Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-10-23


had dreamrl IL was like a tangled
sl.eiu Onr after another tine threads
unloJsei, and as they separated from
each part INK k1Iot a memory returned,
You were not stranger. You were a
friend | had lost l could have sat with
you, and from yesterday ! could have
led you back from one horizon to the
other until that posting house was
reached where our destinies changed
their course and our hands were first
unclasped.
Much more followed in the same
strain, and when he had completed a
bulky letter he found that it but half
expressed his thoughts or expressed
them at all as he had wished, so tearing
the sheets into fragments he thrust out
the light and threw himself on the bed
When he awoke, the room was filed
with sunlight, and on a palmlike cot.
tonwood Furman caught a glimpse OF
Belinda's pet monkey chattering and
scratching his knee. At breakfast none
of the family was visible, and Furman
took his roll and chocolate i'll the piaz.
"a, waited on by an ebony boy whose
features seemed never to relax from an
expansive smile
"De ladies were up too long ago to
talk bout, and de major was done gone
out toe de canefiel's, but would be home
alter while.
Furman idled out into the grounds
A field of fruit that he had not previous
ly explored attracted him, and he wan
dered thither Dragon flies and honey
bees swarmed over the peaches, burst
ing with their richness under the suns
ardent kiss, and scintillant green Juno
bugs filled the air with the sibilant
whir of their gauzy wings
Furman initiated the example of tho
gluttonous insects and feasted ON the
fruit picked ready to his hand.
From behind the screen Of fig bushes
Miss Lieth appeared. A large hat part
ly shaded her face, and i'll her hands
was q basket filled with the finest of
the yellow figs Her eyes smiled when
she saw Furman, and faint carmine
tinged the olive of her cheek
Father came home early this morn
ing she volunteered. Her voice had in
it note of shyncss, but her eyes rested
intently on his.
"Indeed?" Furman selected n pie.
thoric fig and thought of Mrs. Page.
eyes. He is over in the young cane
beyond the cottonwood " Her eyes still
dwelt on his face, and they were, he
imagined, more suggestive of inward
smoldering than ever.
II shall not seek him unless, indeed,
you wish to be rid of me. "
She shrugged her shoulders.
They strolled leisurely through the
fruit plantation and again entered the
flower garden by another path. 1t was
not yet the luncheon hour, but the ma
jor was seated on the piazza He was
scrupulously neat in what seemed to be
a freshly laundered suit Of white linen,
but his face was as indifferently COM
posed and his eyes as alphabetically dor
mant as ever. Belinda passed into the
hallway, leaving the two men together
Furman found seat in the chair he
liked best and lighted cigar. The
major cleared his throat and looked at
Furman expectantly, but there was no
consciousness in the calm insouciance of
the young man.
Him." the major began hesitat-
ingly. Belinda tells mo that you have
-er--that is, that she loves you, and
that you have arrived at an understand
ing"
The blank amazement of Furman' 3
face cut short the majors speech, and
he sat staring at him inquiringly. "I
beg your pardon, Major Leith," Fur
man began; there has been mistake
/ cannot explain, he stammered in dis.
tressed astonishment.
"But / insist on an explanation.
The majors eyes were as dormant az
before, but there was "A new tone In his
voice that Furman had never heard he
fore my daughter loves you-she has
confessed IL 10 me--and she believes you
love her in return II is an injury for
which you must make rsparatiOn. -
Furman sat staring al the major stu.
pidly, and gradually the situation
dawned on him. The hand that ha had
pressed aud the check that he had kissed
la the gloom Of the hallway wero not
those 0f Mrs. Page, tho majors bride
elect, but those of Belinda Leith, tho
majors daughter
Belinda had infeITed his regard from
this overt not ~ fO0lishnoss, but how
could he eEplain this 10 tho girls ia.
therf iie felt hnmiliated aud ashamed
" what tho major would consider an
uupardouablo breach ~ tho laws " hos
ptaliiy and could hnd no way out ~
tho diliiculiy
ln the midst ~ the embarrassing Vi
lenoo i3olipda appeared at tho door lisF
taco Wa a d0eper oliyo ana hDr oyes
muTe full ~ sn0lderinR hros Fuuaan
did not readily forgst hor glance and
sHila ~ she exclaimed
4" fDp afe wong father / 40 not
loyn hnie, aud slle Yauishnd as
qulrsly "a sAe ranlo
1hp majai lefi bic ohalr Tho 0aTt
vii le ~ lhe dpg lu halt an hogr, hs
sald "'fFanail ~ ihe nOaf0ff siaiiup,"
sDwinR eoulieYsaiy, he followed his
HauHllH
lu bic Tpim fuImau found 600 nhpuy
hyg ffaag Az aU lls llHaluu nila ou flta