Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-01-23
81 en fiyE ~
"HE week passed swiftly. day
after day echoing with the

and cock. was driven almost fran
tic by the ruffed grouse; Voucher
did better for day or two and then
lost the knack; Marion Page attended
to business IN her cool and thorough
style. and her average on the gun
room books was excellent and was
also adorned with clever pen and ink
sketches by Siward.
Leroy Mortimer had given up shoot
ing and established himself as Il haunt
er of cushions in sunny corners. Tom
O'Hara had gone back to Lenox: Mrs
Vendenning. to Hot Springs. Beverly
Plank. master OF Black Fells, began tc
pervade the house after tentative ap
pearance. and he and Major Belwethel
pottered about the coverts. usually aft
er luncheon. the latter doing little dam
age wit. his fowling piece and nobody
knew how much with his gossipinp
tongue Quarter appeared in the field
methodically, shot with judgment TAX
ing no chances for brilliant perform
ance which might endanger his re
spectacle average. AS for the Page
boys, they kept the river ducks stir
ring whenever Eileen Shannon and
Rena Bonnesdel could be persuaded
to share the canoes with them. Other
wise they haunted the vicinity Of those
bored maidens. suffering snubs sor
rowfully, but persistently faithful
They were great nuisance In the
evening. especially as their sister did
not permit them to lose more than
$40 day Mt cards.
Cards-that is. bridge and preference
ruled. as usual. and the latter game
being faster. suited Mortimer and Fer
rail-, but did not aid Siward toward re
coupling his bridge losses.
Two matters occupied him. Since
cup day he had never had another op
portunity to see Sylvia Lands alone
that was the first matter. He had
touched neither wine nor spirits MOI
malt since the night Ferrall had found
him prone sprawling in stupor on his
disordered bed-that was the second
matter, and it occupied him, at times
required all his attention. particularly
when the physical desire for 1t set II
steadily, mercilessly, mounting mex
orably like a tide. But. like the tide
1t ebbed at last. particularly when q
sleepless night had exhausted him. /.
He had gone back to his shooting
again after cool review Of the ethics
involved 1t even amused him to
think that girl who had cleverness
enough to marry many millions, With
Quarter thrown in, could have SC
moved him to sentimentality. He had
ceded the big cup of antique silver to
Quarter. too, matter which troubled
him little. however. as in the irrita
ton of the reaction he had been shoot
ing with the brilliancy Of demon, and
the gunroom books were open to any
doubling guests inspection.
Time, therefore. was never heavy on
his hands save when the tide threat
ened-when at night he stirred and
awoke, conscious Of it's crawling ad,
vance, aware Of its s8sady mounting
menace; moments at table when the
aroma of wine made him catch his
breath; moments in the gunrOOm redo
lent of spicy spirits. Il maddening VIOLA
tile fragrance clinging to the card
room too. Yes, the long days were
filled with such moments for him.
But afield the desire faded. and even
during the day indoors he shrugged de-
sire aside 1t was night that he dread
ed-the long hours lying there tense
stark eyed, sickened with desire.
AS for Sylvia, she and Grace Ferrall
had taken to motoring, driving away
into the interior or taking long flights
north and south along the coast. Some
times they took Quarter; sometimes
when Mrs Ferrall drove they took in
ballast in the shape of superfiuous
Page boy and a girl for him. Once
Grace Ferrall asked Siward to join
them; but. no definite time being set
he was scarcely surprised to find them
gone when he returned from morn
ing on the snipe meadows. And Syl
via, leagues away by that time, curled
I'D in the tonneau beside Grace Fer.
past. cheeks pink. eyes like stars,
while the rushing wind drove health
into her and care out of her, cleansing
purifying, overwhelming winds flowing
through and through her till her very
soul within her seemed shining through
the beauty of her eyes. Besides, she
had inst confessed
"He kissed your repeated Grace Fer
rail- incredulously.
Yes: number of times. He was
silly enough to do it, and let him."
81 don't know what he said. l was
all nerves, confused, scared-a perfect
stick, in fact. l don't believe he'd care
to try again"
Then Mrs. Ferrall deliberately set
tied down in her furs to extract from
the girl beside her every essential de-
tail, and the girl, frank at first, grew
shy and silent-reticent enough to Wor-
ry her friend into silence which last
ed long while for cheerful little
matron of her sort.
Presently they spoke of other mat
ters-matters interesting to pretty wo-
men with much to do in the coming
winter between New York, Hot Springs
and Florida-surmises as to dinners,
dances and the newcomers in the
Younger sets. and the marriages to be
arranged or disa arranged. and the scan--