Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1894-03-16

open starlit sky There was no moon
and the darkness favored her; she had
no fears that weighed against the horror
of seclusion with her own fancies. Be
sides, they were camping out Of the house,
and if she chose to sit up or walk about
no one could think it strange.
She wished her father were here, that
she might have some of her own kin to
talk to, yet she knew not what to say TO
him if he were here She wanted some
body to sympathize with her feelings
or rather, perhaps, some one to combat
and even ridicule the uneasiness that had
lately come over her. She knew what
her father would say: "Do you want to
go or do you want to stay here? Do you
like these people or do younot?" She re-
membered the one or two glowing and
enthusiastic accounts she had written
him of her visit here, and felt herself
blushing again. What would he think
of Mrs. Randolph's opening and answer
ing the telegram? Wouldn't he find out
from the major if she had garbled the
sense of his dispatch?
distant and invisible wheat field, there
was the same intermittent star, which
like living, breathing thing seemed to di.
late in glowing respiration and which she
had seen the first night of her visit-Mr
Bent's forge. 1t must be nearly daylight
now. The poor fellow had been up all
night, or else was stealing this early
march on the day. She recalled Adele's
sudden eulogium of him. The first nat
ural smile that had come to her lips
since the earthquake broke up her nerv-
GUS restraint and sent her back more like
her cid self to her couch.
But she had not proceeded far toward
the tent when she heard the sound of
low voices approaching her. 1t was the
major and his wife, who, like herself,
had evidently been unable to sleep and
were up betimes. A new instinct of Sc
cretiveness, which she felt was partly
the effect of her artificial surroundings,
checked her first natural instinct to call
to them, and she drew back deeper in
the shadow to let them pass. But to her
great discontinue the major in con-
versational emphasis stopped directly
in front of her
"You are wrong, tell you, thou
sand times wrong. The girl is simply
upset by this earthquake. It's great
pity her father didn't come instead of
telegraphing. And, by Jove, rather than
hear any more of this I'll send for him
myself, said the major, in an energetic
but suppressed voice.
"And the girl won't thank you, and
you'll be fool for your palms, returned
Mrs. Randolph with dry persistency.
"But according 10 your own ideas of
propriety Mallory ought to be the first
one to be consulted and by me too"
mot in this case. OF course, before
any actual engagement is on you can
speak of Emile's attentions"
"But suppose Mallory has other views9
Suppose he declines the honor? The man
is no fool"
"Thank you! But for that very rea-
son he must. Listen to me, major; if
he doesn't care to please his daughter
for her own sake he will have to do SO
for the sake of decency. Yes, tell you,
she has thoroughly compromised herself
quite enough, if it is ever known, to
spoil any other engagement her father
may make. Why, ask Adelel The day
of the earthquake she absolutely had the
audacity to send him out of the room
up stairs into your study for her fan,
and then follow him up there alonel
The servants knew it. knew it, for
was in her room at the time with Father
Antonio. The earthquake made it plain
to everybody. Decline it-no! Mr..
Mallory will think twice about it before
he does that. What's that? = who's
there?"
There was a sudden rustic in the
bushes like the passage of some fright
ened animal-and then all was still
again.