Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-01-26

and silver, even the two monsters,
without grimace, This is the silver
coating to the pill. And there is no
more Of it?" and she signs.
1T was all like this some time, so
they say-all our grounds were part
of the Void; but the Letchfords got
poor-just as we got rich, suppose
an dhad to sell it. Isn't it pity?"
which? That they got poor and
were obliged to sell, or that we, or the
person before us, got rich and were
able to buy? Your syntax, my dear
Carrie, is, to say the least"
"Hush!" breaks in Carrie, what
was that? Did you hear it, May? There
Is some one in the wood"
"In our woods?' she asks. 81 don't
hear"
Then she stops short, for she hears
the sound If footsteps moving on the
crisp, fallen leaves and voices floating
toward them through the aisles of the
fire and oaks.
"It is some one in the wood. Let
us go, May"
Evidently. But do you fear poachers
or trespassers, Carrie? We are neither
our feet are on our native-well,
purchased-heath,a and our names are
Dalton. don't mediate flight"
ooh, May" demonstrates Carrie, the
color ebbing and flowing on her soft,
pretty, childish face. Hadn't we real
ly better go?'
What a timid fawn it isl" says
May. with low-toned laugh. at is
only couple of gamekeepers, Carrie,
and want to see gamekeeper; I've
read about them often, and"
Her voice dies away, for, with a
quick jerk that is too sudden to be re-
sisted Carrie pulls her behind a tree,
and staring into the wood, directs her
attention with frightened nudge to
three figures that have suddenly,
though leisurely, strolled from the
sheltering trunks into clear patch
of moonlight.
There are two gentlemen, one tall,
thin and what our French neighbors
call distingue, the other shorter in
stature, but far handsomer in face
and figure. Both are dressed in even
ing costume, half concealed by light
overcoats, which, unbuttoned, reveal
the expanse of shirt front; in the case
of the tall man ornamented by three
studs of black pearls, and in that Of
The shorter by briliants, Enthusiastically
OF the first water. They are both
smoking, Notwithstanding that their
companion is lady.
May, from behind the ambush into
which she had been lugged, first
glances at the two men and then stares
with fixed attention on the woman,
with an attention which instantly
changes to frank admiration
The man who said that a woman Is
slow to recognize beauty in one of
her own sex was Ounce, and knew
little of the feminine nature.
More swiftly than any man could
nave done, May recognizes and ac-
knowledges the beauty of the face that
all unconscious of scrutiny, is turned
up to the revealing moonbeams. 1t Is
one of those faces which one sees in
the photographers windows and in
the cartoons of society papers. Fair,
blue-eyed with soft, ripping hair of a
reddish nue., with perfectly cut lips
and delicately dark eyebrows, it is the
face of fashionable beauty. Perfect
ly cut lips and delicately dark eye
brows 1t is the face of a fashionable
beauty. Perfectly dressed, her be-
ringed but ungloved hand just resting
like a snowflake on the tall mans arm,
she stands with that peculiar serenity
born of consciousness of superiority
and power which goes so far to win
for her the worship of men and always
procures for her the hate of women.
Yes, even in those first few mo-
ments, there was in Mays heart the
first vague impulse of opposition, if
not positive dislike.
As for Carrie, the child leans for.
ward, dangerously forward, and drinks
in the vision open-mouthed and eyed,
|
forgetting the fright, forgetting even
the improperly of playing the spy and
eavesdropper in her own full admir-
alton.
The three come down to the fence and
stand silently looking through the
tongue of wood, now at the moon and
now ut green, velvety strip of lawn
which peeps out in the distance.
Then the handsomer of the two men
pauses, strokes mis- yellow mustache
with a hand almost as white and be-
ringed as the woman's, and leaning
over the fence says languidly:
pretty little bit this eh, Rose?"
The beauty Just raises her hrows IN
serene acQuiescence
quite too pretty. Is it part of the
Wold?"
The man by her side. who had been
staring almost moodily at the bit of en-
croaching lawn looks down at his
cigar from which he knocks the ash
| with slow parafuIneSS hefOre reOIVinp