anC
! Lincoln joined the party which, in obedi
ence tC Mrs. Echols' proposal, presently
saunteTed over the lawn toward the boa
house.
Lincoln, who had the kind of facility
| with young ladies' which like purer forms
| OF genius is probably born with its pos
SCISSOR, by q delicious bit Of management
! secured Miss Jacinth to himself, and let
Ma ch TO push off in one of the other
! skiffs with Constance. Tnis was by M
means disagreeabie arrangement, butt
gave March an odd thrill. He felt &
! strange reluctance now that the moment
/ had come TO meet her so intimately. i
had the charms OF a voyage of discovery
this little row, but it had also its uncer.
tainties. He knew no one to whom ht
occupied so peculiar relation. Fortu
| nately few such incidents as that which
! distinguished his acquaintance with Con
! bered that they had, in fact, not mel
! since their most singular excursion to she
| cemetery. The brief cOllOquy at the sup
! per table OF the same evening had beer
rendered impersonal by a sad necessity
| Now they would encounter, however
without interpOsing media Of any sort.
! Probably no unpassiVlty ever sufficient
~ defended man who has barrenly OF
fered marriage to woman: and with
/ of
| which had committed him to Il definite
| view of their relation was particularly
| dominant at this moment. This view h8C
| been perfectly frank and sincere, but i
will be freely confessed that his position
I was nOtwithOut its embarrassing features
| 1t was the gentlemanly thing to have
done. 1t was the only thing to have done
J but it doubtless had its consequences.
1t is to be added that his speculation:
touching the change which he vaguely
saw in her, and, more distinctly guessed
had reached the point where he was bQts
/ eager to satisfy himself and reluctant 4
know all that there might be to learn. Il
WAS clear that she was not IN any way
| the young girl he had known. But th(
difference was not certainly advantage
Gus. There had been great opportunities
in the half year or so since he had seer
her. She had been through a crucial trial
/ Sno naQ entered on wholly new lie. HOW
had it left her? On the whole, as has beer
! intimated, his attitude was one of faith
But upon various scores he entered The
boat with misgIYings.
On her part Constance was not without
4 sense OF the situation.
Nv.
The lake sat in the dense, even circle 0
| green as a rose sits in its calyX. Like 6
! calyX, too, the outline Of the higher trees
against the sky was gently serrated
/ The pines, oaks, naples, beeches and
chestnuts left wide aisles in their ranks
! for one who walked among them, but on
the thither side OF the sheet Of water they
| presented solid bank of green, scantily
mingled in the late September with the
modest pigments with which the uneageI
autumn paints the Southern woods. 1t is
/ only in the positive North and indubita-
( BILE South that nature uses all her color
! box; the half way house is not her favor
/ lite. The tree tops slOped to the fringe OF
shrubs which on every side saw their
ObeiSance mirrOred in the tranquil water.
I The house was not visible from the lake,
! which indeed had an indesctibable effect
! Of TemOteness and solitude.
! Lincoln had rounded the bend beyond
/ the boat house before the other boat was
! launched, and his skiff was not in sight
I when March pulled out into the lake. 1t
/ was one Of the perfect days which glorify
( the autumn everywhere. The air was
soft and perhaps family warm. One did
not know. 1t certainly was not cool.
I Z