The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-06-18
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 fanced 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 home?" Enrol asked.
"No," replied Winifred; she has been
out since two o'clock, and l do not ex-
pect him until the evening"
II am sorry" Enrol had answered, look
ing in her face, as he always did now;
"but If you will allow me to make his
again, shall not regret it too much
Can | say anything to him for yOu?"
asked Winifred.
~ am afraid not" Mr.. Hastings said,
smiling; lit is on a question of a new
method of farming. which I fear is too
abstruse for me to discuss with you. But
I am interrupting your reading-is 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.
Twill you let me send you some books
to read?" Enrol asked, gently. Il make
point of collecting all the best works,
both foreign and English, and it would
he 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, blushng with delight;
sit would be such 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;' | 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. II must plead gull
ty, although | am long past the age when
that youthful foible is permissible. But
when | am alone | like TO sit and look
at a beautiful landscape. until my very
power of vision is absorbed in thought:
and | 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
conquered the world; or a I.eonidas, dy-
ing gloriously in battle; an undaunted
hero, like Alcibiades; an emperor, like
Caesar; Mark Antony, beloved by
Cleopatra; or Launcelot if you might
have been Gulnevere"
His voice had dropped while he was
speaking, and as he uttered the last SEN
tence in a low. thrilling whisper, his
eyes sought hers with a passionate ex-
preston of admiration.
Nlnlfred colored deeply, and the tone
of her voice was naughty as she made
answer, looking far away into the woods:
II would not have been Guinevere to
the noblest Launcelot who ever breathed.
Had l been chosen by such godlike
knight as King Arthur. l think l could
have appreciated him too we'll to requite
his love with falseness."
II beg your pardon, l ought to have
remembered; but for the moment l did
not think of her falseness, l only recol-
lected that she was beautiful and charm
ing"
Enrol had never once taken his eyes off
Winifred's face while he had been speak
ing. And as he watched her. he thought
that of all the women he had ever known.
none had such a sweet grace of womani-