Wallowa County chieftain. [volume] (Enterprise, Or.) 1909-1911, 1909-08-05
CHAPTER ".

up the beach, | caught sight of woman
walking near the water. picked up my
binoculars and focused them on her. 1t
proved to be Miss Graham, dressed in
riding-habit, and with a broad felt hat
on her head. She was walking in a
somewhat aimless fashion. skirting the
waves as though she were playing with
them. | saw her glance once at the Ship
and once in the direction of my house.
/ put down the glasses and laid my
papers aside When l went downstairs
/ routed Charles out of a sound sleep in
the kitchen.
DO you remember how to make tea
good tea?' | asked him.
"Yes, Mr., Felix. Aren't you feeling
well. sir?'
Quite we'll Please make some tea
that shall be ready to serve in about an
hour, and get out box of those salty
biscuits, Set the small table in the din
ing-room out in front of the door, with
two chairs, and be ready to serve a lady
and myself"
Eyes, Mr.. Felix" Charles showed no
surprise, though he had never received
such an order since we had been at Alas
tair.
picked up cap, and left the house.
AS | did so | noticed that Miss Graham
had stopped walking and was gathering
smells. Half way to her. and she was
still absorbed in the shells, which are
quite unusually beautiful here; three
quarters of the way, and she was still
VI 1, \
her and was raising my cap to speak.
before she turned and saw me. A flush
OF surprise rose to her cheeks.
Good afternoon"
GOOD afternoon. Mr.. Hermit. Am
poaching on your preservesY
Not in the least make you free
of the CITY,"
There was a light in her blue eyes
which | discovered that remembered,
out found her riding-habit new and
wonderfully prepossessing. | was taking
stock of it when she interrupted me.
Il left my horse tied back in the
woods. Haven't you ever seen a riding
habit before?"
Yes beg your pardon, but it's so
very becoming"
Again the quick flush, and an instant,s
look at the sand. Then she laughed and
shook her riding-crop playfuly at me.
Beware. Mr.. Hermit Any man might
say thing like that. but I expect other
Things from you. That's one of the mem
olties of your position: you must be DIFF
ferent. look for the favor of romance
and adventure at Alastair." She laughed
at my puzzled face. shall 20 back
home again."
No. | will try to remember Did vor
come to see the sunset from the cliffp"
Yes My aunt has a headache and
mas stayed in bed all day. I bribed our
waiter to save me little supper and
send 1t up to my room at 8 o'clock. so
you see. I'm free of the club and din.
ner." She spoke impulsively, as 7 i'm.
ngined she might do many things. and
rglanced at me whimsically to see of what
was thinking. She had some of tbe
artlessness of child playing truant
from school. 81 do hate stupid convon.
lions, such as chaperons," she added. "es-
pecially in summer"
We walked past my cottage which
Miss Graham looked at with much crri-
oslty' asking me a hundred questions
about it-how | had discovered It. whv
l had bought it, how it was fashioned IN.
side, and how I did my marketing 7
told her had the same butcher thev had
at the club.
oh" she said. 81 half hoped Won
lived by hunting and fishing, but snn.
pose you'd rather indulge in OCCASIONAL
beefsteaks."
I'D rather live that way" said I. "but
Charles my man, Wouldn't like that. He
has a very cultivated palate"
when we came to the top of the cliff
felt like another Balboa discovering tbo
Paciic. In front of us lay the entrance
to the river, the sloping away of the
dunes to the low, level fields of meadow.
grass, and the distant background of tbs
pines. Here and there the fields were
dotted with beach marshmallow, windfalls
delicately pink along the sedpv hanLs
grew clumps of cat-tails, their brown nen-
mons stif like so much bronze. AT a IN.
tie landlng-stage, where the river had
hoilowed out harbor in the bank rodo
my cat-boat, the sail tightly furled tbe
mast rocking gently with the tide. As
we looked a flock of sand-snipe rose from
the tall rank grasses beyond the river and
spread themselves like a sail against Tho
western sky. Nature never looked 90 ah-
solutely peaceful.
LOOK, said: a heron. red-lep0ad
white-bodied, rose from the sedpes and
Mapped his way up the stream. He caIlad
to his mate. low, plaintive crv.
1T is beautiful" said the oir, r
don't wonder that you love it."
Look" | said the suns kaleidosoono
was changing, the pale yellows doenor.
ing the pinks turning to reds, to oranges
to brilliant, blazing Colds. Again n
shifted and softened; red and vallow
We're saffron, orange the color of coral
1ei again, and the whole west was Gold.
gn with a purple border, and then as ,ho
purple gained and the gold sank we could
see the army of pines silhoutted auainst
the dropping FIRE. A''
~ Ihey come. the armies come ~ 7 cr;od
oee the spears, see the crested borse.
men, see the banners in the rear ~
turned and her eyes were sb;r,,.
e1ultlng in the beauty of the scene tn"
we We're silent for time. until the hlaaa
nad softened and the battle dronned -
1Nunn