Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-05-07
CHAPTER VII.

CHAPTER VII.
 THE SPRING AT THE WOOD EDGE
 "Where in the deuce did you slope So2', inquired Joe Becraft as Rossiter took his seat at the dinner-table when the meal was more than half through
 q went for a walk" replied Ros- sitter. q didn't see you anywhere about, and didn't know anyhow that you would care to go after our long tramp of last evening"
 "Itwish you'd waited an' come along with Jim an me-" said -BeeFaft, Sin. stead of pe4in' eff by yourself"
 Where did. you go?"
 ssOver to. Blue creek"
 'Blue creek! where's that?"
 'sYou follow the road that passes the house for half mile or so, an it brings you out over big gulch through which the creek flows. It's fine stream. Trout in it, too, they say"
 9TH go over with you next Sun day, if you like" said Rossiter, recog- nizing from the description the place where he had met Hart Dawson on s Thursday night.
 Joe had seemed rather hurt by Ros- siterss desertion, but was appeased by his promise for the coming Sun day, and when they arose from the dinner-table they went together into the upper orchard for smoke. They found comfortable spot in the long grass. and stretched at full length, their pipes drawing just to suit them, the leaves rustled softly above them, 5 catbird in an adjacent thorn-bush ,scolding and singing alternately, they enjoyed in brimming measure the lasaitude of simply existing. By and by Becraft sought his cot for 8 nap, and Rossiter was left alone. Pres ently he caught sight of Jack Par melee near the hop-kiln, and, hailing him, asked for the loan of something to read. Parmelee procured him a a paper and cheap magazine. and with these in hand he strolled to the bottom of the large orchard. Not seeing any nook there that took his fancy, and being attracted by the woodland beyond the meadow, he loitered towards it along a clearly defined path that ran parallel to the fence for some distance and then sweryed obliquely to meet an opening in the forest. As he neared the wood he discovered that the ground fell away quite abruptly, and at the base of the declivity near the gap in the trees (this proved to be the entrance to an old logging-road was the most crystal of springs shaded by gi- gantic willow. Beneath this had been placed rustic seat.
 "Jove!" he exclaimed, 'I've hit / upon it this time!"
 There was a glass upon flat stone at the brink of the spring, and Ros- sitter refreshed himself with a deep draught from the cool welI-head. Then he took possession of the seat, tried several positions, and finally leaned back with sigh of satisfac- ton. It had been days since he had read line of print, and of reading ] he had been always passionately I fond (indeed, in his royings he missed books more than any other luxury), yet he was now in no hurry to open mazazine or paper. The spot appealed to him as so idyllic he preferred to enjoy it's sylvan beauty. Just before him there was a short vista where the logging-road penetrated the for est. Soon this woodman's highway curved, however, so that he had no glimpse of the heart of the wood. The overflow from the spring, with its small, timbrel-like voice, followed che bend of the road, and on it's edge, few yards distant among the trees, 9 late cardinal-fower displayed it's scarlet robe. < woodpecker struck up loud tattoo 9 squirrel spddsniy grew garruious and thenaispsed iofo silence, and far away from remote swsmpy recasses cane faint VI alt ing 3 $ though 2 ploYer cried.
 1 sving brooded 10 bis Satisfaction 9p his Nild enxiroument. Rossiter turned first to paper and then to magazine. He was glancing with idle curiosity at the faces of some of the people of the day prominent iii public view when he fancied he caught the sound of voices. Half rising, he lis tened with intentpess. Yes, that was Miss Nferton's merry chatter and Miss Densmore's answering laugh. He could not see them, for the ridge be- hind him hid them from view, They were doubtless coming to the very place where he had been reclining, md would be disappointed if they dis covered the seat had an occupant. He could not retreat along the logging road without being noticed, and he did not wish that they should observe him. Just at his left, however, was a A hazel-copse that offered coneealment.