Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1909-04-15
cHAPTER x.-continued.

CHAPTER X.-Continued.
1T 10 all very well for you tt
laugh" she remarked, but you dom
even know whether there is as much
as a cracker in the house. I'll have
to go to the village and see what l car
find"
/ really sympathized with Elizabeth
and tried to show it in a practical man
ner.
Suppose I do the marketing.
love poking round in those queer little
shops"
You'd buy whatever they told you,'
she returned, ungratefully, ''and prob
ably come home with a leg of mutton
and a head Of cabbage for a picnic sup,
per. No-Ill send Mary Anne; that
will be best of all"
Mary Anne, as usual, anne nobly to
the rescue.
tits not the first supper I've spread
on ire rocks" she said, "and most
likely 1t won't be the last. So rest
easy, Miss Elizabeth, fur well l know
how to purvide and there's ncthin' to
worrit yerself over at all. Though why
folks should want to do SIGH things
when they might set up at a table and
eat like Christians, l can't fur the
life of me make out"
Gabrielle repeated this speech as
we sat around our fire that night and
watched the waves break against the
rocks, sending up little fountains of
foam that sparkled in the moonlight.
Her hands were clasped about her
knees, and her hair glistened here
and there where the spray had
touched 1t.
"Of course" said Lord Wilfrid, zone
could not expect the lower classes to
understand the subtle fascination of
an evening like this"
"Wilfrid knows so little of the lower
classes" interposed Lady Edith;
wouldn't it be better, dear, to give
them the benefit of a doubt? They
may enjoy the beauties Of nature in
their WI way, you know, although it
is, of course, quite different from
yours"
1t was a very innocent little speech,
laughingly uttered, yet Lord Wilfrid's
face darkened d~isagreeably and he
pulled his cap down over his eyes in
a manner distinctly irritable. Evil
IDENTIFY he brooked no criticism, how
ever slight, and l wondered whether
this was the effect of his illness or his
natural disposition. His sister looked
at him a moment, then turned to Eliza
beth with a perfunctory remark about
the beauty of the night. She never
noticed his sulky moods, although
they occurred quite often, and was al
ways ready to respond with a smile or
a cheerful word when he deigned to
be pleasant again.
Elizabeth laid her hand on Lady
Edith's with a caressing gesture. She
said afterward that she was glad she
had done 1t, for at the moment she
quite hated Lord Wilfrid and knew
from the way his sisters hand clasped
hers that she needed sympathy.
They sat together upon a large fat
rock with their backs against a
higher boulder, while Mr.. Blake and
Mr.. Graham sat at their feet, feeding
the fire with bits of driftwood and
casting appreciative glances at the
picture just above them.
l thought Mr.. Blake looked as
though he envied Elizabeth and would
have been quite willing to be sympathet-
dc himself. | could not see Mr.. Graham
so distinctly, for his face was in the
shadow, SO / leaned forward a little
that | might get a better view. AS i
did SO I noticed that Mrs. Graham
also was looking toward him and be-
yond him to the sea, her dark eyes
widely opened and her lips slightly
parted.
The fresh salt air had brought no
touch OF color to her face, which
seemed even paler than usual In the
white light as | followed the direction
Of her gaze, past the blazing fire, over
the rocks, and out where the ocean
stretched undulating into space. A
broad silver path was spread directly
opposite us, ~quivering with the In
coming tide and sparkling here and
there where the pillows broke into lit
tie ~white-capped waves.
az Is lovely, isn't it?' / said, think
tng ! understood her abstraction.
She turned toward me with a quick
nervous movement.
4 beg your pardon. I'm afraid my
thoughts we're wandering.