The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-23


ter and waver down. The quick thud of a
falling nut was almost loud enough 10 earn
its echo. Now and then they saw light
ming flash of vivid turquoise and heard a
jays harsh scream.
In this stiffness their voices instinctively.
lowered, while their eyes did homage to the
wondrous play OF color about them. Over a
yielding brown carpet they went among
maple and chestnut and oak. with their be-
wilderlng changes through crimson. russet
ana amber To pale yellow; under the deep
stained leaves of the sweet gum they went,
and past the dogwood with scarlet berries
gemmng the clusters of its dim red leaves.
But through all this waiting. melting ST.
lence Miss Milbrey listened in vain for the
words she had felt so certain would come.
Sometimes her companion was volublc;
again he was taciturn-and through il all he
was doggedy aloof.
Miss Milbrey had put herself bravely in
the path of destiny. Destiny had turned
aside. She had turned to meet ii. and now it
frankly fled. Destiny. as she had construed
II, was turned a fugitive. She was bruised,
puzzled and not little piqued. During the
walk back when this much had been made
sive. Without knowing why, they under
stood perfectly now that neither had been
ingenious.
she would love the mony and play me
for a fool" he thought, under the surface
talk. Youth is prone to endow it's opinions
with all the dignity of certain knowledge:
Yet L am certain he loves me- thought
she. On the other hand, youth is often
gifted with credulity divine and unerring.
AT the door they came up the roadway
trap was depositng a man whom Miss
Milbrey greeted with evident surprise and
some restraint He was slight, dark and
quick of movement, with finely cut noStrils
that expanded and quivered nervously like
| those of a high-bred horse in tight check.
Miss Milbrey introduced him to Percival
as Mr.. Ristine.
II didn't know you were hereabout,' she
| said
I've run over from Bloynes to dine and
DO HalloWe en- with you, he answered,
flashing his dark eyes quickly over Percival
and again lighting the girl with them.
Surprises never come singly." she re-
turned, and Percival noted a curious little
air of defiance in her glance and manner.
Now II is possible that Soomons implied
distinction as To the mans way with maid
was not. after ALL so ill advised.
For young Bines, after dinner, fell i'm love
with Miss Milbrey all over again. The nor
NAL human mind going to one extreme will
inevitably gravitate to its opposite if given
| time. Having put her away In the conviction
! having tasted in the desert of doubt-he
now found himself detecting in her an UNI
mistakable appeal for sympathy. for hu-
man kindness, perhaps for love. He forgot
| the words of Higbee and became again the
confident, unquestioning lover. He noted her
| rather subdued and reserved demeanor. and
| the suggestions of WEAKNESS about her eyes.
| They drew him. He resolved at once TO seek
| her and give his love freedom to tell itself.
| He would no longer meanly restrain il. He
would even tell her all his distrust Now
| that they had gone she should know every
| lgnoble suspicion; and, whether she cared
/ for him or not, she would comfort him for
| the hurt they had been to him.
The Halloween frOlc was on. Through
| the long hall, lighted to pleasant dusk by
real Jack o. Lanterns, stray couples strolled,
with subdued murmurs and soft laughter.
| In the big white and gold parlor, in the din
ing room, billiard room and in the tropic
jungle of the immense palm garden the
party had bestowed itself in congenial
/ groups, ever interSecting and forming anew.
| Little flutters of high laughter now and
| then told of tests that were being made with
| roasting chestnuts, apple parings, the white
| of egg dropped into water or the lighted
| candle before open window.
| Percival watched for the chance to find
/ Miss Milbrey alone. His sister had Just VEN
| tured alone with a candle into the library
| to study the face of her future husband in
a mirror. The result had been in a sense,
unsatisfactory. She had behold looking over
Milbrey and the Angstead twins. and had
| declared herself unneryed by the weird
prophecy.
Before the fire in the hall Percival stood
| while Mrs. Akemit reclined picturesquely
| near by, and DIR. Won Herzlich explained,
with excessive care as to his enuncia ton,
that protoplasm can be analysed but can
not be reconstructed; following this with his
own view as to why synthesis does not pro-
| duce life.
You wonderful MANI from Mrs. Akemit;
Il fairly tremble when I think of all you
know. Oh, what a delight science must be
| TO her votaries!''
| The Angstead twins joined the group, at
| tracted by Mrs. AkemitS inquiry of the sa-
/ want if he did not consider civilization a
1 failure. The twins did. They considered civ
| ilization a failure because it was killing off
| all the big game. There was none to speak
\ of left now except in Africa; and they were
| pessimistic about Africa.
| Percival listened absently to the talk and
| watched Miss Milbrey. now one of the group
in the dining room. Presently ne saw her
| take lighted candle from one of the laugh
ing girls and go toward the library.
His heartbeats Quickened. Now she would
| know his love and 1t would be we'll He
| walked down the hall leisurely turned into
| the big parlor, momentarily deserted,
walked quickly but softly over it's polished
| floor to door that gave into the library
pushed the heavy portiere aside and stepped
! noiselessly in.
The large room was lighted dimly by two
| immense yellow pumpkins, their sides cut
| into faces of grinning grotesqueness. At the
| far side of the room Miss Milbrey had that
instant arrived before an antique oval mir
| rOr whose gilded carvings reflected the light
| of the candle. She held it above her head
| with one rounded arm. He stood in deep
| shadow and the girl had been too absorbed
! in the play TO note his coming. He took one
| noiseess step toward her, but then through
| the curtained doorway by which she had
1 come he saw man enter swiftly and fur
| lively.
|. Trembling the verge of laughing
| speech. something held him back some un-
| explainable instinct, making itself known in
| a thrill that went from his feet to his head;
he could feel the roots of his hair tingle.
| The newcomer went quickly, with cat-like
| tread, toward the girl Fascinated he stood,
| wanting to speak to laugh, yet powerless
from the very swiftness OF what followed
| In the mirror under the candle light he
saw the mans dark face come beside the
| other, heard a little cry from the girl n she
| half turned; then he saw the man take her
| in his arms, saw her head fall on his shout
| der, and her face turn to his kiss
| He tried to stop breathing, fearful of dis
| cOvery graSping with one hand the heavy
fold of the curtain back of him to steady
himself.
There was the space of two long, tremb-
| ling breaths; then he heard her say, in a
| low. tense voice, she drew away:
| "Oh, you are my bad angel-why why ?''
| She fled toward the door TO the hall.
| Don't come this way" she called back
| in quick, low tones of caution.
The man turned toward the door where
| stumbled over a hassock. Instantly Perciva]
| was on the other side of the portiere and
before the other had CROPPED his way to the
| dark corner where the door was, had re-
crossed the empty parlor and was safely in
| the hall.
| He made his way to the dining room
| where supper was under way.
''Mr. Bines has seen a ghost said the
| sharp-eyed Mrs. Drelmer.
| Poor chaps only starved to DEATH said
| Mrs. Gwilt-Athestan. Eat something Mr.
| Bines; this supper is gO-as-you- please No
bodys to wait for anybody.
Strung loosely about the big table dozer
people were eating hot scenes and bannocks
with clotted cream and marrnalade and
drinking muled cider.
"And there's cold fowl and baked beans
| and doughnuts and all, for those who cam
:. eat with Scotch accent" said the host
cheerfully.