The Washington herald., 1907-08-18
CHAPTER XVIII.
..Mhn Am I,s

Who Am IL"
Flying not only from the tapestry room.
but from the house. Isobel took no heed
where she went; her one idea was 10 get
out of sight as quickly as might be- and
she turned into the first path leading into
the woods. When her first headlong speed
slackened. she found herself in a little
circular. grassy space. Tinged I'm by tall
trees. the beautiful. sweeping birch most
ly. their long swinging tresses. now a
paly-gold, giving an effect OF sunshine in
the somber wood. Hanging between two
Of their slender stems was a gaily-color-
ed hammock
Isobel stood still and looked round her,
a curious light in her eyes. Though her
mother bad deemed II wise TO talk as
little as might be about her strange dis
preceded IT, the girl had long ago, as may
be supposed. heard every detail from JUS
tines vOluble chatter. Since then she had
avoided the Round Wood from a certain
morbid shrinking. and now suddenly 10
find herself there. apart, as 1t were, from
her own will. startled her strangely. AZ
ter a long moments pause, while she
looked round with dllated eyes and set
lips. she moved slowly on down that mar
row, slippery path which led straight
TO the Alder Pool, and on its dark brink
her feet stayed in "A drift Of fallen leaves.
The morning had not fulfilled its prom
Use, The heecy vapors had thickened to
dull. lOw-hanging clouds. blurring the sky
and yelling the sun.
Through the tree tops there went a
chill. mournful signing. though the black.
CLASSY surface of the deep water was
still unrufled. Isobel stood looking from
the dark still water. and the dank. rotting
leaves at her feet. up through the thin
ming branches 10 the cold sky: then. with
a sudden wild cry she flung out her hands
as If she were desperately trying to dash
some obstacle aside.
And in very truth she was She was
vainly beating against that invisible bar
rieT which separated her from her own
past, and which held its secret in "A grim
silence like that of death itself
And her Cousin Basil could see no rea-
son why she should not be happy, His
words, which had seemed fun of hope and
comfort. now appeared 20 her changed
mood a CHASTITY mockery. She laughed out.
and then shivered at the eerie echo which
came back 20 her from the heavy drip
ping woodland stiffness Happy, prison
ed from her very self by this blank moth
ingness behind which some hideous thing
might lurk-happy. when her own father
loved that thing OF paint and canvas more
than his living child, because II reminded
him Of the past-happy. when the man
who must once have loved her, who. N
least. was to have married her, deemed
himself set free from the bond, and had
nothing for her IN her distress but cold
words of bare friendship.
And she? IsObel began 10 walk restless
ly up and down amid the dank falling
leaves. II could not be that the past was
dead in all but this. that as she must
have once loved her Cousin Basil. she
loved him still. Though memory had
persisted, why did her heart beat her
breath quicken az his step. his voice-why
was it that he could hurt her as no other
one could? No. no, it couldn't belt
couldn't be. She, Isobel Stormont, to love
a man who deemed her now unfit to be
his wife-how else could his conduct be
explained?
4 cracking Of boughs. pIunging rustic
through the fallen leaves, and Isobel
turned sharply. her eyes bright. her pulses
leaping, to face-Evelyn Ashel The quick
spark died from her eyes, the tide of hot
color ebbed from her delicate face. as
Ashe came dashing through the bushes
and paused, with q hasty, half-surprised
glance around
Il fancied I heard cry. but I must
have been mistaken" he said. as he look
ed doubtfuliy at the girl standing so pale
and still on the brink of the sullen, slug
gish water. She did not look like a dam