Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-06-08
TWO JUNE NIGHTS.

TWO JUNE NIGHTS.
The words echoed idly in Brunton's
mind as, escaping by favor of a French
easement from the crowded reception
room, he found himself in the pleasance.
Softly the thrill of the distant music rose
and fell upon the still air. Less tunefully
sounded the nearer hum of conversation
and laughter. CHANGING back toward the
lighted windows, the vague yearning for
sympathy that had lain like a cord round
his heart all day gripped him close. Then
an affected laugh stung his ear, and Brun-
ton turned afresh toward solitude. I'm
der his feet lay the smooth grass of the
trim lawn. Overhead was the blue black
summer sky, star 1ecked and cloudless.
Lower the fairy lights. red, green and
gold, twinkled like jewels among the dark
foliage. About him hung the fragrance
of heliotrope.
Brunton was young. His soul, new
f1edged, was immature, nebulous, and his
emotions still Of the crudest. Yet as he
looked skyward his spirit sank at the
thought Of leaving SO much beauty and
sweetness for-he knew not what. To-
morrow he would leave England to join
his regiment, and few seemed to know or
care. For the first time he felt constrained
to mourn the lack of near relatives to fuss
and weep over his departure. His coming
to Mrs. Derrick's Sat home'' had been a
mistake too. Having a few hours to fill
in, he had come with the idea that it
would pass the time pleasantly. Now he
felt annoyed at his folly in SO doing.
Taking out a cigar, he lit a match,
which a sportive zephyr ~playfully extin-
guished. Among the shadows hid a rustic
arbor, and, stepping inside the shelter of
it's doorway, he struck a fresh CLEAN.
Flaring up brightly, it revealed huddled
up close to the back wall of the arbor a
shrinking girlish form.
For one startled moment his keen gray
eyes looked amazement into frightened
blue ones.
"Why, by Jove! Oh, l sayp' he ejacu-
lated inoonsequently.
The childish face, set in an aureole Of
golden hair, raised appealingly to his.
"Oh, please, please, don't tell anybody
I only came out here to get away from the
people"
odd your Well, I say, that should be
a bond Of union between us, for 80 did l."
The dying flicker Of the wax match saw
an expression of relief cross the girl Is
face. "And you won't tell anybody about
my coming out here? 1t would seem SO
rude to Mrs. Derrick, you know"
"Not a soul, honor bright. But surely
you didn't leave the house to crouch up
here in the dark"
"Oh, no! 1t was lovely among the
stars and flowers and things; then I heard
some one coming and ran in here till he
should go past, and SO you caught me-"
He could tell that she was smiling a lit
tie now, though there was still a little hes
itating catch In her voice.
"Won't you come out and walk again?''
He was longing to see her. The darkness
Of the summer house was tantalizing, and
chivalry rebelled at the rudeness Of strik-
ing another light.
"And you will smoker" she asked, ris-
ing, in reply to his query and walking to
the door.
"No, thanks. / don't care to now.
Suppose we stroll round"
The starlight that revealed to Sylvia q
soldierly form with short cropped dark
hair and a quite perceptible mustaohe
showed Brunton a petite figure, whose
robe Of shimmering white satin draped
loosely from the old lace that outlined its
square cut bodice, a string Of pearls round
the slender neck the only ornament.
For q moment convention triumphed,
and they were bashful together. There
after the influence Of the June night pre-
vailed, and they inclined to confidence.
Before they had completely enoircled the
lawn Sylvia knew that Brunton wal a SOL
dier; that tomorrow he would sail for In
dia to join his regiment. And ere they
emerged from the long archway Of roses
Brunton knew that this was Sylvia's first
party; that she was an orphan and lived
with her grandmamma; that at that mo-
ment her grandmamma was playing whist
in Mrs. Derrick's withdrawing room; that
Sylvia herself passed endless evenings
playing whist with grandmamma, Mrs.
Dawson, the companion, and q dummy
also that a look in grandlnamma's eye
which seemed to Sylvia to hold a sugges-
tion that in the event of no better partner
being forthcoming Sylvia might be called
upon to make up q set had led to Sylvia's
taking refuge In the garden, thus showing
that out Of her narrower life the woman
had the more to tell.
"And you have never been anywherep"
This pityiDgly from the height Of his ex-
periences which were yet to come.
"No, never. We always 20 to Torouay
In winter, but that's nearly Just the same
as being at home. Do you know, I've
never, never once been out Of doors at
night beforer"
sNot even to a theaterp"
1 "No."
"Poor little grill say"-struck by q
sudden idea-''your guardian will be some
time over whist, won't shes"
"Why, yer. The game has just begun,
and they won't finish under a rubber"
well, suppose ! take you somewhere
for halt an hour or SOTO a theater or mu-
sic ball. My cab IL waiting"
"OhI" A gasp Of delight followed by
the inevitable "But would it not be
wrong'" and II can't go dressed like
this"
Manlike, Brunton rode roughshod over
both scruples.
"Oh, nobody will knowl Wait here .
moment while ! run to the house and for
age for wraps"
Leaving Sylvia in the safe seclusion Of
the arbor, he vanished, returning speedily
clad In light topcoat and crush hat and
bearing a heavy cloak Of velvet and fnrs.
"Thatl" breathed Sylvia In q Mortified
whisper when he showed his spoil. "Why,
you've brought grandmsmma's sable
mantlel"
"Oh, that's all right, % long az it's big
enough" replied her fellow sinner, with
a mans easy indifference to aught but
utility.
And as to the encompassing capacity Of
The matter there could " n doubt. Swal.