Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-04-24


man. He'd kill her. / mean 1t, Kemp
He would literally kill her with grief
She isn't like Leila Mortimer; she ISM
like most girls of her sort. You mer
think her a rather stunning, highly
tempered, unreasonable young girl
with reserve Of sufficiently trained
intelligence to marry the best our mar
ket offers-and close her eyes--a thor
oughbred with the caprices of one. but
also with the grated instinct for prop
err mating"
"Well, that's all right, isn't it," ask
ed FerraIl. That's the way I size her
up Isn't it correctT'
Eyes, In way. She has all the ex-
pensive training Of the thoroughbred
and all the ignorance too She is cold
blooded because wholesome. a trife
skeptioal because so absolutely un-
awakened. She never experienced a
deep emotion. Impulses have intoxi-
Gated her once or twice. But-but II
ever man awakens her--I don't care
who he is-you'll see girl you never
knew, q brand new creature emerge
with the last rags and laces Of cOnven-
tionality dropping from her, woman.
Kemp. heiress to every generous i'm
pulse, every emotion, every vice. every
virtue of all that brilliant race Of
hers"
"You seem to know" he said, anus.
ed and curious.
Il know. Major Belwether told me
that be had thought Of Howard as an
anchor for her. 1t seemed a pity
Howard with all his cold. heavy mega
tive inertia. said I'd do 1t. did.
And now don't know. I wish. almost
wish hadn't"
"What has changed your ideas%
81 don't know. Howard is safer than
Stephen Siward. already in the first
clutches of his master vice. Would
you mate what she inherits from her
mother and her mothers mother with
what is that poor boys heritage from
the Siwards?"
She held her horse to walk. rid.
ing forward, grave. thoughtful, pre-
occupied with new problem, only
part of which she had told her hus.
band.
For that night she had been awaken
ed In her bed to find standing beside
her a white wide eyed figure. SILVER
ing, limbs a-chil beneath her clinging
lace. She had taken the pallid visitor
to her arms and warmed her and
soothed her and whispered to her.
the thousand little words
and sounds. the breathing magic moth.
ers use with children.
Driven she knew not why. Sylvia
had crept from her room In search of
the still, warm, fragrant nest and the
whispered reinsurance and the caress
she had never before endured. Yes,
now she craved 1t. invited 1t. longed
for safe arms around her, the hover
Ing hand on her hair. Was this Syl.
via7
And Grace Ferrall. clearing her
sleepy eyes, amazed, increduious of the
cold, childlike hands upon her Shout.
1ers. caught her N her arms with a
little laugh and sob and drew her 70
ler breast. to soothe and caress and re.
assure to make up to her all she could
IF what is every child's just heritage.
And for a long while Sylvia, lying
here. told her nothing-because she
lid not know how-merely a word.
'estless question half ashamed barely
enough to shadow forth the something
stirring her toward. an awakening 10
, new world
And at length gravely. innocently'
The spoke Of her engagement and the
worldly possibilities before her. or the
nan she was to marry and her new
ind unexpected sense of loneliness IN
lis presence now that she bad seen
lin again after months.
49,