Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-01-10

into Blue nlrDof. \ sindii WINE
cruiser steaming south left Il mile long
stratum of rose tinted smoke hanging
parallel TO the horizons plane. The
westering sun struck sparks from her
bright work.
They had turned their backs TO the
tandem. The grooms looked after
them, standing mUtiOnless at the
horses heads.
mir. Siward. this is too fine to miss"
she said. Il will walk ms far as the
headland with you. Please smoke If
you care TO-"
The breeze blown conversation be-
came fragmentary, veering rs capri
ciously as the purple wind flaws that
spread across the shoals. But always
to her question or comment she found
In his response the charm of freshness,
of quick intelligence or of a humorous
and idle perversity which stimulates
without demanding.
Once, CHANGING back ut the house
where the I cart and horses stood. she
said that she had better return. or per-
haps she only thought she said ii, for
he made no response that time, and
few moments later they reached the
headland, and the Atlantic lay below,
| flowing azure from horizon to horizon
under a universe of depthless blue.
And for long while neither spoke.
With her the spell endured until con
science began to stir. Then she awoke,
uneasy. as always, under the shadow Of
restraint or pressure until her eyes
fell on him and fingered.
A subtle change had come into his
face. Its leanness struck her for the
first time-that and an utter detach-
ment from his surroundings, a somber
oblivion to everything and to her.
How curiously had his face altered!
How shadowy it had grown, eflacing
the charm of youth in it.
The slight amusement with which
she had become conscious of her own
personal exclusion grew to an interest
Hinged with curiosity.
The interest continued. but when his
silence became irksome to her she said
so very frankly. His absent eyes, still
clouded, met hers unsmiling,
II was thinking of men | knew-for
example, a man who through genera
tons has inherited every impulse and
desire that he should not Earbor; a
man with intellect enough to be aware
of it, with decency enough to desire
decency. What chance has he with
the storms which have been brewing
for him even before he opened his eyes
on earth? Is that a square deal:'
The troubled concentration of her
face was reflected now in his own.
The wind came whipping and Ticking
at them from league wide tossing
wastes. The steady thunder of the
sea accented the silence.
Turning to the sea. he had become
engrossed In his own thoughts again.
and again she was first curious, then
impatient, at the ease with which he
excluded her. She remembered, too
that the cart was waiting; that she
had scarcely time now to make the
train.
one SttUu llltSoIutt, lIlCi ulHIl
cined to bestir herself. An inbol1
aptitude for drifting, which threatened
to become talent for indecision, laL
always alternated in her with sudden
impulsive conclusions and when hel
pride was involved in decisions whicl
ysis of reason.
Physically healthy. mentally una
Weakened, sentinentally incredulous
totally ignorant of any master passion
and conventionally drilled, her Deaut.
and sweet temper had carried her cas-
!. lily on the frothy crest of her first sea
son over the eligible and ineligible
alike, leaving her at LenoX Il rathe
tired aud GREATNESS girl in love Will
pleasure and the world which treated
her so WELL
The death of her mother abroad hat
made little impression upon her. he
uncle. Major Belwether, having care,
for her since her fathers death. whel
she was ten years old. SO. although
the scandal of her mothers self eXil
tardy marriage to the man for whom
she had left everything. her daughte
! had grown up ignorant of any partic
!. ular feeling for mother she coul(
0 scarcely remember
However. she wore black and wen
nowhere for the second winter. durin;
which time she learned great dea
: concerning the unconventional procliv
tiles of the women of her race ant
I family. enough to impress her SO seri
J 0usly that on an exaggerated impuls
! she had come to one of her character
:. istic decisions.
That decision was to break the ull
Savory record at the first justifiabl
:. opportunity, and the opportunity cam
In the shape of Quarrier-as thoug
wedlock were actually the sanctuar
which an alarmed nation pretends
> to be!
. Now. approaching the threshold of
. third and last season and having pu
y away her almost meaningless mourn
ing, there had stolen into her sense o
security soIHetlllnS lTkSolne Ill III
!" promise she had made to give Quarri
definite answer before winter.
IL Perhaps it had been the lack of
n. terast in the people at Shotover, pc
III haps mental review of her ancestor
capricious records, perhaps a chara
E. teristlc impulse that had directed
II telegram to Quarter after q midnig
I'D cOnfab with Grace Ferrall.
However it may have been, she h;
n. summoned him. And now he was
III his way to get his answer, the be
le Whin the most eagerly discussed al