Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-11-11

InlS must De q hOrr1d place to stay
in all the time. I am just proud Of you,"
she said.
Alec thought it about time to turn the
conversation and remarked that it was
q pleasant day, though rather hot.
Il just adore the country" she said
"but I've been a little lone
ly till I saw you yesterday. came only
day before yesterday. Poor mamma
couldn t come. I'm practically all alone,
though Mrs. Bentley is supposed to be
my chaperon. But l shan't be lonely
now that I've found you. There is
lovely wood back of Mr.. FairIey's house,
and I've already found a beautiful
walk. -
"But I I'm laboring man now, You
know, Miss Thistle, said Alec apollo
getically.
but that doesn't matter in the least"
responded the young lady, with conde-
scerding nagnanimity.
81 can't leave the store, you see,"
Alec explained.
"Oh." she said softly, looking out of
tie door. but you can come and see
me- Sundays. l I'm sure you don't work
On Sundays. We can have all Sunday
afternoon together. and 1 shall be here
three weeks at least" she answered
brightly and with such cooling good hu-
NOR that Alec smiled and yielded His
only proviso was that she wouldn't tell
Mrs. Bentley or let the people in New
York know how she had discovered him.
Nobody knew where he was, he said.
She smiled beamingly from under her
graceful chip hat as she went out the
door, and for the moment Alec was I'M
der her spell. She was sweet and clean
and dainty, and he seemed to have a
rustic's worship of those high qualities.
She seemed somehow to be above him,
and evidently she felt her power and
meant to use it.
On Sunday afternoon Alec went. For
the first time he was bitterly ashamed
Of his clothes. He noticed how short
his trousers were. how i'll fitting his
coat. He furnished himself with neat
straw hat, with red and blue band,
which he found in the stock of the store,
but the colors in the band spoiled his
pleasure i'll wearing it. He had stipu-
lated that she should meet him in the
wood back Of the Eairleys' house, and
there he went to wait for her. But she
was there almost as promptly as he.
"Oh. you're here before mel" she
cried on seeing him. Il stopped to catch
butterfly. See!' She displayed pitt
able locking little yellow winged but.
terfly, which she tried to pet and caress
II think these woods are perfectly love-
~" she went on as they walked along
side by side. But Alec fancied she was
| careful TO keep her skirts from contact
with him. A silence followed, and pres
emily she burst cut:
"Mr. Howe, you don't mean to live
here all your life, do you?'
"Why Eot?' asked Alec, with just a
touch of malice.
| cit is beautiful for a holiday" she
answered distractedly, 'fbut 1 should
think it would be horrid to live here
with these people all the year round.
They're SO awkward and dirty"
She looked vaguely away into a cool
littlo dell, and presently sat down upon
Q messy rock.
Possibly they are, but l think
shall live here permanently if succeed
in earning my livelihood"
She looked at him reproachfally ant
said:
''Mr. Howe. they're spelling you.'
She looked at him again for a momen;
with her clear eyes and then inquired
"You haven't gone crazy, have you:"
! 40 bot L. -
out load, but she did not even smile
He looked at her and thought Of Maud
and Of 'Lisbeth, and thought how self
ish Z creature this girl was, how
thOughtless of others, how inconsideratt
in her remarks to him even.
Il think l ought to write to youl
father, shc said after a puzzled pause
Il beg of you do nothing Of the
kind" lie pleaded almost earnestly, ant
she promised to say nothing till she re
turned to New York.
They spent an hour idly rambling
about, when she said she must return Il
the house. and Alec was only too glad Il
escape. He stalked moodily across the
fields. thinking that the afternoon hat
been a failure. Once he had been thi:
girls superior; now she treated him a:
a subordinate. He was a rustic, q conn
tryman.
After escaping from Miss Dora Thistle
Alec returned to the house, instinctively
climbed the attic stairs and settled com
fortably into large rocking chair OF
the balcony.
As the light of sunset died away hi:
eyes rested en- the glooming valley be
low, with its church steeples, white
and pointing. And he could descry
the farmhouses with great ramblins
barns. and here little clumpo village
and there a red brick schoolhouse, while
IN between were smooth, mown field.
and stretches of grain and vegetables
aud then low level meadows surrounded
by thick pine groves. row almost wrap
ped In darkness. And here below wa.
the great forest he had visited, stretch
ing unbroken for miles straight away
that forest that was sister TO the noun
tains.
Here vpvn wealth cucooca oc$svixv