Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-12-25

SIQOOlU, luuOCcul nduuS, oN SNiS
amazingly fresh and white.
He moved a step forward into the
warmth, stood a moment, then reached
forward for a chair and drew 1t up be-
side hers.
"Do you mean to say you are not
sleepy?" be asked.
81? No, not in the least. ] Will be
tomorrow, though"
"Did you have good time? You
danced lot, dare say" he ventured.
"Yes-a lot" studying the floor
Decent purtners?'
"Oh, yes"
"Who was there"
She looked up at him. You were
not there" she said. smiling.
mo. cut it. But | did NOT know
you were going. You said nothing
about it,
"Of course you would have stayed
| If you had known. Captain Selwyn?
| She was still smiling
"Of course be replied.
"Would you really"
"Why. yes "
There was something not perfectly
] faniiar to him in the girls bright
brevity, in her direct personal Inquiry.
for between them hitherto The gayly
impprs0rm had ruled except in Sno-
| ments Of lightest badnage.
"Was it an amusing dinner?" she
asked in her turn
Rather" Then he looked up at
her. but she had stretched her slim
silk shod feet to the fender. and her
head was bent aside. so that he could
see only the curve of the cheek and
the little close set ear under its ruddy
mass Of gold.
"Who was thereY' she asked, too
carelessly.
For moment he did not speak. I'm
der his bronzed cheek the fiat muscles
Lstirred. Had some meddling. malicious
fool ventured to whisper I'D unit 1es
to this young girl? Had a word or
smile and phrase cut In two awak
ened her to Il sorry wisdom AT his ex
pense? Something had happened. an(
the idea stirred him to wrath. as whel
child is wantonly frightened or
dumb creature misused
"What did you ask me? he inquired
gently.
81 asked you who was there. Captain
Selwyn."
He recalled some names and laugh
fucly mentioned his dinner partner
preference for Harmon. She listened
absently. her chin nesting In her paiu
only the close set, perfect ear turne'
, toward him.
, "Who led the cotillonY he asked
"Jack Ruthven, dancing with Rosa
] mund Fame"
= She drew her feet from the fende
Z and crossed them. still turned ava
from him. and so they remained ID S
? lence until again she shifted her pos
, ton almost impatiently.
+ "You are very tired" he said.
? "No; wide awake"
, "Don't you think It best for you
60 to bedT
"No, but you may 60"
o And as he did not stir. 81 mean thS
Z you are not to sit here because DO
And she looked around at him
> "What has gone wrong. EileenT
said quietly.
He had never before used her give
A name and she flushed up.
There is nothing the matter. va
:. tain Selwyn Why do you ask
$ "Yes. there is" he said.
II "Thcre is not. tell YOU
o "And if II is something you cann'
q understand" he continued pleasant
''perhaps 1t might be well to ASK MI
to explain it to YOU"
"There is nothing 10 explain.
"Because," he went on very gent
zone Is sometimes led by mallcio'
suggestion to draw false and nnplea
9 ant differences from harmless facts
y Captain Selwyn"-
YES. Eileen"
Is But she could not 90 on. Speech al
~ thought itself remained sealed: only
~ confused consciousness of being hn
IN remained somehow TO be remehled y
n. something he might say, might Den
q Yet how could 1t help her for him
" deny what she herself refused TO t
g leve--refuspd through sheer instin
while ignorant of its meaning?
Even If he had done what she hea
w. Rosamund Fame say he had done
:" had remained meaningless to her sa
- for the manner of the telling. Il
~ nv: but nowi Why had they laui
y ia? Why had their attitudes and m;
Ecr ard the disconnected phrases
~ French lett her flushed and ri!
70 among the idle group at supper? W
had they suddenly seemed to rene
ri Der her presence and express tn
lie abrupt consciousness Of it in su
to curtive signals and silence?
N 1t was false anyway, whatever
q meant. And. anyway, 1t was ia
that he had driven away in Mrs Ru
N. yen's brougham. But. oh, If he b
at only ctaycd. if he had only remain
this friend of hers who had been
N. nice to her from the moment he ca
ny into her life. so generous, so cons
is crate. so lovely to her and to Gerald
For moment the glow remain'
Tn