Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-05-08

minded pfeOccupdtiou cohlihuou'
"Do you think the leaves are dry
enough to sit onT'
He slipped off his shooting coat ana
placed it at the base of the tree. She
seated herself, and, as he continued to
remain standing, she stripped of her
shooting gloves and glanced up at him
inquiringly. We'll, Mr.. Siward, am
literally at your feet"
(which redresses the balance a lit
tic" he said, finding place near her.
He sat there, chin propped on his
linked fingers, elbows on knees and.
though there was always the hint OF a
smile in his pleasant eyes, always the
indefinable charm of breeding in voice
and attitude, something now was lack
ing. And after moment sac con.
cluded that 1t was his attention. Ger
tainly his wits were woolgathering
again. His eyes, edged with the shad-
ow Of u smile, saw far beyond her, far
beyond the sunlit shadows where they
sat.
In his preoccupation she had found
him negatively attractive. She glanced
at him ~new from time to time, her
eyes returning always to the beauty of
the subdued light where all about them
silver stemmed birches clustered like
slim shining pillars crowned with their
autumn canopy of crumpled gold.
"Enchantmentp she said under her
breath. Surely an enchanted sleeper
lies here somewhere"
"You," he observed, ''unawakened."
ASLEEP? II" She looked around at
him. "You are the dreamer here. Your
eyes are full of dreaming even now.
What is your desire?'~
He leaned on one arm, watching her.
She had dropped her ungloved hand,
searching among the newly fallen gold
of the birch leaves drifted into heaps.
On the third finger a jewel glittered.
He saw 1t, conscious of its meaning
but his eyes followed the hand idly
heaping up autumn gold-a white slim
hand, smoothly fascinating. Then the
little restless hand swept near to his,
. almost touching it, and then instinc-
lively he took it in his own curiously,
lifting it little to consider its nearer
loneliness. Perhaps it was the unex-
pectedness of 1t, perhaps it was sheer
amazement, that left her hand lying
idly relaxed like a white pataled bios
som in his.
After little while the consciousness
Of the contact Disconnected her. She
withdrew her fingers, with an invol-
untary SILVER.
as there no chance for me, Miss
Landis?"
The very revulsion of self possession
returning chilled her; then anger came
quick and hot; then pride. She DELHI
Grated, choosing her words coolly
enough, what chance do you mean.
Mr.. Siward?'
"a fighting chance. Can you give 1t
to me"
"a fighting chance? For what?"
very low, very dangerous.
"For you"
Then in spite Of her her senses be-
came unsteady. A sudden ringing con-
fusion seemed to deafen her, through
which his voice, as If very far away,
sounded again:
"Men who are worth fighting
chance ask for it sometimes, but take
It always" I take it."
Her pallor faded under the food OF
bright color. The blue Of her eyes
darkened ominously to velvet.
"Mr. Siward," she said very dis.
tinctly and slowly, 81 am not-even-
sorry-for YOU"
"Then my chance is desperate In.
Decd" he retorted coolly.
"Chance! Do you imagine"- Her
anger choked her.
: "Are you not little hard?" he said,
psling under his tan. II suppose wo-
men dismissed men more gently--even
such a man as / am"
For a full minute she strove to com.
prehend.
"Such a man as you" she repeated
vaguely. "You mean A crimson wave
dyed her skin to the temples. and she
leaned toward him In horror stricken
contrition. II didn't mean that. Mr.
Siward! IL never thought Of that!
1t had no weight 1t was not in my
thoughts. I meant only that you had
assumed what is unwarranted-that
you your question Inundated me.
knowing that am engaged-knowing
me so little-so"-
"Yes. knew everything. Ask your
self why risk everything to say this to
your There can be only one answer"
Then, after long silence. Have l
ever" she began tremblingly-"eyer
by word or look
mo"
"Have I even"-
mo. I've simply discovered how I
feel. That's what was dreaming
about when you asked me. ! was
afraid I might do this too soon, but I
meant to do 1t anyway before 1t be-
came too late"
ut was too late from the very mo-
ment we met, Mr.. Siward." And, as
he redeemed painfully again, she added
quickly, 81 mean that had already
decided"
And, as he said nothing: "You were
& little rough, little sudden with nae,
Mr.. Siward. Men have asked me that
question-several times. but never so
soon, So unreasonabiy soon = never
without some preliminary of some sort,
80 that could foresee-be more or less
prepared. But you gave me no warn
ing. I-if you had l would have
bpoxyn how IN no gentle IL wish to