Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1907-07-11
CHAPTER Nv.

At the back of abe Hotel des Postes
L. little garden where the flower beds
are islanded in a harsh lake of broken
schist. and where in summer time the
gray stone walls which bound the garden
on three sides beat back the heat of the
sun upon the air like the reverberators
of furnace. Unobservant visitors Won
der to find themselves hotter here in shade
than they are in sunshine elsewhere in
the same village.
Athanos Zeno sat here pretty often,
leaning back in a springy chair of painted
strip iron, with his lustrous black eyes
half closed. A delightfully."- idle man to
look at was Athanos Zeno, and on the
outside nearly always distracted from
the world though to keen observer
there was visible when people talked in
his neighborhood that curious listening,
observant poise of the head which Austin
Farley had noticed in him. He had moth
Ing to conceal, and but little to observe,
Just now Dobroski, Fraser and ORourke
were talking together in front OF the
Cheval Blanc, and now and again stray
village girl came down to the village
pump for water, but there was nobody
else in sight.
Mrs Farley walked into the garden
with the boys hand in one of hers, and
seating herself at some distance from
the Levantine, busted herself over bit
OF lace work.
At an open window overlooking the gar
den sat Austin, with rumpled hair and
disordered aspect, occasionally scratching
his head with the feathered stump of a
very short quill pen. Lucy, who had so
arranged her seat as to command view
of him at will, observed him smilingly
and tenderly for awhile, but he began to
rumple his hair SO wildly at length that
Ghe spoke to him.
Cant you work to-day. dearE
ats tingling all over me-" he an
s~ered, with an irritated flourish of the
hands. Actually and absolutely ting
ling"
"You do nothing in that mood" she
said, smiling. Leave it for a little while.
Come down into the garden"
Il think will" he answered; and
she watched him whilst he swept away
from his table a disorderly double hand
full of papers, and snatching straw hat
from hook on the wall, stuck it fretful-
ly at the bac kof his head and left the
room.
Just at that moment the carriage driv-
en- by Maskelyne pulled up in front of the
Cheval Blanc, and the good wife cried, in
hurried whisper, Austin, here are the
people from Houfoy. And you in your
slippers! Go away and make yourself
presentable."
Austin arose with something of an all
of humorous discomfort, and saunterec
Into the hotel, reappearing in time te
greet Maskelyne and Dobroski at the door
where the young American introduced
Miss Butler with solemn little phrase
or two about the novelist's fame, which
caused him to blush like a schoolboy
Angela looked upon him with eyes of ven
eration-the first live author she had be
held She was at the age when venera
ton is at its freshest, and this encounter
was an unfeigned and unique delight t,
her.
By and by they were all seated In th'
garden together, and O'Rourke and Fra
ser came in, and each took chair in th'
hot shade of the trained lines. Angela
Farley and Maskelyne were just begin
ming to feel at home together, and wer'
gliding into talk. O'Rourke sat near anC
kept silence, though it was common
habit of his to lead conversation. He wal
esteemed good talker, but his power a!
a listener was rarer and more remarkable
As listener he was full OF subtleties
He responded silently to the slightes
shade of thought, and the talker Away
felt certain of sympathy with him.
He saw but little of feminine society
and knew but little of wOmen's manner
or their interior ways. He watched will
q closer interest than he could altogethe
have accounted for at the moment for an.
sign of rapport between Maskelyne AM
Angela. and saw none whatever on eithe
side. Dobroski sat by, silent, and man.
chances Of affection and understanding
nsssed between her and Maskelyne.
Engaged. perhaps" said O'Rourke t
himself. Sure of each other" mo
nent later, with a little touch Of passin
anger at himself, What has it to do witt
meT"
A voice spoke from the road below tn
Garden asking for Monsieur Dobroski. Th
village postman, politely raining bis on