Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-06-02


guarded answer-as she afterward ac-
knowledged to herself, with burning
cheeks
DO you think you did me no harm in
pretending to take such an absorbing
interest in me, and in my plain and sim
pie and uneventful life in Sandtown?
Was it no harm to me to lead me to
believe implicitly in the extraordinary at
tributes with which you invested me, in
the many conversations you had with
my friends and neighbors concerning me!
Was 1t no harm to me, too, to have put
before me, In the most fascinating light,
the personal and mental characteristics
of an ideal man that l might learn to
worship him2 Was that no
Miss Wickly, for heavens sake don't
tell me that even now, knowing what l
perceive you to have OWNED, you are Sc
riously affected toward-toward"
Toward your employer? Toward Mr..
HuntleyT she said, with great bitter
ness, and emphasizing her manner with
conclusive clutch upon Mr.. Mason's
arm as she pronounced the relationship
and the man. at is, perhaps, the very
poetic revenge of fate upon you and upon
me that l do not know; that | cannot
determine. When on yesterday a dim
suspicion of the truth dawned upon
NE"
She paused, and almost sprang forward
in a sudden caprice Of anger, impatience
and distraction. He pressed her arm
strongly and restrainingly against her
side, until she could not fail to recog-
nize the calming and reassuring influ-
ence that he had over her.
"Go on" he said in n tone that pre-
supposed an accompanying smile of ex-
pcctation. 'Tell me fully and without
reservation all that you thought when
you began to see the dawn of the sus-
picion to which you allude and which l
had imagined must have reached its
zenith long ago"
There was something pervading all his
words and actions, and his whole man
ner so very, very different from what she
had known of Mr.. Mason! Must she be-
gin by telling him this? Yes, plainly,
if she entered into such a complete un-
burdening of her mind, she must tell him
this, and tell it first.
But she must know to what 1t would
lead! If he should ask her in which as
pect she thought him best, she would be
versal wOman's answer.
Even to a woman of education and
some degree Of refinement, with superior
talents and requirements, this half-mili-
tary, bold, confident, smiling and jaunty
cavalier was infinitely better, more at
tractive, than the plain, unassuming,
philosophic assistant to the geologist, no
matter how learned and thoughtful.
She had begun to tell him something
of this-choosing her words as carefully
| as she could, so as to preserve for her
own reflection and accommodation
that attitude of womanly dignity and
self-poise which she actually imagined
she had maintained throughout this short
but momentous interview.
She had said perhaps enough to COM
NIT her to the whole opinion of him as it
has here been outlined, from her last
brief cogitation, differing as radically as
it does from her more elaborately pre-
pared and expressed opinion as shown in
the beginning of the walk, only a few
moments ago; and which opinion surely
must have been the public opinion of all
Sandtown, rather than her own.
The first opinion which she ina agined
was her true estimate of Mr.. Mason was
in fact but her version of the verdict of
Sandtown upon him, given upon ex parte
testimony, it is true.
The last estimate which she had for
mulated, and had even expressed to all
intents and purposes, although she was
preparing to formulate it in twenty diff,
ferent ways, perhaps, was in reality her
own opinion, and one that she may have
really entertained from the first.
So strange are the apparently contra
dictory and wholly irreconciable work.
ings of the human mind, and especially
that particular quality of the human
mind evolved from woman's brain.
She had scarcely begun to recite some
Of these impressions when in the now
almost quiet woods there leaped up the
distant but perfectly distinct report of a
rifle, keen and penetrating in it's whip.
like echoes about the resonant aisles OF
the forest. Mr. Mason stopped instant.
ly, and turning his head, listened intent.
ly.
| II hope these men have not been fool
ish enough to gather up force of the
ruffians of Big Rattlesnake Creek to
make an attack" he said still leaning his
head little, In the listening attitude
Il will have to go back instantly, Miss
Lizzy. Can you run on alone and join
Mrs. Redden? l saw her few minutes
ago, not more than fifty yards in advance
Of us. Well, then, good-by till l see you
again, which will be soon-quite soon, II
have any control of the matter"
He pressed her hand warmly, as he
disengaged 1t from his arm, and then
started to walk rapidly back.
But, as II under an uncomfortable i'm
pulse, he turned and ran back, and
caught her In his arms for an instant
pressing his lips again and again to he,
own.
Then, with some inaudible murmur Of
apology and entreaty. he turned one,
more, and was gone.