The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-01-07
THE COLUMBIAN. BLOOMSBURd. pa


country in, yes. in over seven years.
The last time he and Barbara
The old pain gripped him, stlng'ng
his eyes and gripping his throat. His
hand slipped into a vest pocket
and drew forth a small, round. CLOSED
locket, on one size of which. chase
delicately, was lily, upheld between
two leaves; on the opposite an a
and a B. lntertwined. He opened
1t, held 1t close in a palm, and Look
ed tenderly upon the pictured face
"Ar-roy-o!"
The trainman's cry brought him
to his feet He put the locket away,
took up a hand satchel and hurried
out and down. A trap was waiting.
In charge of man in a smart covert
livery.
When the trap pulled up, only
Mrs. Thorburn greeted him. The
others are at the tennis court" she
exclaimed. Dorothy and Hal, Miss
Scott-you remember her-the
Lamberts, babies and all"
Good" exclaimed Austin.
And Ned Heaton." Mrs. Thor
burn rather snapped this out.
"Oh, yes.-Ned," said Austin.
wondering at her asperity.
Halls fond of him." she added in
a tone which informed her hearer
that she was not.
He met the house-party at lunch
con. Miss Scott sat next him md
was more pert than usual, owing to
the roguish attentions of young Hal,
who held the end of the table, op-
posite his mother. Across from Aus
tin seated between the Lambert, Tan
ostentatiously happy married cou-
ple), was Dorothy.
Presently Austin responded to the
infectious merriment-and found
himself laughing.
Luncheon was over, tea-time was
nearly at hand, and Austin, with the
young ladies looking gleefully on,
was busIly trying to worst Hal at
billiards. Suddenly he remembered
that Ned Heaton had not appeared
at luncheon or afterward.
"Oh, he's staying at the Hamilton
ranch, just back of Arroyo" Hal ex-
planned. Rides over ev,ry morn
ing to help Dorothy lick us at ten
MIS-" This with a sly smile at Miss
Scott.
New guests were added at dinner
and this brought Miss Dorothy next
Austin. He spoke of ride. She
agreed to 1t enthusiastically: and
for an hour and a quarter held forth
on Notwithstanding and the growing
popularity of stride saddles. Wlen
dinner ended and the company
strollej out upon the lawn for cof-
fee, she went with him.
Dorothy and he had their ride in
the morning, and came across Ned
Heaton Just outside of Arroyo dor
othy had chosen that direction). The
three cantered homeward together
and breakfasted with the rest. Then
Hal and Austin went back to their
billiards, while Ned and Dorothy
with the Lamberts, sought the Ten
nis-court.
1t was glimpse Austin got of the
Lamberts a sthey went out, that
started new train of thought for
him. The husband walked close to
the wife, smiling into her face md
letting a round elbow rest in his
hand. The sight drove Austin to
the woods beyond the stables when
looking at the great. low-branched
the billiard game came to an end.
Out among the oaks Oh the MILL
side, he sat down in the shade.
''It's like a Keith canvas" he SAID,
o-king at the great, low-brancled
oaks with their horny trunks and
tufts of mistletoe. He lay back,
his head on his hat, his eyes shat.
Here ws rest indeed.
The gobble, gobble, gobble Of an
angry turkey-cock disturbed the
quiet. He sat up watching to the
left, where, through break in the
woods, could be seen the long reg
ular rows of hillside vineyard.
Something was moving at its edge
a woman. He rose to his feet. Even
at that distance he could see that
she was young and dark. and dress
ed in something light and simple.
She was swinging hat by one hand;
the other held leafy branch; and
with hat and branch she shooed for
ward into the woods a small bani Of
bronze-colored turkeys.
She approached so slowly that
Austin sat down again. Presently
he heard her singing, though he
could not distinguish the words or
the tune. Through the song, pune
"a tipo cnupdad tho ,Niaroip- No