Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-10

tant and underlined impression of sadness.
All around the moekingbirds were sing
ing in the vines and trees, sweet odors were
| on the air that blew gently from the not
distant gulf, and overhead the sky hung
like vast dream, deep blue, but tender as
violet's petals.
"What are you going to shoot?" Lalis
] asked presently, recovering her lightness Of
voice and manner, gently brushing the
| finely carved stock Of his gun with her
| roses.
"Nothing, 1 suppose, he responded, ct
| thought merely of a turn in the woods to
make their acquaintance and get some ex-
! ereise'
There's plenty of game, she remarked,
| 81 can kill some whenever like"
Orton lifted his brows in astonishment.
''You kill game, Ma'm'zelle Garein? Do
you know how to use a gun?" he inquired,
with but little credulity in his voice, and
looking down at her with eyes that showed
both admiration and wonder.
''To be sure do, and why not?" was the
quick answer. "Giye me your gum" She
flung down her flowers and put aside her
cat; then taking the heavy weapon from
Orton's hand she poised it gracefully and
said:
''Do you see the rosette of lichen. on the
fence-post yonder?" indicating a silver
white spot about forty yards distant from
where they stood.
'sYes, 1 see," he answered
A single moment for aiming, and then the
fint-stroke, the flash of the printing and the
sharp report of the gun. A fine white dust
puffed out from the center of the Iiehen
where the bullet had entered. The girl
smiled complacently as she returned the
weapon to Orton, who for a space found it
1ot1lf 10 r1ffo a11
1t was perfect shot, and the art of deliver
ing it had shown sucn grace, ease and swift
ness as he had never before seen.
Wonderful. eharmingi" be exclaimed,
as one Just getting back his lost breath.
''That was superb. Ma m 'zelle. superbl''
Indeed, that is nothing" she said rather
proudly. 'I could do much better than
that
Then STOPPING, she retook her roses and
her cat.
'sI wish you fine sport, Mo'sieu," she
added, and then left him, casting back as
she passed through the vine-arched gateway
a brilliant smile. half haughtilv, half play
full, that had in it an instantaneous fascina-
ton.
Orton went on through the garden and
into the woods conscious OF some new eIe-
ment, like a rich, nameless color, engen-
dered within him.
The dumpish, mustv fragance Of the
woods, at he entered the shade under the
wide-armed, moss-mantled oaks, was
mingled with the ever-sweet breath Of las
mine flowers and the keen resinous odor Of
the pines. Something in the circumambi-
ent stiffness seemed to act as a fxitive on
the picture in his mind, and moreover, all
this shadowy sweetness and cool freshness
was filed with the romance his imagination
had suddenly coniured up. He strobe along,
the girls face lingering with him and her
voice echoing sweetly in his memory, and as
the changing phases OF the forest caught his
attention and slowly drew him back to his
old habit of observation, he noted how brill
liant were the lichens and MOSES, how luz
uriant the vines and Haunting air-plants.
and'how gorgeous the flower masses here
and there.
The exercise of the walk was exhiIar-
ating, and the freshness and strange sense
of solitude were to Orton as fascinating a.
their associations were picturesque and ro-
mantle. Here was the one remote and
poetry y-burdened region which, of all the
earth, could, for a time at least, satisfy bis
longing for the undiscovered and the 1ude-
scribed.
There were beautiful grassy openino. IN
the wood, and here and there Orton came
upon miniature lakes, shallow and studded
with blooming plants and wisps Of falI
water grasses. In one Of these he saw a tall
white heron wading, and thinking 10 shoot
1t ne raised his gun. When be pulled the