The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1905-03-22

t1ngling with the fear that he might
awaken, yet too interested to turn
away. The blue of her eyes was match
ed by the color of the linen gown she
wore. Around her neck a dandelioD
chain dangled like a cable Of rich gold.
With a sudden movement she lifted
the latter, breaking off part of it and
fastening it into a wreath. Again she
hesitated. Then, with her underlip
held between her teeth in a way that
showed two very merry dimples, she
took a letter from her dress, hurriedly
extracted tiny pencil from the envel-
Ope, scrawled something on an unused
sheet and tore it off,
Almost holding her breath, she tiptoed
nearer. He was sleeping very heavily.
The scrap of paper she had twisted in
to the wreath. At last she stood with
in an arms length of his head. She
listened excitedly,. but the long, even
breaths reassured her.
Slowly she bent over; lower and low
er the wreath descended until it rested
on the crisp dark hair. With the brac-
ed air of a person who feels that he is
likely to be shot at any moment she
Strengthened up and waited, but he did
not move. Then, with a last admiring
glance, for he looked like veritable
flower crowned god now, she fed back
along the path and in moment had
disappeared in the woods.
Trenham woke from a slumber so
deep that his very identity was lost
Long, lazy shadows darkened the
sward about him. Who-what-where-
Something pressed upon his forehead,
and fnstinctively his hand went up, his
fingers cropping eagerly for some mean
ing in the soft, damp mass that met
their touch. Then they closed upon the
object and brought it around where his
eyes could help.
He stared at it in silence for a mo-
ment
Crowned, by Jove!' was his dazed
exclamation when he at last found
speech. The scrap of paper caught his
eye, and he detached it, smoothed it
out and looked at it with absorbed Gu
riosity
Il salute thee, great Pam" was scrib-
bled thereon in a girlish hand. And at
the words light dawned upon him.
Who was she, and what was she like?
How strange that she, too, should have
been thrilled with the same weird
sense of the nearness of pagan gods!
The dandelions were curling up like
tired children, but Trenham carried
the wreath home as carefully as if it
had been of the flowers of Eden and
he smoked many pipes that night in
the soft gloom of Norton's roomy porch,
wondering how and when and where
they would meet and whether her eyes
were blue or gray and whether she was
tall or short, dark or fair, his lady Of
dreams.
Afterward he plumed himself upon
having recognized her instantly, though
if the truth We're known it required no
great perspicuity. Asked to dinner by
the Stantons = the nearest neighbors,
though three miles away-he had ac-
cepted on the chance of getting some
clew to the young lady.
And he did. At the sight of him the
only other guest, young woman with
the bluest Of eyes, gave a startled but
pleased look that flashed into her eyes
and out again so quickly that he would.
scarce have been sure save for the
slight flush that backed up his theory.
Later on it transpired that she was the
one girl in the neighborhood, and ma
irons, Trenham shrewdly argued, would |
scarcely be up to such pranks or even
thinking of the great god Pan.
For the rest there are people who are
still scandalized when they remember
the Queerness of the Trenham-Duke |
1t took place in sylvan style |
4 year later ON the knoll overlooking |
The river, and the bride wore-can you |
believe it?-a wreath Of dandelions.