Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-01-21
g en fS5R 81

4 ~ RAj
(Continued)
She spoke r.,'.,ently Of Siward
fugitive question or two offered indif
ferently at first. then with shy persist
ence and curiosity, Knowing nothing
of the senseless form flung face down
ward across the sheets in Il room close
by And thereafter the murmured bur.
den of the theme was Siward until one.
heavy eyed. turned from the white
dawn silverng the windows, signed
and fell asleep, and one lay silent, head
half buried in its tangled gold Wlue
awake, thinking vague thoughts that
had no ending. no beginning. And at
last a rosy bar Of light fell across the
wall, and the warm shadows faded
from corner and curtain. and, turning
on the pillow. her face nestled in her
hair, she fell asleep.
Nothing of this had Mrs. Ferrall told
her husband. Nothing of this could
her husband understand had she words
to convey it, There was nothing he
need understand except that his wire,
meaning well, had meddled and re-
GREETED.
And now, turning in her saddle with
pretty gesture of her shoulders:
81 NEEDLE no more. Those who need
me may come to me. Now laugh at
my tardy wisdom. Kemp! The mis-
chief take Howard Quarter"
amen, Come on. race
She gathered bride. do you sup
pose Stephen Siward is going to make
trouble:"
How can he unless she helps him?
Nonsense! All's we'll with Siward and
Sylvia. Shall we gallop?''
All was very well with Siward and
Sylvia They had passed the rabbit
brier country scathless. with two black
mallard. jack snipe and a rabbit to
the credit of their score, and were now
advancing through that dimly lit en-
chanted land of tall gray alders where
in the sudden twilight Of the leaves
woodcock after woodcock fluttered up
ward twittering. only to stop and drop,
transformed ut the vicious crack OF
Siwards gun to fluffy balls Of feather
whirling earthward from midair.
Sycamore came galloping back with
q soft unsoiled mass Of chestnut and
brown feathers in his mouth. Siward
took the dead cock, passed it back to
the keeper who followed them, patted
the beautiful. eager dog and signaled
him forward once more.
"You should have fired that time"
he said to Sylvia-.that is, II you care
to kill anything"
But | don't seem to be able to-" she
said. ut isn't bit like shooting at
clay targets. The twittering whir
takes me by surprise-it's all so charm
ingly sutherland my heart seems to
stop in one beat, and look and look,
and then. whisi. and woodcock is
gone, leaving me bfeathless."
Her voice ceased. The white setter,
cutting up his ground ahead. had stop
ped, rigid. one leg raised. jaws culver
ing and locking alternately.
isn't that stunning picture?" said
Siward in low voice. What 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 ut US!
He wonders why we don't do some
thingr' whispered the girl Look. Mr..
Siward. Now his head is moving. oh,
so gradually to the left
'"The bird is moving on the ground
nodded Siward Now the bird has
stopped"
81 do wish could see a 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 he signaled
the girl to kneel beside him and stretch
ed out one arm, forelinger extended.
"Sight straight along my arm" he
said, "as though it were a rifle barre"
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 see? Don't you see
that big woodcock squatted fiat. bill
pointed straight out and resting on the
leaves!"
After long while she saw suddenly,
and an exquisite little shock frightened
her fingers on Siwards extended arm.
ooh. the feathered miracleH' she
whispered THE wonder of it's clever
ness to hide like
vi that! You look
vi and look and