The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1909-01-20

delightful possibilities as she allowed !
him to help her into the sleigh and |
took the reins in her hands while the |
green stuff was tucked away behind I
the seat. She told him laughingly |
where she had picked it and spoke
her thanks for the freedom of the
woods that was rendered her at once.
Then she fell silent, the unwontedness
of her situation commencing to OPP
press her. She answered her neigh
boris further friendly remarks with
monosyllables, wondering meanwhile
with painful earnestness what people
talked about. what they ought to say,
under such conditions. At length she
said what was uppermost in her mind,
as a child might have done.
81 never was in sleigh before"
"You were never in a sleigh before?"
repeated the man beside her, as if he
hardly credited what she said. "How
is that?" Then, Il beg your pardon"
But Miss Christina was unconscious
Of any rudeness.
Father never owned one," she said.
The man drew his breath in softly.
Had no one else ever taken this young
old lady, with the still unfaded hair,
driving except her father? he wondered.
"Do you like it?" he asked.
eyes," replied Miss Christina.
They were rapidly nearing the gate
Of her home. "Shall we not go on?
asked the man, adding considerably
something about the unusual quality
of the sleighing.
Miss Christina assented without a
trace of shyness. She was growing
more natural and at her ease every
moment. The possible and the real
were blending so tremendously that
there was less and less room for self
consciousness. Even romance ceases
to be romance while 1t Is In process Of
occurrence; it becomes then merely de-
,ightful matter, Of course.
Not even the knowledge that at every
village window eager eyes were taking
note of the fact that the owner of the
great house on the hill was out riding
with Crischany Stebbins could dim her
pleasure. She was talking presently as
frankly as if to an old acquaintance
and listening with delight to the un-
folding of new fairy tales, which her
neighbours descriptions Of cities and
sights abroad were to her unaccustom-
ed ears. Touched by her naive inter-
est, he exerted himself gladly and be-
came entertaining beyond his wont.
They had passed through the vii
lage, re-entered it by another road and
| loF% In, 1,o
fore Miss Christina gave thought to
the passage of time. She was COM
pletely under the spell of adventure.
The trees whirling past gave her a
sense of pleasure in their shapes and
relations to the landscape quite new;
the very fields she saw at different
angle and from higher up than when
she traversed the road on foot. The
man at the reins turned the horse into
a crossroad that led to higher ground,
and Miss Christina caught a glimpse
of dark blue. She uttered a little cry
Of pleasure. For the moment she had
almost forgotten the man at her side.
He was watching her with absorbed
interest. 81 didn't know you could see
the ocean here" said Miss Christina,
with the satisfaction of child. 'They
have cut away the trees since l was in
carriage" She stopped abruptly, re-
Numbering that it was in her mother s
funeral procession she had last ridden
over this road.
Suddenly she missed her mother
afresh For almost the first time
since the poignancy of loneliness had
begun to wear away she thought with
real shrinking of the empty house to
which she must return.
Il ought to go back" she said. Pm
like the dog one of our neighbors used
to have whom we lived at Bristol for
little while. She kept him tied up
all the time. She said it made him so
uneasy if she let him run. 1 was
thinking I didn't want to go home
now"
The man looked at her sharply but
there was no trace Of significance in
her face or manner. She was speak
ing her thoughts with perfect uncon-
seriousness Of how they might strike a
listener. A change came over the
mans own face; an expression Of
whimsical tenderness took possession
of it. He had done many odd and
reckless things in the course of his
somewhat lonely life. He was going
now to do perhaps the oldest and
most reckless of all.
Suppose l were to say, DO not &C
back at all-go on with me always?' %
he said bending little to catch Miss
Christmas answer
She sat looking straight ahead. She
was not in the least surprised now.
She was not even conscious that her
heart beat at all the quicker. 1t was
what had been going to happen al
ways, only it never had until now. She
was entirely at home. 1t was as nat
ural and proper as events are in a
dream
81 should cay" she answered, almost
archly, that it sounded exactly like a
proposal of marriage"