Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-05-11
Of. and then dashes away.

At the bend, Heron turns aroun
May is still standing on the steps
watching him, and as he turns she
puts the ungloved hand-the hand he
has been holding-to her lips.
Not till he is quite out of sight dee
she enter the hall.
AS she does So Carrie comes bounc-
i ing out of the dining-room.
Papa isn't at home, May. He
went to London soon after we left;
there was a telegram Thomas says,
and he hasn't come back. 1t is late
for him, isn't it?"
Yes" says May, absently. HE
will be here by dinner time, no
doubt You will go and dress now?"
she says, pausing on the stairs.
Yes" answers Carrie. "We'u see
who is dressed first. Oh. May what
glorious day we have had! And
why didn't you ask him to stay to din
rer He looked so hard at you, and
you kept silent. A word from you
would have done it; | wonder you can
bear him out of your sight"
! Perhaps | am not so much in love
with him as you are, Carrie, laughs
May but there is a look in her eyes
! That bellies her apparent indifference.
+ Then she goes into her room, and
waiting until she hears Carries door
close, throws off her sealslin, and
wrapping herself in a long fur cloak,
exchanges the rather jaunty hat for
one OF sober proportions, pulls down
the veil and stands, as if disguised,
still so unlike in outline the neat
young lady who a few minutes ago
stepped down from Sir Heron's dog
cart, that few persons would have
recognized her at a glance
Mays sense of humor is, even at the
most serious times keen and alert,
and even now, when she is full of com.
pressed alarm and excitement she
smiles as he catches sight of her re-
Election in the cheval glass
Rather strong resemblance to
the mysterious young lady who sallies
forth to push her husband or lover
down a well' she murmurs. "Who
would think all this preparation was
simply for a meeting of brother and
sister? Poor sgd"
Still very much the familiar heroine
stairs May, who usually came down
two stops at a time, and jumped the
who Is dressed first. Oh. May, what
heavy landau. This morning he asked
last fiYe-and finding, for a wonder
the hall bereft Of the two giants slip
ped out unseen.
The sun has set, but the warm glow
still fingers in the sky and reddens the
upper windows. May did not want
20 have Carrie scampering after her.
SO she keeps well out Of sight, and
makes for a bend by which she can
reach the wood unseen from the
house
With heart that beats with excite
ment at the prospect of the coming
meeting, she glides among the frs
and stands in the bright twilight
listening. Minutes pass, a hare skips
past her on her way home to bed
squirrel scampers up a tree and
WATCHES her in the interI als of gnaw-
ing a nut, and the r'.easants. calling
out their goodnight whisk through
the undergrowth, but there is no
other sound, Can she have mistaken
the spot? Is he waiting, trembling
and anxious like herself in some
other part of the wood?
Almost as he asks herself the oues-
ZION, and with a suddenness and noise
lessncaS that brings a cry to her lips,
he stands before her. For a moment.
as he folds her in his arms she can
not look at him, but hides her head
then she looks up, with tears running
down her cheeks and scans, with
sisters loving scrutiny, the pale hag-
gard face.
Pale and haggard as it is, with
deep, black marks under the eyes and
the dreadful hunted lools il he ewes
themselves, it is a handsome face
and by no means bad one. There is
q Will reck,es8ness in the dark blue
eyes, but there is no trace of that
hang-dog sullerness anG ferocitv
which vice sets as surely as fate, on
the countenance. At lis worst the
man would look a gentleman, and he
Is most assuredly at his worst now.
Don't cry, May" he says, his own
voice broken and his own eyes rather
moist; for Heavens sake don't cry.
never could stand that and | shall
wish | hadn't come"
Mono, | won't; but, oh, Syd!"
and she chokes down a long sob.
Hush" he says, looking around
and holding her back as one does a
child. Don't take it 100 much to
heart dear. It is all right"
"All right" she echoes. reproach.
fully sgd, | thought | should die
this morning. 1t was like a dreadful
dream Oh sgd tell me all about
it, What have you done? What have
you done?"
He laughs rather ruefully.
ITS cong story-are we quite
safe hcre"' and he looks around.