Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-05-20
CHApTER V

A11AI- LEN
The ladies arrived next day. Meal
word and his guests went to meet them
upon long. swinging buckboards of the
primitive sort, with chains upon which
TO rest the feet and long. yielding straps
for the back. Thos. were voted by the
merry party to bomore delightful pleas
urc wagons than even the Irish jauntiug
car.
The days that followed were filed
with laughter with music. with break
neck canters upon swift ponies and with
evening promonadcs upon the long We
randa Of the old ranchoira.
After time Craymor became restless
and complained that hc must do some
thing beside sketching merry people in
stylish clothing-however picturesque
" they might be set" He must get
off for a whole day ; work. He would
not plan another days pleasure until
he had earned il with work.
Wilmot was not with the others
when this complaint in its final strength
was entered upon. He CHANGED how
ever, to come up in time to catch its
impost. Craymer did not seem TO notice
his coming but turned toward his be
trothed, who looked at him kindly
a half hour later the two men stood
alone together
My reason for speaking. " said Viii
mot, "is that l would warn You, Cray
mer. You are an attractive fellow
and
Thanks, awfully"
"This is not play, " said the other
fercely. Then calming himself, you
are to be married soon:"
"Not until September "
"Well September is coming" he
insisted in Nemesis tone. In Sep
TENDER them
Eyes, of course. Why do You ask?'
"For this reason: With that answer
want You to relinquish going where
you intend TO 60 tomorrow
"And by what right do you ask it:
It's about time that your volunteer es.
pionage should cease. l shall do as
hanged please in this and every other
matter a" He turned and walked away.
Wilmot by strong effort smothered
the indignation that stirred him and,
following him, laid a hand upon his
shoulder and said in gentle tone: Il beg
your pardon. If you will wait a few
days and give the subject little serious
I thought, l will not trouble you again. -
Craymer said something which sound
/ ed like an assent Wilmot accepted it
/ and was turning away, when the other
asked bluntly:
"Why don't you go there yourself
and take her out of those brutal sur
roundings? You haven't been foolish
enough to bind yourself to any one.
There are ways of getting on with it.
Some elderly aunt or maiden cousin
could chaperone, and 'twould take
blamed little worldly contact for her to
outshine them all. I say" he insisted
with q sort Of fury, "why don't you do
it,"
Wilmot ground his teeth. "You have
done your best TO make it impossible 80
he answered.
An eruptive denial rose to Craymer' S
lips but for once he grew manly Il
understand you, he said Il haven I
been exactly square i'll this thing, but
she was always asking about You and
trying to get me TO talk about You.
told you Of it. If you'd gone, l would
have staid away. But-I'm frank now
Believe me for once, never till that last
day did one word pass my lips that need
vex you. Then there was something in
her look as l was planning e. paint her
that made me say that / wanted her
with me always.
nm Cd lx-a
me, he said, "a recital of one of your
amours. "
But this time Craymer followed and
laid a hand upon his shoulder. Hear
the rest of it, " he insisted. Even then
she said that she thought she was happy
before ! camel AN tn tall un'-and
as live, did not harm her. She lean
ed over and kissed my forehead as she
might kiss the snow mountain if it
were near enough. But there was some
thing about her that awed me. It's the
something that's drawing me now. She
doesn't care for me, though she thinks
that she does. 1t is you for whom she
cares. And because was with you and
you do not come to her she is trying to
satisfy her beautiful, true pure hear
with me Gods, but I am a foolp'
Then Wilmot spoke through his teeth
"This is the truth, and all Of it?'
All, a. am alive, answered Cray
mer, looking directly into his face
Then be turned and went alone into thu
rancheira.
An evening breeze, like the beating
Of great wings, stirred the leaves The
Chinaman began TO light the verandi
lamps. Their tinted rays seemed quiv
ering with deceit, AS Wilmot strod,
out into the shadow he began to under
stand the old brutality that could insis
upon satisfaction whose medium wa
made Of gunpowder or steel.
He had got but little distano'
when his hand was seized by anothe
hand and he was dragged with all tn,
strength of youthful figure out beyond
the skirting of shrubbery into the pal
moonlight.
CHAPTER VI
When Cravnar loft har nm tho do,