Gardnerville record. (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1898-1902, 1900-06-28
The Scarlet Spider.
Whether They Skated In Winter or
Swung In a Hammock In Sum-
mer, They Were Caught
In Its Web.

Love, the scarlet spider, will In a
night hang between two that have been
apart a web too fine for either to see.
but the strength of both will never be
able to break it."
Who was he? She hardly knew. A
partner. She thought of him as moth
ing else. All the women were given
partners as a matter of course.
"Dick," their host had said, will you
have the goodness to look after my
niece, Miss Blynn? Edith, let me pre-
sent Mr.. Kirkland" They bowed.
They could not well see one another's >
face there in the starlight 1t was n
and two big companies had come down
for week of winter sports, throwing
open the houses which ordinarily knew
the sound of human voices only in the
summer time The two parties met the
first evening after dinner on the ice. II
was cloudy with riffs of indigo where
the stars showed. and there was u
gusty. cold wind from the west. Now
the Ice looked bright. silver ribbon
would appear to stretch itself ont way
eringly, now ii was shadowy and mys-
terious.
Miss Blynn held out her hand auto
matically 10 the man to whom she had
been introduced.
u see your skates are on" she said
indiferently. so are mine. Let us
skate rather slowly with n long
sweep
\ band began to play in the boat
house by the shore
u didn't know we were to have mu-
sic. Ii Is waltz. Now ! am ready,
Mr.. Kirkland"
lie took her mlitened hand In his
firm grasp. They moved slowly and
crossed the silver ribbon and entered
the shadows.
I'VE shall presently he ont of sound
Of the music.' protested Miss Blynn
gently. Not that she cared; she and
her new companion We're moving along
with perfect rhythm.
perhaps II we listen hard we shall
hear the music of the spheres he
said.
sThe shadows are black" she re-
marked, "and the wind Is cold. After
all this is too serious for pleasure. 1t Is
hard to be frivolous IN place like this.
See how forbidding the trees look on
A 4
ncing The sky Is. This is "A sermon
this winter night-or II Is tragedy.
Let us go back TO the house where the
lights are burning"
'.'rhere is n fire in the boathouse. /
heard your uncle say coffee was 10 be
served there. But If you are too much
oppressed ! wish you would listen to
the tragedy little longer"
Listen to itf | look at 1t. Ii Is
tragedy for the eyes, not for the ears. :
They swung along together with fine
momentum. They We're conscious OF
their youth aud strength and vigor.
Miss Blynn gave voice to her thoughts
In an Indirect fashion.
"Sume people" she said. are old aud
weary aud sit by the FIRE and wonder
If the winter will never pass"
They both laughed nj this-it made
n harmonious but startling duet, that
laughter, aud II echoed from the wood
ed shore.
"Some people" he responded, ''go to
winter and drag him ont of his den.
aud shake him out of his sulks and
make him dance like Il trained bear
They laughed again, though neither of
them had been witty.
II have been skating with you an
hour" said he at length. land have
not nn idea of how you look"
II have been skating with you an
hour" she retorted, land ! do not
know whether you have red curls or
black elf locks"
"Come to the boathouse,' he suggest
ed. .nnd see"
They went In where the fire cracked
aud where their friends stood in groups
drinking coffee and chatting. He undid
his cap with its ear laps; she united
her scarlet velvet hood. What she bo-
held was young man of 2i or %, with
deep set gray eyes. n dark skin, dark
hair, heavy brows, a smooth face and
large sensitive mouth.
What he beheld was woman with
a snow white skin, black eyes, melan-
choly aud timid In their expression; a
high brow, abundant dark hair and a
mouth that essentially serious, broke
into unexpected illuminating smiles.
EFT would be rude of me to say what
a service the light has done me-" he
said stupidity.
'rhe light has told me number OF
things" she responded daringly.
"WhatT' he importuned.
"That yon have been student, low
ing solitude: that YOU are melancholy
oftener than you are MERRY "-'s'+
you like good book better than
good friend"
"No. no: not the last''
She laughed and took the cup of cof'
fee he offered her. He took note Of
her gray skating frock, with its edglng
of black fur. of her scarlet velvet vest
and little hood and the white, penslve
face peering above her voluninons
hon. She fell to talking with some
others, and presently she flashed mp to
him for II second