Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-06-02

nome. she was thinking now pledSdu'
it would be to be the wife of a man like
Enrol Hastings, and the mistress of q
place like HAZEL Court. He was speak
ing to her in low, earnest tones; and
as he passed the Farm did not turn to
look for Winifred. And Winifred, sitting
under her favorite clump of beeches
book in hand, looked with wistful eyes
after them; and when he had passed out
of sight, without once turning to look
for her, she hid her face in her hands
and cried bitterly.
CHAPTER III.
Poor Winifred! it was only the day
before that Enrol Hastings had sat with
her under those very beeches, and talked
to her in the low. fascinating tones pc
culiar to him when addressing women.
And she had fancied she read love in his
deep blue eyes, They had met more than
once since the adventure in the wood,
and he had always stopped to speak to
her. And the previous day, as she had
been sitting reading in the garden, she
had heard the prancing hoofs, and, look
ing up, had seen him pull up his fiery
chestnuts, which had frightened her so
an hour before in the lane, and, throwing
the reins to the groom, jump down and
enter the little gate.
Winifred's heart beat fast as she saw
Mr.. Hastings coming up the garden to-
ward her.
81 have come to call on Mr.. Eyre-is
he at homer Enrol asked.
"No,'' replied Winifred; che has been
out since two o'clock, and 1 do not ex-
pect him until the evening"
81 am sorry" Enrol had answered, look
ing in her face, as he always did now;
'but if you will allow me to make his
absence to-day an excuse for calling
again, shall not regret it too much.'
'iCan / say anything to him for you?
asked Winifred.
ST am afraid not Mr.. Hastings said,
smiling; sit is on a question of a new
method of farming, which fear is too
abstruse for me to discuss with you. But
I am interrupting your READINGS your
book very engrossing"
And as he spoke he glanced at the
cover of the book and observed with
some surprise that it was an old French
romance.
''Will you let me send you some books
to read?' Enrol asked, gently. 81 make
point of collecting all the best works,
both foreign and English, and it would
be such a pleasure to me to think some
one besides myself would take an in
terest in reading them.''
''Oh, how kind you are!' exclaimed
Winifred, eagerly. blushing with delight;
sit would be such a treat to have some
thing new to read"
''What shall it be?'' asked Mr.. Hast
ings-' history, novels, poetry, or theol
ogy? When you read Tennyson, look for
my favorite poem, 'Oenone;' I am sure
YOU will agree with me in admiring that.
Do you sometimes indulge in romance,
Miss Eyre?'
Sometimes" laughed Winifred. .Do
you?'
'Yes," said Enrol. ST must plead gull
ty, although l am long past the age when
that youthful foible is permissible. But
when I am alone I like to sit and look
at a beautiful landscape. until my very
power of vision is absorbed in thought;
and I like to go back centuries, and live
in the past ages, that from their wide
distance from us seem golden. Do you
ever fancy you would like to have been
one of the celebrities of the olden times?
/ should like to have been Alexander, and
the world; or I.eonidas, dy-
ing gloriously in battle; an undaunted
hero, like Alcibiades; an emperor, like
Caesar;,, Mark Antony, beloved by
Cleopatra or a Launcelot, if you might
have been Gulnevere."
His voice had dropped while he was
speaking, and as he uttered the last SEN
tence in low, thrilling whisper, his
eyes sought hers with passionate ex-
of admiration.
Winifred colored deeply, and the tone
Of her voice was naughty as she made
answer, looking far away into the woods:
st would not have been Guinevere to
the noblest Launcelot who ever breathed.
Had 1 been chosen by such a godlike
knight as King Arthur. 1 think 1 could
have appreciated him too we'll to requite
mis- love with falseness."
81 beg your pardon, 1 ought to have
but for the moment 1 did
not think of her falseness, l only. recol-
ected that she was beautiful and charm
ng."
Enrol had never once taken his eyes off
Winifred's face while he had been speak
ng. And as he watched her. he thought
hat of all the women he had ever known,
lone had such sweet grace of womanli-
less as ILLS Ouc.4 110G LOoe "
lee the temptation.
Pardon my intrusion, Miss Eyre; It
nave detained you already too long,
And Enrol Hastings held outshis hand
to her. She put her own timidly intoyit,
and he clasped it for a moment with
a strong, passionate clasp, looking into
her eyes the while with look that
brought the blood rushing to her face
Then he turned slowly, and went back
20 his phaeton, her eyes looking dreamily
INTO the distance. Her. reverie was di-
Terted by seeing young farmer, Mr..
Tom Fenner, sauntering leisurely down
he road, hitting off the tops of the grass
with his stick. She had seen
him pass before, when she was talking
with Mr.. Hastings, and. his presence an
loyed her. He came deliberately in at
he garden gate, and walked up to where
The sat.
Good afternoon. Miss Eyre" he said,
putting out his great coarse hand to her.
I suppose | may come in now you are
p
Winifred was compelled to give him her |
land, sorely as it ehafed her that his |
oarse, heavy touch should brush off the |
ender clasp of Mr.. Hastings 1.-THE fin