Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1906-10-05

Derl0r IN cUucutlOu, CULTURE uuu iutet-
lect to any other that she had known
as a privilege to be priced.
Their attitude toward each other at
this time was peculiar. They were
good friends. fond of each others So
ciety, and seemingly at least they were
nothing more. The fascination that
Duncan had from the first felt In Bar
bara.s presence was still upon him.
but he accepted 1t more calmly now.
and It sootlled his natural restlessness
where at first 1t had excited 1t.
To Barbara, Guilford Duncan's atti-
tude seemed gracious condescension.
which she did not dream that she de-
served. She sometimes wondered that
this young man Of rare quality. who
wa; sure of a welcome wherever he
might 20, should be content to sit with
her throughout the Sunday afternoons
instead of seeking company better fit
to entertain him.
It was riddle that she could not
read, and for the present at least Dun
can would not offer her any help In
solving it, He knew now that Bar
bara Verne was the woman he loved
the only woman In all the world who
could be to him what q wife must be
to man Of his temperament, II two
souls are to be satisfied.
But he saw clearly that Barbara
Verne had no thought Of that kind In
her mind. or, at least, no such con-
scious thought She was accustomed
to think Of herself rs a very common
place young woman, not at all the
equal of this very superior man. to
whom everybody in Cairo paid mark
ed Difference. He understood Barbara
az she did not at all understand her
self. He had looked upon her white
soul and bowed his head in worship Of
its purity. its nobility, its utter truth-
fulness. He knew the qualities OF
mind that had no just self apprecia-
ton. He felt, rather than knew, that
no thought of his loving her otherwise
than as an elder brother might love q
little sister had ever crossed her con-
seriousness. He felt that the abrupt
suggestion Of that thought would only
shock and distress her.
III find way Of making others sug-
vest it after awhile" he resolved. I'm
the mcanwhile"- He didn't finlih the
sentence even In his own mind. But
what he did In that meanwhile" was
to see as much US possible OF Barbara,
10 talk with her impersOnally. gently
and interestingly, to win her perfect
trust and confidence and, so far as pos
eible, to make his presence necessary
thing to her. He paid her no public at
tention of any kind, but he paid no
public or private attention to any 9TH
er young woman. 1t was well under
stood that for time he was living
at the mine and coming to Cairo only
for brief visits of business charac-
ter at infrequent intervals. His neg
lect of society therefore seemed In
need Of no explanation, while his I'M
ostentatious intimacy with Barbara
attracted no attention. The only per-
son who ever spoke to him about 1t
was Mrs. VIII Hallam.
"YOu are going to marry Barbara
Verne. of course?" she half said, half
asked one day.
IF can. yes" he answered.
"I'm very glad Of that" And she
said no more.
On his final return to Cairo, however,
Duncan found himself expected In
what is called society. Society was
destined to disappointment, for Dun
can went nowhere. except that he usu-
ally sat for some hours every Sunday
afternoon in the vine clad porch or the
house In which he took his meals. Bar
bara's aunt often sat there with him.
Barbara always did SO In answer to
what seemed to be his wish. He made
no calls. He declined oil invitations
TO the little excursions on the river,
which constituted the chief social ac-
tiyities of the summer time. He gave
II out that he was too busily engaged
with affairs to have time for anything
else, and that explanation seemed for
time to satisfy public curiosity.
And that explanation was true. Gull
ford Duncan had begun to take upon
himself the duties Of leader, In an
important way. in the work of upbuiid-
ing which at that time was engaging
the attention of all men OF Affairs. he
had accumulated some money, partly
by saving, but more by the profits OF
his little investments and by being
''let in on the ground floor" OF many
large enterprises in the conception and
conduct of which his abilities were
properly appreciated by the capitalists
who undertook them.
Except as II legal adviser he was no