The Washington herald., 1907-12-12

that agglomeration OF clapboards and
logs. that whitewashed but-and-ben-yes.
now she was sure OF it-she would be
content with any of these. if only he
we're there. AS 10 CORN Castle, she shud-
dered as she thought Of IT,
But who was "he?"
Once on a time. for brief. uncertain
moment. she had conceived the possibility
that il might be Vic Morris. Now she
knew better. Phil also was A capable
man. But she did not care for that He
was leader OF men, Ike Vic Morris.
She did not care for that. He was her
PhiI'-as she had said, weak or strong.
rich or poor. driving al a hopeless task
or honored Of all-he was the one who
could touch her nature-make her heart
throb when she thought Of him-and her
hand tingle like that, SO that she wanted
10 draw il away-and could not
The plans Of the house fiuttered down
Neither tried TO stop them. Their eyes
were drinking up each others. They
could never look enough. A robin. inn
pudent. Ike all his tribe. hoped up.
cooked his dapper head, and pecked fur
lively at the RED paint with which the
! architect had distinguished the various
rooms and passages Of the manager
house. They were the Babes IN the
Wood" indeed. And there among last
] years leaves was their Robin. seated or
the counterfeit presentment of the shelter
prepared for them
I Their hands drew together-then their
/ lips. My Phil"' she said.
When they came to themselves. one OF
them, at least. was a babe no more. The
| kiss had changed him-made a man of
\ hinl-put decision. resolve initiative into
| his soul. Perhaps. too, he had lost some
thing Of the ready woman's instinct in
/ thus becoming a conqueror over a woman
| As he conveyed her down the slope in
the slanting sun OF evening, the tussocks
of bent" grass started UP before them
great and prominent. the shadow Of each
as long as a man. They parted at the
wood edge, only taking hands this time.
But Vida, though moved. could not re-
frain from casting last Quip over her
shoulder. You ough: to be ashamed.
Phil. Call yourself a man. and yet wait
for me to come up here and tell you that
IL"
THAT you what?" Phil was keen TO
hear.
That I love you. You will cast it up
to me ever afterward; but I don't care.'
did you tell me? I had not noticed,
How strange" said Phil. smiling.
We'll. ] let you kiss me, That is the
same thing
And she thought II was.
II beg your pardon" said Phil. sweetly;
you kissed me-which is not the same
thing at ALI"
"Oh, You great horrid storyl" cried
Vida. Il never did, Never in this
world
We'll, in some other world" smiled
Phil gently as ever
But. all the same. she smiled: and
after she was no more than little blue
serge exclamation point moving over the
white paths toward the lighthouse cot
tage on Rough Island. he still stood
smiling 10 himself. For he knew very
well that unless he had waited for Vida
to do all that OF her own accord, il
might never have been done ar all.
This murmured Phil as he waited
for the Oblong speek of the green cottage
door 10 open and shut, is the absence
that makes the heart. If not fonder. al
least emptier. Good boy. Phili" he con
graduated himself. Useful wise child
Go up top! She wanted me 20 be wor-
ried by her stopping away. And
wasn't
And with his eyes where his heart had
long been, on the little whitewashec
house in the Cove. he whistled a bar ol
two of a childish air.
Mistress Mary. quite contrary"