Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-05-01

Ser., " ~ first then with shy persist
ence ah,. q, losity, knowing nothing !
# the ~en.e.. : :'orm flung face down
war acres L., sheets in room close
NV. Ar the, after the murmured bur-
a.. q. tht ti,"n'e vas Siward until one,
heavy .vn1. 'nco from the white
dawn sill, :. < the windows, s,gheo
and (, u ,.sle"p and q! ~ size; l. NJ
hsN ..utteI in -, - -" VOC
awake thinking fi.g:. '"f L
had 10 end o.. o beg - A.. .!
lsr- a osy n' Of light ftH a. = IA
wa ni warm ;.,.a>.. VS. ID =
., CO, ler and curtain, and, tLrn'.-;
On the pillow, her face nestled Iii hei
hair, she fell asleep.
Nothing of this had Mrs. Ferrall told
her husband. Nothing of this COIL
her husband understand had ".i- '"cr;is
to convey it, There "s' '1'"r.s ur
need rnderstan! yep, ;;'@i his wire.
meaning 49,. &C.: l..eoiled and re-
grc:-,;.
-: ..oa. turning in her saddle with
!, v. city gesture of her shoulders:
"I mcddle no more! Those who need
me may come to me. Now laugh at
nv tardy wisdom, Kemp! The mis-
chief take Howard Quarrier!'
"Amen! Come on, race"
She gathered bride. DO you sup
pose Stephen Siward is going to make
troubleP'
"How can he unless she helps himF
Nonsense! ALPS we'll with Siward and
Sylvia. Shall we gallop"
All was very well with ISiward ana
Sylvia. They had passed the rabbit
brier country scathless. with two black
mallard, a jack snipe and rabbit 10
the credit of their score, and were now
advancing through that dimly lit en-
chanted land Of tall gray alders where
I'm the sudden twilight of the leaves
woodcock after woodcOck futtered up
ward twittering, only to stop and drop,
transformed at the vicious crack or
Siward's gun to fluffy balls of feather
whirling earthward from mida1r.
Sycamore came galloping back with
a soft unsoiled mass of chestnut and
brown feathers In his mouth. Siward
took the dead cock passed 1t back 70
the keeper who IL w"d them, paired
the beautiful, eag' ana sagnalea
him forward once L..
"You should have that tu1,
he said to Sylvia-"tha on care
to kill anything"
"But don't seem to be .c to,'Dshe
said. 1T isn't bit like shooting at
clay targets. The twittering whir
takes me by surprise-it's all so charm
ingly sunderland my heart seems to
stop In one beat, and look and look,
and then, whisk. and woodcock Is
gone, leaving me breathless."
Her voice ceased. The white setter,
cutting up his ground ahead, had stop
ped. rigid, one leg raised, jaws culver
ing and locking alternately.
"Tsn't that stunning picture?" said
Siward In q low voice. What q beau.
ty he is-like statue In white and
blue veined marble. You may talk,
Miss Lands; woodcock don't flush at
the sound of the human voice as grouse
do"
"See his brown eyes roll back at us!
He wonders why we don't do some
thingr whispered the girl. Look, Mr..
Siward! Now his head Is moving, oh,
ca gradually IN tho lpffT'
''The bird Is moving on the ground"
nodded Siward. Nov the bird has
stopped"
81 do wish l could see woodcock
on the ground" she breathed. DO
you think we might by any chance"
Siward noiselessly sank to his knees
and crouched. keen eyes minutely busy
among the shadowy browns and grays
of wet earth and withered leaf, and
after awhile cautiously be signaled
the girl to kneel beside him and stretch
ed out one arm, forefinger extended.
"Sight straight along my ARM" he
said, las though 1t were rife barrel
Her soft cheek rested against his
shoulder. stray strand Of shining hair
brushing his face.
"Under that bunch Of fern" he whis-
pered, "just the color Of the dead
leaves. Do you seer Don't you see
that big woodcock squatted fat, bill
pointed straight out and resting on the
leavesT
After long while she saw suddenly,
and an exquisite little shock frightened
her fingers on Siward's extended arm.
"Oh, the feathered miracle!' she
whispered. 1.-THE wonder of its clever
ness to hide like