The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1908-02-06

the question. Her face, so near to him
cleaned like ivory In the starlight, and
he could plainly see her countenance.
His question brought startled look
to her eyes. and again he saw her
bosom rise in long, deep breath.
She did not attempt to answer him.
"Well?' He pressed his inquiry with
q tense interest.
81 didn't realize that it WAS no.
ticeable-my not speaking as the rest
speak," she faltercd.
"And how does it come that Eou
don't Spca!; rs the rest speak,"
"I-never thought about it, If have
come to speak like the-tlfIerpn,iy
from the rest of the family. it has
been unconsciouSly."
"Ah?" he commented thOughtiully.
"Remarkable! Remarkable-th that yen
should make use of vocabulary that
you have never heard spoken, Have,
you. possibly, come uncOnsciousiy to
speaking acquaintance also witt,
French and German?'
Il should think that must be an Try
pOssibility-tO come unconsciOuSly to
a knowledge Of foreign tongue" she
answered seriously, evidently unused
at least to the language of sarcasm.
"NOt more so than what you would
have me heIieve-that with no school
ing after your twelfth year and with
no environment or association eXcept
that of this farmers family you should
well. to go no further, he acquainted
with areas of the English language
which would be as foreign to the rest
Of this household as Italian or Spanish
Now, then. how do you account for
it?'
The little quicker in her brow indi-
Gated to him how his inquisitivenessS
troubled her She turned to him Wit,
anxious appeal in her eyes. as ii
necessary to account for it-befOre yOu
can advise me:"
"Yes, it u.s." he stubbornly persisted
"The more | know about you the bet
ter l can help you"
She dropped her eyes and did not at
once answer. But presently, with evi-
dent great reluctance. she spoke. "If
talk in more educated way than
the rest Of the family it is only be-
cause l have read few books that
came in my way"
should think very few books indeed
would come in your way on this
farm?" He put it questioningly. 81
have never seen you so much as look
at my books when they have been ly-
ing about. What books ever come in
your way? Mrs. Morningstar says this
Is the first summer she has taken
boarders since she gave up keeping a
hotel twenty-One years ago. And
when, in Gods name, do you get time
to read, when even chance newspa-
per has to be read surreptitiously be-
tween trips to the spring house for
food? Look here; heard you say last
night that old Morningstar wouldn't
let you read anything but the Bible on
Sunday and that that day was the on
ly time you had to read at all, and you
declined Miss Ellery's offer Of books"
The troubled pucker in her brow
deepened, her chin Guivered, and he
ing to cry when to his establishment a
little ripple of laughter broke from
her. He had never seen her even smile,
and he would as soon have looked for
a laugh from Mater DolorOsO. He
was sure that Ralaam was not more
dumfounded when his ass waxed con-
versational than he was to hear this
girl laugh. Somehow the bare idea
Of laughter was eliminated from the
impression one gathered Of her from
day to day. But then no two things
about her did fit together.
II suppose there is 4 joke somewhere
In this miXup," he said thoughtfully,
"but it's cryptic to me-"
"Now," he told himself IF that
word cryptic isn't too much for her.
81 should think your own joke
wouldn't he cryptic to YOU
"Eunice," he patiently argued. put
it to yourself. Would Ollie know what
I was talking of if spoke to her of "a
cryptic joker Yet l understand she
had five more years of schooling than
you had" He suddenly leaned toward
her, rare gentleness in his tone.
"Come, trust me; explain yourself to
me-"
Again his tone of kindness flooded
her face with color and light. He
thought he read in her eyes an in
ward struggle between longing to
take him into her confidence and a
fear of trusting him so far. That she
had something to conceal seemed to
him certain. The Strangeness of it
was emphasized by the fact that moth
ing could be more simple and open
than the life of the Morningstar fam
lily.
$50 this" she said softly, ''is the
mystery you find about me?"
"Well, isn't it a mystery"
1.-THE explanation is SO very simple"
81 should like to hear it."
Again she dropped her eyes and hes
itated.
"There is nothing to explain" she
said at last, further than what I have
told you, DR.. Kinross. l have read a
few books-which have come by"
do you mind telling me how you