Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-03

said, and he took her hand In MS ana
proceeded to extract them while she
looked down at her almost invisible
wounds, tenderly amused at his fear
of hurting her.
"Do you know" she said, that peo-
pie are beginning to open their houses
yonder?" She nodded toward the
west. 'HThe Minister'S are on the way
to Brookminster, the Orchils have al
ready arrived at Hitherwood House
and the coachmen and horses were
housed at Southlawn last night.
rather dread the dinners and country
formality that always interfere with
the jolly times we have, but 1T will
be rather good fun at the bathing
beach, Do you swim we'll? But of
course you do
"Pretty well. Do you?"
"Pm a fish. Gladys Orchil and ]
would never leave the surf If they
| didn't literally drag us home. You
know Gladys Orchil? She's very nice,
| So is Sheila Minister You'll like her
| better in the country than you do in
town Kathleen Lawn is nice too.
Alas! l see many morning where
| Drina and l twirl our respective
thumbs while you and Boots are off
with gayer set.
| ooh, don't interrupt! No mortal man
| IS proof against Sheila and Gladys and
Kathleen, and you're not demigod,
are you? Thank you for your surgery
| upon my thumb" She naively placed
the tip Of it between her lips and
looked at him. standing there like
| schoolgirl in her fresh gown, FURNISHED
hair loosened and curling in riotous
beauty across cheeks and ears.
| He had seated himself on the wheel
| barrow again. She stood looking down
at him, hands now ,bracketed on her
| narrow hips. so close that the fresh
fragrance of her grew family percep
tible. a delicate atmosphere OF youth
mingling with the perfume Of the
young garden.
away with her garden shears, glanced
over her shoulder-and went on snip
ping. They did not notice how far
| away her agricultural ardor led her
did not notice when she stood a mo-
ment at the gate looking back at them
or when she passed out, pretty head
bent thoughtfully. the shears swing
ing loose at her girdle.
| You are very like boy some
times" said Eileen-"as young as Ger
| aid, often think, especially when your
hat is off. You always look so per
| fectly groomed. wonderI wonder
| what you would look like if your hair
were rumpled.''
TRY it, he suggested lazily.
az? l don't think ] dare" She
raised her hand. hesitated. the gay
daring in her eyes deepening to au
dacity. 'Shall II"
"Why notT'
"T-touch your hair-rumple 1t, as
would Gerald's? I'm tempted to-only
only
"What?"
II don't know. couldn't. lit was
only the temptation of a second
She laughed uncertainty. The sug
gestion of the intimacy tinted hel
cheeks with its reaction. She took O
short step backward. Instinct, blindly
1
faded from eye and lip his face chang
ed 100. And far, very far away in the
silent cells of his heart a distant pulse
awoke.
Have you misunderstood me" she
asked in low voice.
How, child?"
81 don't know. Shall we walk lit
tle?"
When they came to the stone fish
pond she seated herself for moment
on a marble bench, then, curiously
restless, rose again, and again they
moved forward at hazard, past the
spouting fountain, which was a driver
well, out of which crystal column OF
water rose geyser-like, dazzling in the
westering sun rays.
Nina tells me that this water rises
in the Connecticut hills" he said, "anG
flows as n subterranean sheet under
the sound. spouting up here on Long
Island when you drive we'll"
She looked at the column of flash
ing water, nodding silent assent.
They moved on, the girl curiously re
served, noncommunicative, head slight
ly lowered, the man vague eyed
thoughtful, pacing slowly at her side
Behind them their long shadows trail
ed across the brilliant grass.
Traversing the grove which encirclet
the newly clipped lawn, now fragrant
with sun crisped grass tips left in the
wake Of the mower, he mentioned
moonlight.
She glanced up, then away from him
you seem to be enamored of the
moonlight" she said
81 like to prowl in it."
"Alone?"
Sometimes"
"And-at other timesr
He laughed. "Oh, I'm past tn,
spooning age. Are you glad?"
She halted. Eyes, because I'm quit,
! sure of you if you are; l mean that
can always keep you for myself. Can
IIY
She was smiling, and her eyes wer,
clear and fearless, but there was /,
! wild rose tint on her cheeks which
deepened little as he turned short II
his tracks. gazing straight at her.