Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-11-29

and is driftin' 10 nj in Frisco with
some fellow When HCr5ely gets
to ar that, you can't keep him
here; he'll settle up, sell out, and re-
alize on everything he's got to go after
her agin, you bet That what Briggs
said. Well, that's what sent me up to
Horseleys tonight, 10 get there, drop
the news, and then pin him down to the
contract"
at looked Ike good stroke Of busi-
ness and a fair one, said the lady, in
an odd voice. 1t was SO odd that Hays
looked up. But she had so newhat
altered her position and was gazing at
the ceiling, and with her hand to her
face seemed to have just recover ed
from slight yawn, at which he hesi-
tated with new and timid sense OF
politeness.
you're getting tired ma amp"
"Oh, dear, no." she said in the same
voice, but clearing her throat with
little cough And why didn'tyol see
this Mr.. Horseley after all? Oh, I forgot
you said you changed your mind from
something you'd heard.
He had turned his eyes TO the fire
again, but without noticing as he did so
that she slowly moved her face, still
half hidden by her hand, toward him
and was wat hing him intently.
NO" he said slowly, "nothin | heard,
somethin' | felt 1t mout hev ben that
that set me off the track. 1t KEN to me
all of q sudden that he might be sittin
thar calm and peaceful as might be
here, hevin' forgot all about her and his
trouble, and here was me goin' to drop
down upon him and start it all afresh
lagin. 1t locked little like persecution
yes, like persecution. l got rid Of it,
savin' 10 myself it wasn't business. But
I'd got of the road meantime, and
had to find 1t again, an1 whenever got
back to the track and was pointed for
his house, it all seemed to come back
on me and set me off again. When that
happened three times, l turned round
and started for home"
And do you mean to say" said the
lady, with discOrlant laugh. that yo1
believe, because you didn't go there and
break the news, that nobody else will?
That he won't hear of it from the first
man he meets?"
He don't meet any one Up where he
lives, and only Briggs and myself know
it, and I'll see that Briggs don't tell.
But it was mighty queer, this whole
thing comm upon me suddenly,
wasn't it?"
very queer" replied the lady, for, "
with the same metallic laugh, you
don't seem to be given to this kind OF
weakness with your own family.
If there was any doubtas to the sarcas-
tic suggestion of her voice, there GER
tainly could be none in the wicked gilt
ter of her eyes fixed upon his face under
her shading hand, but haply he Sc med
unconscious Of both, and even accepted
her statement without an ulterior sig
nificance.
Yes" he said communingly to the
glaring enters Of the hearth, it must
have been a special revelation.
There was something so fatuous and
one-sided in his attitude and expression,
so monstrously inconsistent and made
quate to what was going on around him,
and 50 hopelessly stupid-if mere sim
uat on-that the angry suspicion that
he was acting part slowly faded from
her eyes, AMI a hysterical smile began
10 twitch her set lips She still gazed
at him. The wind howled drearily in
the chimney; all that was economic,
grim and cheerless in the room seemed
to gather as fitting shadows around
that central figure. Suddenly she arose
with such quick rustling of her skirts
that he lifted his eyes with start; for
she was standing Immediately before
him, her hands behind her, her hand
some, audacious face bent smillngly for
ward, and her bold, brilliant eyes with
in foot of his own.
Now, Mr.. Hays, do you want to know
what this warning or special revelation
of yours really meant? Well, it had
nothing whatever to do with that man
on the Summit. No. The whole inter
est, gist and meaning of it was simply
this, that you should turn round and
come straight back here and"-she
drew back and made him an exaggerated
theatrical courtesy-"have the supreme
pleasure OF making my acquaintance.
That was all. And now, as you've hal
it, in five minutes 1 must be off. You've
offered me already your horse and sle gh
to go to the Summit. l accept it and go.
Good-by! !"
He knew nothing of womans capri
cious humor; he knew still less Of that
mimic stage from which her voice, ges-
ture, and expression was borrowed; he
~ 4 - 81 A. - l,,,,.l on 1,,,, ox,oo