Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-08-21

men; hence the un-Sunday-like de-
meanor of the procession, for few
towns hold 1t more unseemly to stand
and stare at passersby. especially on
the Sabbath. But Ariel TABOR return
ed-and walking with-wlth Joe Lou
den!
Ariel flushed a little when she per-
ceived the extent Of their conspicuous
ness. but it was not the blush that Joe
/ remembered had reddene1 the tannee
skin Of old, for her BROWNIES had
gone long ago. though II had not left
her merely pink and white. This was
a delicate roslness rising from hai
cheeks to her temples, as the earliest
dawn rises If there had been many
words left In Joe he would have called
/ II n divine blush, 1t fascinated him.
and IL anything could have deepened
the glamour about her 1t would nave
| been this blush. He did not under
stand il, but when he saw 1t he STUN
bled
Those who gaped and stared were
for him only burs in the background
|
Ing" and when IL became necessary to
step out to the curb in passing some
clump of people II was to him as II
| Ariel and he, enchantedly alone, were
4 working their way through underbrush
| In the woods.
He kept trying TO realize that this
lady of wonder was Ariel Tabor, but
he could not. He could not connect the
shabby Ariel. whom he had treated as
one boy treats another. with this young
woman OF the world. He had always
been embarrassed himself and ashamed
Of her when anything she did made
MIN remember that after all. she was
girl, as on the day he ran away when
she kissed lock OF his hair escaping
| from the bandage. With that recollec-
ton even his ears grew red. 1t did
not seem probable that It would ever
happen again. The next instant he
heard himself calling her Miss Ta-
bor."
! At this she seemed amused. you
ought TO have called me that years
ago" she said. "for all you knew me-"
'T did know her-you, / mean," he
answered. II used to know nearly
everything you were going to say be-
fore you said II. 1t seems strange
now
"Yes," she interrupted. at does seem
strange now"
Somehow" he went on, IL doubt II
now I'd know"
"Somehow," she echoed. with fine
gravity, 81 doubt II too"
Although he had 80 dim a perception
of the staring and whispering which
greeted and followed them, Ariel, OF
course. was thoroughly aware of IT,
though the only sign she gave was the
slight blush. which very soon disap-
peared. That people turned to look at
her may have been not altogether n
novelty. A girl who had learned to
appear unconscious OF the continental
stare, the following gaze of the bouie-
Yards, the frank glasses OF the costan'
"a In Rome, was not III equipped TO
face Main street, Canaan, even as II
was today.
Under the sycamores before they
started they had not talked great
deal. There had been long silences, al
most all her questions concerning the
period OF his runaway absence. She
appeared TO know and TO understand
everything which had happened since
his return 10 the town. He had not, IN
his turn, reached the point where he
would begin 10 question her. He was
too breathless In his consciousness Of
the marvellous present hour. She had
told him OF the death Of Roger Tabor,
the year before. Poor man" she said
gently. "IIe lived 10 see how the 9th
or fellows did it at last, and everybody
liked him. lie was very happy over
| there"
After a little while she had said that
| Il was growing close upon lunch time;
she must be going back.
"Then-then-goodby," he replied
ruefully.
"WhyT
I'm afraid you don't understand. II
wouldn't do for you 10 be seen with
me. Perhaps. though, you do under
stand. Wasn't that why you asked me
20 meet you out here beyond the
bridget"
In answer she looked at him full and
straight for three seconds, then threw
back her head and closed her eyes tight
with laughter. Without a word she
took the parasol from him, opened IL
herself. placed the smooth white coral
handle OF IL in his hand ana lightly
took his arm. There was no further
demur ON the part OF the young man.
lie did not know where she was going,
He did not ask.
once Ariel smiled politely, not at Mr.
I.ouden, and inclined her head twice,
with the result that the latter, after
thinking for time OF how gracefully
she did IL and how pretty the top OF
her hat was. became gradually con
scious OF a meaning In her acuon-that