The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-03-07
CHAPTER XIII.

in the breach, which put Ariel
= that afternoon in easy posses
sion Of a coign Of vantage command
dinner was finished in silence ION the
part Of Judge Pike deafening) about 8
o'clock, and soon after Mamie tossed
a number of cushions out upon tho
stoop between the cast iron dogs, Sam
Warden having previously covered tho
steps with a rug and placed several
garden chairs near by on the grass.
These simple preparations concluded,
Eugent sprawled comfortably upon the
rug and Mamie seated herself near
him, while Ariel wandered with appar-
ent aimlessness about the lawn, fol-
lowed by the gaze of Mr.. Bantry until
Miss Pike begged he a little petulant-
~ to join them.
She came, looking about her dream
lily and touching to her lips now and
then, with an absent air, a clover BIOS
som she had found in the longer grass
against the fence She stopped to pat
the neck of one of the cast iron deer
and, with grave eyes, preferred the
clover top first for inspection, then as
food. There were those in the world
who, seeing her, might have wondered
that the deer did not play Galatea and
come to life.
She had put on her hat after dinner,
and Mamie now inquired IL she would
not prefer to remove 1t, offering to car
ry it indoors for her, to Ariel's room,
to insure its safety. ''You look so
sort of temporary, wearing it." she
urged; "as if you were only here for a
little while It's the loveliest hat
ever saw, and so fragile, too, but I'll
take care
81 am wearing my hat" answered
Ariel, because at any moment may
decide to go for a long walk"
ooh, I hope not" said Mamie
''There are sure to be people. A few
still come, even though I'm an en-
gagged girl. expect that's just to con
sole me, though" she added, smiling
over this worn quip of the betrothe6
and shaking her head at Eugene, who
grew red and coughed. "There'll bC
plenty today, but they won't be here
to see me- It's you, Ariel, and they'll
be terribly disappointed If you weren't
here. l shouldn't wonder if the whole
town came. It's curious enough about
your
And now the young men Of the town
laboriously arranged as to apparel
began to appear on the street in small
squads, making their Sunday rounds
the youngest working in phalanxes Q
threes and fours, those somewhat old
er inclining to move in pairs, tn
eldest, such as were now beginning t
be considered middle aged beaus 0
Cby the extremely youthful "old bach
elors," evidently considered 1t advar
tageous to travel alone OF all thes
there were few who did not befor
evening fell turn in at the gate of tn
Pike mansion. Consciously, shyly O
confidently, according to the conditio
of their souls, they made their wa
between the cast iron deer to be pre-
sented to the visitor
Ariel sat at the top of the steps ant
looking amiably over their heads, tall
ed with such as could get near he
There were many who could not, an
Mamie, occupying the bench below
was surrounded by the overflow. Tt
difficulty Of reaching and maintainin
position near Miss Tabor was Il
creased by the attitude and behavic
Of Mr.. Flitcroft, who that day coole
the feeling Of friendship which sever;
of his fellow townsmen had hitheri
entertained for him. He had beer IL
first to arrive, coming alone, thoue
that was not his custom, and he e
tabliShed himself at AriePs right. upc
the step Just below her, so disposir
the great body and the pondero
arms and legs the gods had given hi
that no one could mount above hi
TO sit beside her or approach her fre
that direction within conversation
: distance.
Norbert not ordinarily laxative, b
nothing to say. He seemed to find ST
icient occupation in keeping the pIa
: he had gained, and from this clio
vantage he fastened his small ey
: immovably upon Ariers profile Z
gene, also apparently determined I
j to move, sat throughout the afterno