Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1900-04-20
The Scarlet Spider.
Whether They Slated In Winter or
Swung In Hammock In Sum.
mer, They Were Caught
In Its Web.

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 We're given
partners as matter of course.
"Dick," their host had said twill 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
skating party at Lake Geneva, Wis,
and two big companies had come down
for a 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. 1t
was cloudy, with riffs Of indigo where
the stars showed, and there was q
gusty, cold wind from the west. Now
the ice looked bright. A silver ribbon
would appear to stretch itself out wav-
eringly, now it was shadowy and mys-
terious.
Miss Blynn held out her hand auto
matically to the man to whom she had
been introduced.
Il see your skates are on" she said
indifferently. $50 are mine. Let us
skate rather slowly with a long
sweep"
A band began to play in the boat
house by the shore.
II didn't know we were to have mu-
sic. 1t is waltz. Now ! am ready,
Mr.. Kirkland"
He took her mittened hand in his
firm grasp. They moved slowly and
easily down the cleaning floor. They
crossed the silver ribbon and entered
the shadows.
eve shall presently be out of sound
Of the music" protested Miss Blynn
gently. Not that she cared; she and
her new companion were moving along
with perfect rhythm.
perhaps if we lister hard we shall
hear the music of the Spheres" he
said.
'"The 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 furDlddlng the trees look on
the shore and how solemn and men
acing the sky is. This is a sermon
this winter nghtor it is n tragedy.
Let us go back to the house where the
lights are burning"
ic q in I
heard your uncle say coffee was to be
served there. But if you are too much
oppressed l wish you would listen to
the tragedy little longer"
Listen to it? l look at it. 1t is a
tragedy for the eyes, not for the ears"
They swung along together with fine
momentum. They were conscious of
their youth and strength and vigor.
Miss Blynn gave voice to her thoughts
in an indirect fashion.
"Some people" she said, "are old and
weary and sit by the fire and wonder
if the winter will never pass"
They both laughed at this-it made
harmonious but startling duet, that
laughter, and it echoed from the wood
ed shore.
'Some people," he responded, "go to
winter and drag him out of his den,
and shake him out of his sulks and
make him dance like 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 IN iJao of how yni, lDnl.
II have been skating with you an
hour" she retorted, "and Il do not
know whether you have red curls or
black elf locks"
"Come to the boathousc," he suggest
ed, "and see"
They went In where the fire cracked
and where their friends stood in groups
drinking coffee and chatting. lie undid
his cap with its ear laps; she united
her scarlet velvet hood. What she be-
held was young man of "a or %, with
deep set gray eyes, a dark skin, dark
hair, heavy brows, smooth face and a
large sensitive mouth.
What he beheld was a woman with
a snow white skin, black eyes, melan-
choly and timid in their expression;
high brow, abundant dark hair and
mouth that, essentially serious, broke
into unexpected Illuminating smiles.
ut would be rude of me to say what
a service the light has done me-" he
said stupidity.
"The light has told me a number of
things" she responded darngly.
"Whot2' hn imnOrtunol
'"That you have been a student low
ing solitude; that you are melancholy
Oftener than you are merry, and that
you like Il good book better than a
good friend"
mo, 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 edging
Of black fur, of her scarlet velvet vest
and little hood and the white, pensive
face peering above her voluminous
boa. She fell to talking with some
Others. and presently she flashed up to
him for a second.
II was rude to you with my personal
comments" she said under her breath,
speaking quickly. please forgive me.
l knew at the time that | was doing
wrong
Before he could get over thinking
how quaint speech this was she was
gone. He saw her no more that night.
There was nothing. 1t would seem. III