The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-08-26

mat evening MIS-. Gr8nIOn WAS luS
first to come down from dressing, and
she strolled out on to the terrace. The
sun, setting behind her, shone upon
the doomed woods. Gold stepped
them. The shorn hill would be an
eyesore.
She heard a step on the gravel and
saw Aylmer approaching from the
house.
1.-The prettiest view in England" she
said.
He came and stood beside her, and
the eyes of each were on the woods.
81 am told you are going to spoil 1t"
she said then
"For a time"
"A lifetime
The lady's gaze assembled the hill to
the top, where the trees stood up
against the sky.
1T seems pity" she said, ard said
no more just then.
The gong sounded presently. and
they went in. You could see the shin
ing hill from the windows OF the din
ing room. Midway through dinner, as
the evening closed in, servant went
to draw the curtains. Mrs. Granton
faced the window
'Oh." she said to Lady Aylmer,
might he wait little? 1t is all so
beautiful from where 1 sit"
Lady Aylmer turned and looked,
and Aydmer looked, too. In truth the
scene was too fair to shut out
Leave the curtains as they are,
Charles
Every good. my lady"
So Mrs. Granton saw the woods to
the disappearing point of dusk.
But later the moon rose. Aylmer
and she found themselves upon the
terrace once more. The night was
warm. Mrs. Granton's eyes were on
the woods. Their changed aspect in
the moonlight was excuse itself for
any comment.
Must you" she asked suddenly.
He looked for her meaning.
'Iv' he said. 81! 1t is not l."
"Who. then? All, yes. I understand.
lney are mOTIgdgeU.
Foreclosure was a word she asso-
ciated with poor plays. Such things
happened then. She remembered the
two men with the business-like air
and the notebooks.
She laid her arm on the stone ledge
of the balustrade.
There must be a way out" she
said.
"If could find it."
An hour or two later when she took
her candle from his hand she said:
look. for the way out"
She smiled and he followed her with
his eyes as she mounted the stairs,
her skirts trailing and the candle held
high. She did not look back at the
turn in the staircase. Aylmer, in the
smoking room. was ruminant.
1t was impossible to mistake her.
Nor did he misunderstood. She said
Yes when he spoke the next day.
Lady Aylmer said, Diana, Diana,
dear woman. God bless you'
Perhaps he WILL" said Diana.
Now, in her drawing room, the
woods saved and his future mort
gagged instead. Aylmer took a rapid
survey Of his life up to the point 1t had
then reached, and decided that he had
pursued the only course open to him.
Neither did he in calmness repent the
step he had taken. Diana Granton
had not her money alone to recon-
mend her. She was Of the world and
admirably suited for the position he
offered her. That she was comely
had been said. and she took a sensible
view of the situation. He was not in
love with her, and she was wise
enough to conceal from him the secret
that her own heart had been revealing
to her gradually for some time past
At dinner that evening she looked
at him and knew that she loved him.
He looked at Diana and thought of
forgotten Audrey.
1t was the fault Of the roses in the
drawing room.
The scent Of them haunted him
followed him home Poor little Au-
drey! What would she think? But
near as he had come to loving her he
had never made love to her, and had
nothing to reproach himself with. for
which now he was fervently thankful.
Yet he was not quite happy as his
hanson took him to Charges street Al
memory Of something that was wistful
at times in Audrey's eyes stirred him.
Eh<At ur,r f.