Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-01-16


She inspected the ensemble without
visible interest for few moments.
The wind frcshened from the sea, Hut-
tering her veil. and she turned toward
the east to face 1t. In the golden
splendor Of declining day the white
sails OF yachts crowded landward on
the last leg before beating westward
into Blue harbor. A small white
cruiser steaming south left 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 grooins looked after
them, standing motionless at the
horses heads.
mir. Siward. this Is too fine to 1niss."
she said. II Will walk as far rs the
headland with you. Please smoke II
you care to-
The breeze blown conversation he.
came fragmentary, veering as capri.
ciously rs 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 humorous
and Idle pervcrsity which stimulates
without demanding
Once, glancing back at the house
where the + cart and horses stood. she
said that she had better return, or per-
IN ohx, o1N Fo
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 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 OIL him aud fingered.
A subtle change had come into his
face. Its -leanncss struck her for the
irst 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 1t had grown, effacing
the charm Of youth In 1t!
The slight amusement with which
she had become conscious Of her own
personal exclusion grew to an interest
tinged 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, man who through genera
lions has inherited every impulse and
desire that he should not harbor; a
man with intellect enough to be aware
OF 1t, 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 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 bis 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.
She stood irresolute, inert, disin-
clined to bestir herself. An Unborn
aptitude for drifting, which threatened
to become a talent for INDIGESTION, had
always alterpated III her with sudden
impulsiye conclusions and when her
pride was involved in decisions which
sometimes scarcely withstood the anal
ysis Of reason.
Physically healthy, mentally una
Weakened, sentimentally incredulous,
totally ignorant Of any master passion
and conventionally drilled, her beauty
and sweet temper had carried her cas-
lily Oh the frothy crest Of her first sea
son over the eligible and ineligible
alike, leaving her at Lenox rather
tired and breathless girl In love with
pleasure and the world which treated
her 50 we'll.
The death of her mother abroad had
made little impression upon her, her
uncle, Major Belwether, having cared
for her since her fathers death, when
she was ten years old. So, although
the scandal of her mothers self exile
had been In measure condoned by
tardy marriage to the man for whom
she had left everything, her daughter
had grown up ignorant of any partic-
ular feeling for mother she could
scarcely remember.
However, she wore black and went
nowhere for the second winter, during
which time she learned q great deal
concerning the unconventional procliv-
titles of the women Of her race and
family, enough to impress her so seri-
ously that on m exaggerated impulse
she had come to one Of her character
istic decisions.
That decision was to break the un-
savory record, ut the first justihable
opportunity, and the opportunity came
In the shape of Quarrier-as though
wedlock were actually the sanctuary
which an alarmed nation pretends 1t
to be!
Now, approaching the threshold OF
third and last season and having put
away her almost meaningless mourn
Ing, there had stolen into her sense OF
security something irksome in the
promise she had made to give Quarriel