Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-02-28

Every uull lulse ht-hi ~ h'hiiiiS'
In Mortimer's head In his excitement
he stepped halfway into the corridor.
then skipped nimbly back. closing his
door without a SOUND.
sylvia Lands 10y all that's hoy
he breathed 10 himself and sat down
rather suddenly GU the edge of the bed
After awhile he rose aud crept 10
the door. opened 1t. glued his eyes 10
the crack ia time 10 catch glimpse
Of Siward entering his own corridor
alone.
And that night Mortimer. lying
awake In bed busy with schemes, lie
came conscious OF u definite idea. Ii
took shape aud matured So suddenly
that it actually shocked his moral
sense. Then Il scared him.
"But-but that is blackmail"' he
whispered aloud. "A man can't do that
sort of thing. What the devil ever
put 1t into my head? And there are
men know-women, too-scoundrelly
blackguards. who'd use that Informal
ton somehow and make it pay too.
The scoundrels"'
He squirmed down among the bed
clothes with sudden SILVER, but the
night had turned warm.
"Scoundrels" he said. with milder
emphasis. "Blackmailers. COntempti-
bic pups!'
He fell asleep an hour later. mutter-
ing something incoherent about scoun-
drels and blackmail.
And meanwhile In the darkcned
house from all round came the noise
OF knocking on doors. sounds OF people
stirring, a low voice here and there,
lights breaking out from transoms, the
thud of rubber shod heels, the rattle
Of cartridges from the echoiug gun
room. For the guests at Shotover were
awaking lest the wet sky. Whitening
behind the east, ring with the whim-
pering wedges Of wild fowl rushing
seward over empty blinds.
The unusual stiffness of the house in
| the late morning sunshine was pleas
| ant to Miss Lands. She had risen
very late, unconscious of the stir and
movement before dawn, and 1t was
only when maid told her rs she
came from her bath that she remem-
bered the projected point shooting and
concluded with All odd, happy sense of
relief that she was almost alone Ia
the house.
A little later, glanclng from her bed
room window for Il fulGllment of the
promise of the sun which glimpse
Of blue sky heralded, she saw Leila
Mortimer settling herself In the for
ward seat of motor car and Beverly
Plank climbing In beside her. aud she
watched Plank steer the big machine
across the wet lawn while the machin-
list swung himself into the tonneau
and away they rolled, faster, faster
rushing out into the misty hinterland
where the long streak of distant forest
already began to brighten, edged with
the first rays Of watery sunshine.
So she had the big house to herself
every bit Of II, and with it freedom
from obligation, from comment, from
demand or exaction; freedom from re
straint; liberty to roam about, to read
to dream, to idle. to remember All
that was what she needed-a quiet in
teryal In this hurrying youth of hers
to catch her breath once more anC
stand still and look back day or tive
and remember.
So to breakfast all alone was de
licious; to stroll unhurried TO the side
board and leisurely choose among the
fresh cool fruits; to loiter owe" crenp
Jug and cereal; to saunter out into the
freshness of the world aud breathe Il
and feel the sun warming cheek ant
throat and the little breezes from I
sunlit sea stirring the bright strands
Of her hair.
Out over the rain wet odorols grass
she picked her way. skirts swung higl
above the delicate contour of ankl,
and limb, following little descending
path she anew full of rocky angles
swept by pendant sprays of black
berry, and then down under the jut
ting rock, south through thickets Of
wild cherry along the crags, until he
fore her the way opened downward
again where tiny crescent beacl
glimmered white hot in the sun.
From his bedroom window Mortimer
peeped forth. following her progress
with leer.
AS she descended. noticing the rift!
Of bronzing. seaweed piled along the
tide mark. her foot dslodged tin!
triangle Of rock, which rolled clatter
ing aud ringing below, and as sh'
sprang lightly to the sand a man, ly
ing full length and motionless as tn,
heaped seaweed, raised himself on ont
arm. turning his sun dazzed eyes OF
her.
The dull shock of surprise halted he
rs Siward rose to his feet. still dazed
the sand running from his brown
shooting clothes over his tightly strap
ped puttees.
"Have you the faintest idea that
supposed you were here?" she asket
briefly Then, frank in her disap
pOlntment, she looked up ut The CLIFF
overhead. where her line Of retreat lay
why did you not 90 with tn
others?" she added, unslniling.
"I--don't know. will if you wish
He had colored slowly, the frank dis
appointment in her face penetrating
bis surprise, and now he turned aroun,
, instlnctively, also looking for the pat
Of retreat.
, wait" she said, aware of her owl
=, crude attitude and confused by Il
L ILL SiI.-n ad 1 Ini,