Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-08-07

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markell eeuEts OF the aame, .ta8usi
prebably hIs shoes may lave bsssms
d ilttls dusty
y -
Siward, at his desk, the May sun
shine pouring over him, Sat coming
the heaps of typewriter sheets, striy-
ing to see between the lines some sign
of fortune for his investments. Gum
BILE knocked presently. Siward raised
his perplexed eyes.
!. "Miss Page, sir"
"Oh!' said Siward doubtfully. Then,
TASK Miss Page to come up"
Marion strolled in moment later,
exchanged a vigorous hand shake with
Siward, pulled up chair and dropped
into it. She was in riding habit and
boots, faultlessly groomed, as usual,
her smooth pale hair sleek In its thick
knot, collar and tie immaculate as her
gloves.
"Well." she said, "any news of your
ankle, Stephen"
II inquired about my ankle" said
Siward, amused, "and they tell me 1t
is better, thank YOU"
"Sit horse pretty soon?" she asked,
dropping one leg over the other and
balancing the riding crop across her
knee.
"Not for awhile. You have fine
day for a gallop, Marion" looking
askance at the sunshine filtering
through the first green leaves Of the
tree outside his window.
"It's all right-the day. Where are
your cigarettes, Stephen? Oh, l see.
Don't try to move-don't be silly"
She leaned over the desk, her fresh
young face close to his, and reached
for the cigarettes. The clean cut head,
the sweetness of her youth and femi-
ninity, boyish in its allure, were very
attractive to him-more so perhaps be-
cause Of his isolation from the atmos-
phere of women.
"It's all very well, Marion, your COM
ing here, and it's all very sweet Of
you, and l enjoy it immensely" he
said I'm horribly afraid somebody
will talk about YOU"
"What would you do then%
'TY' he asked, disturbed. "What
could do?"
"Why, l suppose" she said slowly,
you'd have to marry me-"
"Then," he rejoined, with laugh.
II should think you'd be scared into
prudence by the prospect"
81 am not frightened" she said
gravely.
Gravity fell upon him too. In this
young girls eyes there was no eva
sion. For a long while he had felt
vaguely that matters were not perfect
" balanced between them. At mo-
ments even he had felt an indefnable
uneaslness in her presence. The sit
uation troubled him, too, and, though
he had known her from childhood and
had long ago learned to discount her
vagaries of fnformality, his common
sense could not countenance this def
ance of social usage. sure to involve
even such a privileged girl as she In
some unpleasantness.
"I'd be very glad to marry you'll
you c-cared to-" she said.
marion"
"YesY
"Oh-I-it is-of course it's joke"
"No: I'm serious"
"But but you don't love-can't be
In love with me-" he stammered.
II am"
Gloved hands tightening on either
end of her riding crop, she bent her
knee against it. balancing there, look
ing straight at him.
81 meant to tell you so," she said, III
you didn't tell me first. SO was rath.
err tired waiting. So I've told you"
at is only fancy he said. scarce
ly knowing what he was saying.
81 don't think so. Stephen"
But he could not meet her candor.
and he sat silent, miserable, staring at
the papers on his desk.
After awhile she drew a deep, even
breath and rose TO her feet.
"I'm sorry" she said simply.
"Marion-I never dreamed that
"You should dream truer," she said.
There was suspicion of mist in her
clear eyes. She turned abruptly to the
window and stood there for few mo-
ments, looking down at her brougham
waiting In front of the house. ut can't
be helped, can itf" she said, turning
suddenly.
He found no answer to her question.
no;1 oiIr In IN him