The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-01-29

err. however. Ouly appeared @ IN
crease his thirst He opened the hall
door. prepared 10 descend into the
deptbs Of the house and raid side
board. and a. be- thrust his heavy head
out into tEa lighted corridor his eyes
fell upon two figures standing at the
open door OF a bedroom. one was 81
ward. that was plain. Who was the
girl be had kissed: one OF the maids
< Somebody's wiIet Whof
Every duh pulse began 10 hammer
+ in AIovtiuners head. In his excitement
he stepped halfway into the corridor
then skipped nimbly back, closing MS
/ door without a sound
"Sylvia Lands by all that's holy.
1 he breaIheI 10 himself and sat down
! rather suddenly on the edge of the bed
After awhile he rose and crept to
the door. OPENED it. glued his eyes to
the crack in time TO catch glimpse
of Siward entering his own corrldor
alone
And tina, night Mortimer, lying
awake in bed busy with schemes, be
came conscious of a definite idea. IL
took shape and matured so suddenly
that it actually shocked his moral
sense. Then 1t scared him.
"But-but that is blackmailV ne
vhispered aloud. "a man can't do that
sort of thing. What the devil ever
nut IT into my head? And there are
men | know--women, tOo-scOundrelly
blackguards who'd use that informa-
zion somehow and make 1t pay too,
The scoundrels!
He squirmed down among the bed
clothes with a sudden shiver, but the
night had turned warm
''Scoundrelsg" he said, with mtioer
emphasis. .Blackmailers! Contempt
Bile pupsF
He fell asleep an hour later, muttsr-
ing something incoherent about scoun-
drels and blackmail.
And meanwhile in the darkened
house from all round came the noise
Of knocking on doors, sounds OF people
stirring low voice here and there
lights breaking out from transoms. the
thud of rubber shod heels, the rattle
of cartridges from the echoing gun
room. For the guests at Shotover were
ava king lest the wet sky, whitening
behind the east ring with the whlm
nering wedges of wild fowl rushing
seward over empty blinds.
+ The unusual stiffness of the house IL
the late morning sunshine was pleas
, ant to Miss lands. She had riser
very late. unconscious of the stir ano
movement before dawn, and 1t was
: only when a maid told her as she
q came from her bath that she remem
, bered the projected point shooting an'
, concluded with an odd, happy sense o
l relief that she was almost alone IL
z the house.
! A little later, glancing from her BED
room window for a fulfillment OF tn
+ promise Of the sun which a ghmps
/ Of blue Sky heralded, she saw Leli
. Mortimer settling herself in the Iof
. ward seat OF a motor car and Beyefl.
+ Plank climbing in beside her, and sh
J. watched Plank steer the big nlacnLl
, across the wet lawn while the maehiI
q ist swung himself into the tonneal
), and away they rolled, faster, raster
! rushing out into the misty hinterlan
\ where the long streak of distant flores
% already began to brighten, edged VII
= tbe first RAYS of watery sunshine.
e So she had the big house to herseE
i every bit Of 1t, and with It freedoI
= from obligation, from comment tfoi
- demand or exaction; freedom from n
sfrainf, liberty to roam about to rea'
n to dream. to idle, to remember Al
! that was what she needed-a quiet Il
r. teryal in this hurrying youth OF mel
\ to catch her breath once more an
o. stand still and look back day or wv
and remember.
a So 10 breakfast all alone was q
~ licious to stroll unhurried to the SD
20 hoard and leisurely choose among u
~ fresh cool fruits; to loiter owe. .rea
! Jug and cereal; to saunter our INTO u
: freshness of the world and breathe
or and feel the sun warming cheek ar
throat and the little breezes from
Sc sunlit sea stirring the bright stran'
ad of her hair,
nt out over the rain wet odorous gra
as she picked her way, skirts swung hls
n above the delicate contour OF ank
,le and limb. following a little descendli
-st path she knew full Of rocky angl
ed swept by pendant sprays OF olac
berry. and then down under the u
no ting rock, south through thickets
or wild cherry along the crags, until
nis lore her the way opened downWa
no again where tiny crescent oea
10 glimmered white hot in the sun.
are From his bedroom window Mortim
70 peeped forth, following her progre
ks with a leer,
e,F As she descended, noticing the III
of bronzing seaweed piled along l
:. tide mark, her foot dislodged Il
o. triangle of rock, which rolled clatu
49, ing and ringing below and as
.oa sprang lightly to the sand man.
' '~u ing full length and motionless as
t1Ad hfnEnlf