Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-02-29

| sylvia IurneU 10 SlWaru, glanced up
at him, hesitated and began to laugh
consciously:
What do you think Of my latest SEN
timental acquisitionT'
He'd be an ornament to q stock
FARM replied Siward, out of humor.
"How brutal you can ber she unused,
smiling.
Nonsense! He's a plain bounder,
isn't hep
81 don't KNOWS he? He struck me
trife appealingly. even pathetically.
They usually do. that sort AS though
the trouble they took could ever be
worth the time they loser'
She sat, smiling maliciously down at
the water, smoothing out the soaked
skirt of her swimming suit and swing
ing her legs refectively.
"Are you reconciled?" she asked
presently.
''To what?"
ITO leaving Shotover. Today is our
last day, you know. You may be here
again, but II shall not be if ever
come to Shotover again"
Her stockinged heels beat the devils
tattoo against the marble sides of the
pool. She reached up above her head
drawing down a Towering branch Of
Japanese orange, and caressed her deli
cate nose with the white blossoms
dreamily, then mischievously, "I'm ac-
customing myself to this most sig
nificant perfume" she said, looking at
him aSkance. And she deliberately
hummed the wedding march, watching
the color rise in his sulIen face.
IF you had the courage Of a spar
row you'd make life worth something
for us BOTH" he said.
She crossed her knees, one slender
ankle imprisoned in her hand, leaning
forward thoughtfully above the water.
"Our last day." she unused, "for we
shall never be just you and l again
never again, my friend, after we leave
this rocky coast Of Eden. 1 am to be
married a year from Nov. IL
He looked up at her in dark surprise,
for he had heard that their wedding
date had been set for the coming win
ter.
"a years engagement" he repeated,
unconYinced.
cit was my wish. l think that is
sufficient for everybody concerned"
Then, averting her face, which had
suddenly lost q little of it's color. "A
year is little enough" she said impa-
tiently. "I-what has happened to US
requires an interval-a decent interval
for it's burial. Stephen Siward. what
do you think Of me nowW
81 am learning" he replied simply.
"What, if you please?
Learning a little about what ] am
losing"
"You mean meT
"Yes."
ancing her body on the pools rim
with both arms, dropping her knee un-
til her ankles swung interlocked above
the water Listen" she said in low.
distinct voice. what you lose is no
other mans gain. If / warm and eX-
pand in your presence, if l say clever
things sometimes, If / am intelligent,
sympathetic and amusing, it is because
of you You inspire it in me. Normal
L.
at the station. / tell you that ! don't
know myself now; that / have not
known myself since knew you. Quail
tiles of understanding ability to APP
preciate, to express myself without
employing the commonplaces, subtle
ties of intercourse-all, maybe. were
latent in me, but sterile until you came
into my life. And when you go, then,
lacking impulse and incentive, the new
facility. the new sensitive alertness,
the unconscious self confidence, all
will smolder and die out in me. Shall
we take a farewell plunge and dress
You know we say goodby tomorrow"
'Where do you go from here"
'STo Lenox. The Claymores have
asked us for a week. After that Hot
Springs for another two weeks or SO.
After that to Oyster Bay. Mr.. Quar-
rier opens his house on Sedge point,
she added demurely, 'but don't think
he expects to invite you to The Sedges."
"How long do you stay there?" ask
ed Siward irritably.
until we go to town in December
"What will you find to do all that
time in Oyster Bay" he asked, more
irritably.
"What a premature question! The
yacht is there. Besides, there's the
usual neighborhood hunting, with the
usual packs and inevitable set, the
usual steeple chasing, the usual ex
change Of social amenities, the usual
driving and riding, the usual, my poor
friend, the usual, in all its uncompro
missing certainty. And what are you
to do?"
"I'm going to town"
"And then?'
81 don't know"
"Oh, but haven't you been asked
somewhere? You have, Of course"
eyes, and have declined"
MATTERS of business" she inferred
"Too badp'
ooh, no."
"Then." she concluded laughing