Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-20
~ LOVERS" LEAP x

C,S.a.=sssse.ss:::::..s...s -: .s:::::
= EFT to herself that afternoon she had taken
novel and had wandered the stony ground,
IL with its clumps of spruce and pine, its ragged
lodges and huge boulders the Deep narrow ravine
of Lovers Leap And there luled by the soft voices
of the forest she had lain upon thick carpet of
pine needles until the setting rested even upon
the bare hills
At length however, she rose to her feet and picked
Up the book at her side As she did So there dropped
from between its leaves leteror, rather, part of
letter. for the first pages missing. STOPPING, she
picked up from its restingplace, and was about to
replace between the pages of the book when her own
name caught her eye.
Unconsciously and quite naturally, she glanced at the
words that preceded and followed
"-the way in which Barbara Ladd has treated Bob
Remington, feel that have great desire to meet
her Women who will torture for the pleasure of
watching him squirm and open his soul just to what
lies therein child looks at the works of watch, do
not appeal me- But other matters will bring me, and
if it will inconvenience you put next to
else at dinner will to the ordeal of sitting by
her But do not hold it forth as an nducement
Sincerely yours,
GORDON STEELE"
There was postscript but she did not read it for
she had awakened suddenly the fact that the letter
was intended for other eyes than hers; and bright
flush flashed quickly the delicate wheness of her
cheek She replaced the letter between the leaves of the
book and with flashing eyes and surging heart turned
to retrace her steps to the Lodge.
She met Steele dinner that night He bent his head
in conventional acknowledgment of their introduction
and seated himself beside her at the table And,
throughout the meal they chatted calmly faciel upon
trviaities and commonplaces each yelling feelings
each buryng under flood of conversational nothings
that about which each would have liked to speak
For as he gazed the proudly poised head with its
wealth of goden-brown hair, the dark honest eyes and
the sensitive mOutn ne somehow or 1OunQ
fcult to believe that which his cold judgment had told
him was And in her. the temptation to tell him what
she knew and what she thought was great-very great
At house-party which includes one married couple
and two engaged couples, it would that remaining
guests must perforce make up their minds to be much
in each others company But somehow or other Steele
6r;r
tete-a-tete with this girl who had become to him
most tantalzing enigma For underneath the gay rail-
ery of her wit he continually caught gimpses of
tender seriousness keen of fair play and quick
sympathy. He felt confounded, puzzled by these in
consistenees between the woman he had made up his
mind to dislike and the woman he was finding
charming
Her cleverness in keeping up friendly attitude
toward him in the presence of the Others and yet evad
ing situations in which they would be left alone to-
gether aroused his admiration By the end of the third
day, Steele found himself thinking of very little else
except possible and impossible reasons for her evident
antipathy toward him.
their hostess suggested for them horseback to the
Fells she acquiesced gracefully and he too, fell in at
once with the pan assuring himself that here an
excellent opportunity to study her AS they cantered
down the woodland avenue Steele reined in his huge
black and rode slightly in the The girl was
mounted on beautiful cleanmbed chestnut that with
arching neck, danced daintly down the drive With
head held proudly and cheeks flushed she sat erect upon
her mount her 1.-THE body swaying with every movement
of the animal beneath her.
AT last she reined the to walk and waited for
him to to her side AS he drew his horse in beside
her, she turned her flushed face to him
81 have two things to tell you" she said frankly
blunty.