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

major, however" laughingly, refuses
to claim kin. "
/ have forgotten, " the major inter
1ected trifie coldly, glancing at his fu-
turo bride. rs Not Belinda ooming?'
From wiehout came the drone of i'm.
sects, hum as deeply insistent and
enervating and yet so Wagnerian in its
Intensity as to suggest nation of them
celebrating feast of love. Presently
the murmur was broken by the silvery
tlnkle of a bell, and a shiny black man
IN staring white apron and Jacket an
nounced from the door, Dinner, sahl'
simultaneously with the black man
young girl appeared. The major left his
chair again.
My daughter" he said, and Furman
bowed. He remembered that the major
had been widower before he became
engaged to the divinity at his side.
The girls manner was languid and
restrained, but her eyes had in them the
flicker of smoldering fire They seemed
to project interior flames Her complex
ION was without color unless olive may
be SO considered. Her abundant mass of
hair was so black as to show blue in its
shadows aud at the corners OF her lips
was the fainteSt trace of down. Her
gown was brilliant, and about her bare
arms We're coils of silver. She looked as
barbaric as Mrs. Page looked divine.
During tho meal the major held forth,
as majors sometimes do, on the subject
of nothing at all, and when the meal
was done the little group reunited for
several hours i'll the gallery, exchanged
the usual commOnplaces During that
interchange Evorard kept as near as he
could to Mrs. Page, and when at last
the party broke up and he found him
self alone in his own room he drew
breath strangely like one of relief
Through the open window came the
heavy scented night air Beyond some
magnolias masked a cluster of stars, but
from above the radiance from other
worlds rained down. In the distance
was the heavy lap of the river Beneath,
i'll the underbrush, firehies glittered,
avoiding each other in abrupt zigzags
and sudden loops of fame. There was no
moon, but the sky was still visibly blue.
Furman threw his coat aside and ghzed
at the stars. In his ears the hum of in.
sccts still sounded, the water seemed to
call and the night to wait The air was
alive with caresses, redolent with the
balm of the pine and the odors of many
flowers.
81 must go tomorrow, he told him
self, and as he tried to think of his de-
parture the tinkle of a football across
the hall routed and distubed his
thoughts Unsummoned, there visited
him melody, the accompaniment Of a
love song heard long ago With a ges-
ture he forced it back and remembered
that there would be no boat for several
days, but he could drive to the nearest
station and take southwark train.
Yes, he could do that.
Meditatively he continued to disrobe,
and in spite Of the light of the stars and
heavy warmth Of the night he lighted
his lamp, talking to himself the while.
And as his monologue continued he was
aware Of that lettering, oyermastering
force which visits youth but once-the
abnegation of self before that which is.
And now, as he flung himself on the
bed, he sighed. He hoped for nothing,
but it was bliss to be conquered and en-
chained. The contest was done. During
the coming week his captor would move
before him a living melody; then he
would go, leaving tho melody undis-
tuTbed.
For a moment that might have out
lasted an hour he dreamed that he was
"A goat herd Of the fabulous days who
had fallen in love with a goddess, and
in his dream he caught the rhythm Of
tinkling feet, and as the measures sank
him into deeper sleep monstrous beetle
shot through the window and eXtin'
guished his light The persistent hum
Of insects and the whir Of the beetles
wings disturbed him ever 80 little. For
a moment he was bending over Mrs.
Pages wrist; then all was blank.
AZ the noon luncheon the major was
absent 1T is usually 20, bis daughter
eXplained. "do works harder than tho
oyerseers in his employ IL Is very fool
ish Of him 20 exhaust himself as he 30
often does, and she shook her peerless
head disapproyingly During tho morn.
ing Furman idled on the white sandy
bighroad aud explored the grounds lie
had lost himself in tho foruy depths "
q sparkling wood, and o groom bank be-
meath dense oedars had Invited him 10
rest aud lheu, lauguldly rrui, he bad
found his way back ~ Che Aouso iDr
luncheon.
ll the pausos n his stroll he bad bali
promised himself tAat during tho giier-
noon he would hnd ap opportunity ~
/ sAy slmetAiug " tlai Which wsa pn lls
mind. but faie Was against llm Mfs
Page racaafd husaf Immediately ailF
+ luuoh. and hg Nas lpil ulpup wlti Alss
/ lnll ou iNg RaIlny
You me h0m how fms 900 yNA
potf asked ihp yuuuE lsdj hhr H0
puuuead ihr hsi fyilab|rpf lNspams lu
manunr ilal s4andnd DullHna l0 Ful
mau uuar.ustHmal rHt lt"aa nA '4
maau su .ui ~ aH Iui4naI lHN. "a
ih4ugl inp Hnld HHe sprllH 'hNHH
|AI l.l g4nua. flu iala hlp raH0 ilNH
|. 4. Uai u.A,utd ay Dul ah. AHH.l htq
re.tlIstu lHfI. nNa NH4 rHN n'"
- ...# ....I. IL. I..I.U I.. II.