Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-05-16

with natural female common sense, she
would like to know q great deal more
about him before she said too much to
him. Also in her mind-if not in her
heart-there was clearer likeness of
very different mana man who was q
man in earnest, and walked with a
stronger and firmer step, and lurked be-
hind no corners.
This path is so extremely narrow"
Miss Oglander said, with a very pretty
blush, 'and the ground so steep, that l
fear / must put you to some little in
convenience. But if l hold carefully by
this branch, perhaps there will be room
for you to pass"
You are most kind and considerable"
be answered, as if he were in peril of
precipice; but l would not for the world
give you such trouble. And l don't want
to go any further now. 1t cannot matter
iii the least, / do assure you"
But surely you must have been going
somewhere. You are most polite. But /
cannot think for one moment of turning
you back like this"
Then may l sit down? 1 feel a little
tired; and the weather has suddenly be-
come so warm. Don't you think it is
very tryingP'
ITO people who are not very strong
perhaps it Is. But surely it ought not
to be so to you"
We'll, / must not put all the blame
upon the weather. There are so many
other things much worse. If could only
tell your
"Ob, / am so very sorry. I had no
idea you had such troubles 1t must be
so sad for you, while you are so young"
Yes, / suppose many people call me
young. And perhaps to the outward eye
l am so. But no one except myself can
dream of the anxieties that prey upon
me-"
Christopher, by this time, was grow
ing very crafty, as the above speech of
his will show. The paternal gift was
awaking within him, but softened by ma
ternal goodness; so that it was not likely
to be used with much severity. And now
at the end of his speech he sighed, and
without any thought laid his hand right
on the rich heart of his velvet waistcoat,
where beautiful forget-me-nots were
blooming out of willow leaves. Then
Grace could not help thinking how that
trouble-worn right hand had been uplift-
ed in her cause, and had descended on
the rabbit man. And although she was
most anxious to discourage the present
vein Of thought, she could not suppress
one little sigh-sweeter music to the ear
of Kit than ever had been played or
dreamed.
Now would you really like to know =?
you are so wonderfully good" he con-
tinued, with his eyes cast down, and ev-
cry possible appearance of excessive mis-
cry; would you, l mean, do your best
not only not to be offended, but to pity
and forgive me, if, or rather supposing
that l were to endeavor to explain what
what it is, who-who she is-no, no.
/ do not quite mean that. / scarcely
know how to express myself. Things are
too many for me. Surely you know who
it is that / wantw
How can l imagine thatY'
"Why, you, only you, only you, sweet
Grace. l should like to see the whole
earth swallowed up, if only you and l
were left together"
Grace Oglander blushed at the power
of his words, and the pressure of his
hand on hers. Then, having plenty of
her fathers spirit, she fixed her bright,
sensible eyes on his face, so that he
saw that he had better stop. Il am
afraid that it is no good.' he said.
II am very much obliged to you," an
swered Grace, with her fair cheeks full
of color, and her hands drawn carefully
back to her sides; but will you be kind
enough to stand up, and let me speak for
a moment? l believe that you are very
good, and l may say harmless, and you
have helped me in the very kindest way,
and l never shall forget your goodness.
Ever since you came, l am sure, have
been glad to think of you; and your
dogs. and your gun, and your fishing rod,
reminded me of my father; and / am
very, very sorry, that what you have
just said will prevent me from thinking
any more about you, or coming anywhere
into any kind of places, where there are
trees like this, again. | ought to have
done tat least, / mean, never ought
to have done it at all; but l did think
that you were so nice; and now you have
undeceiyed me. l know who your father
is very well, although ! have seldom
seen him; and though l dislike the law, |
declare that would not have mattered
very much to me. But you do not even
know my name, as several times you
have proved to me; and now you can
ride thirty miles from Oxford in all sorts
of weather, without being tired and your
dogs so fresh, has always been a puzzle
to me-
Thirty miles from Oxford"' Christie
pher Sharp cried in great amazement;
for in the very lowest condition of the
heart figures will maintain themselves.
Eyes, thirty miles, or thirty leagues.
Sometimes l hear one thing, and some
times the other"
Nv mere you are standing now is about
seven miles and three-quarters from Sum
mertown gate"
Surely, Mr.. Sharp, you are laughing
at mel How far am | from Beckley,
then, according to your calculation
How did you ever hear of Beckley?
II is quite a little village A miserable
little place"
Indeed. then. it is not. 1t is the very
finest place in all the world; or, at any
rate, the incest, and the dearest, and the
prettiest."
But how can you, just come from
America. have such an opinion of such
little holeF
"a little hole! Why, it stands on
hill. You never can have been near it.
if you think of calling it hole" And
as for my coming from America, you
seem to have no geography. l never
have been further away from darling
Beckley, to my knowledge, than l am
now
Kit Sharp looked at her with greater
amazement than that with which she
looked at him. And then with one ac-
cord they spied a fat man coming along
the hollow. and trying not TO glance at
them. With keen young instinct they
knew that this villain was purely Intent
upon watching them.
Come again. if you please, to-mor-
rev." said Grace. while pretending TO
gaze ar the clouds; ''you have told me
such things that never shall sleep. Come
earlier. and wait for me. Not that you
must think anything; only that now you
are bound, as a gentleman. TO go on
with what you were telling me-"
CHAPTER XIX.