The Washington herald., 1908-07-07
CHAPTER V-Continued.

Guy rose and went out into the drizzle.
The drone Of the women's voices echoed
in his ears Suddenly il came upon him
with overpowering conviction that life to
many millions was woven out Of fustian
with a smell Of damp about II, lii by a
fickerng spark. uniformly sable in hue.
lie tried to apprehend the order of mind
that looks forward TO funerals as a source
of entertainment second only 10 weddings.
Unable 20 achieve such detachment. he
looked at the rails wet and shining.
stretching out into the gray mists. which
swallowed them up. but he still heard
the dismal drawi Of the elderly women:
When we amt wanted. US do drop like
rotten apples from the tree
In the far distance, a faint humm!ng
was heard, deepening into an ever-ia-
Creasing growl The Bournemouth eX-
press was approaching. and five minutes
late. Out Of the fog she roared. scream
ing shrilly as she struck the point, be-
fore entering the station. Guy fixed fas-
cinoted eyes upon the monster. An un-
contrOllable impulse seized him. He must
fling himself across those shining rails.
For that purpose, and no other, he had
come thither led by Fate His head was
reeliGg. his knees trembled-
Bit too near, sir he heard the plat
form inspector say. The mans strong
hand was on his arm, gripping IL.
Thank YOU" said Guy in a voice he
hardly recognized as his own. The train
rushed on and out Of hight as the inspec-
tor relaxed his grip.
Next train is yours. SIR" said the in
spector. THAT one don't stop. She was
going sixty miles an hour when you took
q notion 10 board her"
He hurried away, quite unsuspecung.
Guy wiped the cold sweat from his face.
He had been near death many times. but
never 80 near as this
Henceforward he knew that the merci-
full verdict. assigning an unsound mind
as the controlling power behind the ir-
revocable act, was justified. He--a sane
man-had been mad. raviug mad. for one
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS instant and no
more responsible for the impulse which
lured him 10 destruction than a baby tod
ding toward the edge Of a precipice.
Next day, he walked into the Forest;
and, 10, n miracle. The sun. halfway to
the zenith. shone IN a sky palely blue,
not yet purged OF mist Upon the low
lying marshy ground. this white, milky
mist still spread an opalescent carpet
Higher up. the masses OF brown bracken
threw into cleaning relief the vivid
green OF the glades. fairy-like allevs
leading into the mysterious depths OF the
forest, natures footpaths-never straight
winding on and on IN gracious curves.
rarely trodden save by the creatures OF
Arcadia, leading the explorer into an en-
chanted land. into aisles of stately beech
trees. where perhaps. William Of Wykc-
ham was inspired 10 set forth i'm stone
what God showed 20 him I'm soaring
trunks and branches; into groves Of
mighty oaks. long rooted in the soil when
Trafalgar was fought and won. the oaks
of kin 10 those immortal trees that died
10 live for ever as the Victory and the
fighting Temeraire. into thickets Of holly.
into melancholy plantations OF fir. and
then up and out 20 breezy. wind-swept
mOors. whence the whole domain might
be seen-a divine panorama
But the miracle was the color In early
November. the leaf hung thick upon the
trees; and the oaks We're still green with
touch Of russet, but the beeches had
fiamed into such red and gold as you may
ind IN the maple forests Of America.
Here and therg n solitary birch would
stand ont like IN amber feather against
purple background Of frs. For the
most part, however. the trees-gregarious
creatures-presented themselves in bat
talions. Regarding them as a vast army
from the high grounI near Stonycross.
one perceived vedettes Of holly and whin.
a long. thin sEirmishing line Of bracken
from which the mist curled upward like
smoke from rlfes-and then the serried
ranks OF the veterans, regiment upon reg
iment, brisades. army corps,
Guy inhaled the crisp clean air; an in
toxicating draught, more potent than
hasheesh. or all the infusions OF the
poppy What had passed seemed Ike a
nightmare. With a firm stride he de-
scended the steep hill which leads 10
the Rufus Stone, paused 10 read the in
scription upon II, and then. leaving the
woodland, came out upon the heath be
yond
Here. 20 his surprise. he found a golf
course, one Of the prettiest IN the world.
Ascending the opposite hill, he could see
the different greens plainly outlined
against the bracken and heather. To hts
surprise. nobody was playing. on the
edge of a grove Of oaks snufling the
breeze, stood lordly buck: near one Of
the greens was a small herd of Forest
ponies, shaggy as Shetlands: above him
a hawk circled. OF other life there was
no evidence
Guy sat down upon n sunny bank in the
lee Of the wind, which blew softly from
the west. He had found what he sought
peace; and more than he sought
beauty. the pastoral beauty so dear 20
the English heart. He told himself that
If he could find quiet lodgings he would
spend some months here,
The world forgetting. BY the world forgot"
He lit this pipe. feeling the warmth Of
the sun upon his face and hands The
celestial scene obsessed him. The mist
had nearly vanished. but its invisible veil
softened all outlines lending a deeper
blue 20 the shadows and imparting an
atmosphere Of mystery and enchantment
10 the landscape.
The buck slipped back into harborage.
the hawk spread a wider wing Guy Won
dered whether man or woman would ap-
pear Reeks Of smoke rising above the
trees indicated human habltations
Suddenly he heard voices. q gay laugh.
virlle and youthful; and then its fam
inine echo, q silvery Crescendo OF Joyous
sound. man and a girl carving golf
clubs approached Guy perceived them
before they saw him. With no surprise
so absolutely fitting. so pat TO the mo-
ment was their advent-he realized that
IL he had been given a free hand 10 place
q couple Of figures in this landscape he
could have found no better models.
though he ranged the kingdom for them.
The man was young and extraordinarily
good-lOoking using the word literally.
His large,~luminous eyes. set far apart.