The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-27
she would gladly have done anything in the

she would gladly have done anything in the
| world for him.
III you like. Stay; perhaps.I had bet
| ter write myself" There was nothing in
| the Colonel read the note he received from
| Iurnham he tore it up at once. Trx knew
| there would be no ride for her. "There
are no horses, Trix; what pity!' said the
| Colonel.
But the girl turned from him without q
word. She would not feign cheerful acquies-
cence. Where WAS the need to lie to her?
she thought bitterly. He might have spared
and tell her he wanted to ride with Mrs.
| Tremenheere? Wherein lay any harm,
save in the cOncealment thereof?
Shall we 60 for walk?" asked the
Colonel, amiaby.
No, thank you. father" she answered,
" have headache and will 60 and lie
| down"
She so seldom refused him anything that
| she felt it necessary to excuse herself. Be-
| SIDES II was no eXaggeratlon to say that she
| had headache. Her temples were throb-
| bling with pain, her whole being was In a
| turmoil. She knew well, too. that had she
| consented to 20 he would Immediately have
excused himself from doing SO. He did not
| mean 10 go out, but simply to get her out
| and then TO stink off to Mrs. Tremenheere's
But yesterday she would have insuIted any
one who would have breathed such thing
! against her father. To-day she accused
him herself.
And then her conscience smote her. She
| was finding him guilty before he had had a
trial She felt that she must try and find
out something definite as TO his relations
! with Mrs. Tremenheere. She knew that
she could not 60 through these alterations
OF miStrust and faith. After lunch she
| therefore equipped herself for walking. 81
may be late, mother" she said before start
| ing. Her father was net lunching at home
All alone, TrixP" asked her mother.
All alone. answered the girl. YEARLY
" Don't stop me, mother, it will do no
good"
Mrs. Danyers looked straight at her. Did
| TTlx think physical eXertion could over
| come that pain at her heart? Well, per-
haps 1t might; the girl was young and
| hopeful.
Trix was a good walker; she soon found
heaSelf on the downs and almost forgot her
| misery in her delight in the keen air, the
| sprlngy turf, the lustful sea. 1t was a
beautiful afternoon, the sun coming out at
| odd moments from behind the light-footed
| clouds, breaking into smiles, as 1t were,
over the face of the downs, the roll
| licking wind blowing in great gusts
| the sea family blue and dancing
The downs soped gradually to the
| sands. so that the waves rolled in gently,
| bringing no sacrifice of foam to propiti-
| ale the stern cliffs as is the case on the rock
| bound shore. But tie sea was beautiful
exceedingly in its shiny Irregular outline.
| Inks long limbs did her good service, she
got over the ground rapidly, intent at first
only on walking down her pain, not think
ing much of tho immediate cause of it, only
| conscious that 1t was there, until she heard
| the dull thud of horses hoofs over the surf
| She knew instinctiyely that it was her
| father, although he had told her there
we're no horses to be got. The liar! The
| girls anger waXed hot within her. 1t was
| contemplate to lie. She stood still, realiz-
| ing for the time the bitterness of her fathers
| deception. Aud as the sound nf the horses
| huois drew nearer she bethought herself
| that the riders must needs pass by her. She
had moments thought of confronting
| them, but that passed away. He was her
| father after all, and she must not expose
| him before that woman. She looked around
| helplesslv; some furZe- bushes near by would
| afford her shelter IL she were to crouch
| down behind them. The tears rushed to
| her proud eyes as she thought of herself
| hiding like a criminal She hated herself
| for doing ii, but she did it-there seemed
nothing left for her TO do.
On they came, nearer and nearer. The
woman did not even ride well, thought Trix
in her contempt. On they came, the
C0ionePS handsome face flushed deep red
with the exertion Of riding, his erect youth
fui figure shown off to advantage by the
garb he wore. He was laughing and the
sound Of his laughter and the CLEAN of his
white teeth came 10 Trix as she knelt down
on the ground and she felt that she hated
them and him. hated his perennial youth,
hated his handsome face, his 1.-the GguIe. SO
like her own.
She waited until they had passed her by,
shaken with her impotent anger. She could
not risk discovery nor run the chance of
meeting them again on their homeward
way. SO she scrambled down the grass