The San Francisco call., 1904-07-10

have been as bracing as a tonic aiter
the enervating beauty Of Eden NO
wonder that she listened It's a posltlVe
joy to rest ones eyes uDOn such ugh
ness after all this binding beauty AD-
solutely. I've been fighting the heart
ache-wrestling with desire to moan
and weep"
And yet you screamed at the sight
of It,"
The words in themselves were innO-
cent enough. but the tone was thought
ful. and Dinsmore's long. searching
look gave them a significance that
caused her to feel conscious and then
redden with annoyance because she had
done so. To divine that underneath
his words might lie an implication that
her efforts to discourage his suit meant
no more than her startled cry at the
appearance Of the slug was womanly
intuition. But TO show that she had
OWNED 1t was very different matter.
break more worthy of some rustic
schoolgirl than OF Eloise Chesterton.
He continued to gaze at her until she
felt like an insect impaled upon a pin
point for the benefit OF an interested
student. At last she could endure II
no longer.
Probably Eve screamed. too, just at
first sight Of the serpent" she re-
marked. desperately. Then. with an in
ward groan. she wished she had not
spoken.
Dinsmore laughed out, a little note OF
triumph In his voice.
If you think so, I'm sure that she
did" was his reply. Thank you for
settling point that was puzzling me-"
Defiance sparkled in Miss Chester
tons eyes.
Reading between the lines" she OBJ
served with much deliberatiOn and ap-
parent irrelevance. lis a misleading
habit. For instance, take my own case.
I mean what I say, and nothing more.
You can't read between the lines, be-
cause there is never anything to read"
At the words the slug crawled a lit
tie further along the arm OF the chair.
as If something had made It uneasy.
'Incredulityl" calculated Dinsmore in
a suppressed voice. his head thrown
back upon his chair and his eyes lifted
TO the passion flowers.
His companion sat upright, looking
at him with fiery scorn. He met her
eyes brazenIy. Never had he seen her
appear so superbIy beautiful But he
only said:
Don't sit up like that IN a HOngkong
chair It's inartistic Moreover. it's
ungracious. and a woman should never
be ungracious!"
81
was the only reply she vOuchsafed him.
but he noticed she sank slowly back
upon the cushions One couldn't afford
to look awkward in the eyes OF any
man. even a man that one fully intends
to refuse.
The warm gold Of the afternoon sun
light was gradually paling and a chill
was creeping stealthily into the suave
air Dinsmore. recognizing the signs
OF late afternoon. looked at his watch.
Just a half hour until the O'Clock boat
would bear him away from this corner
in Paradise back to San Francisco.
He drew a small case from his pocket
and calmly handed II to Miss Chester
ton.
You like old jewelsl See what you
think OF IT, was his matter-of-fact
She obeyed him. drawing from the
case ring OF quaint workmanship in
which two beautiful pearls were i'm
bedded.
"Beautifull" she exclaimed. enthusl-
astically. "Exquisitel" But she did
not look toward him. What IS It for
and where did you get it?" she added,
struggling to appear natural
For an answer he leaned toward her
and took 1t gently from her clasp. Then
he lifted her left hand and calmly
placed 1t on the third finger. holding the
hand firmly in his while he said author
itatively:
That Is what II Is for. As for the
rest, 1t has been in the Dinsmore family
for two hundred years. worn always by
the sweetheart and wife OF the eldest
SON."
But you haven't asked me-" objected
a faint voice.
"One doesn't bother about those de-
tails in Paradise, beloved" he mur-
INJURED happily. Adam knew that Eve
was his-and by the same token. I
know that you were made for me"
The slug was squirming slowly to-
ward the garden again.
(Copyright 1904, by p. G. Eastment)