Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1909-02-19

ACCESSIBILITY of starting me overboard?''
And he nodded toward the water be-
meath their feet.
But you say that you won't let
me throw you overheard, Captain Sci
wyn.'
Il mean it, too" he returned.
"And I'm not to marry that nice
young MANI" mockingly sweet. mo?
What! Not anybody at all-ever and
ever?"
"A1e," he suggested, eff you're as
thoroughly demoralized as that"
"Oh! Must a girl be pretty thor
oughly demoralized to marry your
II don't suppose she'd do it If she
wasn't" he admitted, laughing.
She considered him, head on one
side.
'You are ornamental anyway" she
concluded.
"Well, them" he said, lifting the
leader from the water to inspect it,
"will you have me?'
ooh but is there nothing to recon-
mend you except your fatal beauty
"My mustache," he ventured. ITS
considered very useful when I'm men
tally perplexed."
Its clipped too close. l have told
you again and again that l don't care
for it clipped like that. Your mind
would be a perfect blank if you
oouldn't oat hold Of If !"
"And to become imbecile," he said,
'I've only to shave it."
She threw back her head and her
clear laughter thrilled the silence. He
laughed, too and sat with elbows on
his thighs, dabbling the crinkled lead
err to and fro in the pool below.
$50 you won't have me?" he said.
"You haven't asked me-have you?"
''Well, do now"
She unused, the smile resting lightly
on lips and eyes.
"Wouldn't such a thing astonish
Nina?" she said.
He did not answer. A slight color
tinged the new sunburn on his checks.
She laughed to herself, clasped her
hands, crossed her slender feet and
bent her eyes on the pool below
Marriage" she said, pursuing her
thoughts aloud, sis curiously unneces-
sary to happiness. Take our pleasure
in each other, for example. 1t has
from the beginning been perfectly free
from Stiffness and sentiment"
Naturally" he said. 'T'm old enough
to be safe"
"You are not! she retorted. "What
a ridiculous thing to say!'
"Well, then," he said, "I'm dreadful
ly unsafe, but yet you've managed to
escape. Is that it?"
perhaps. You are attractive to wo-
men, I've heard that often enough to
be convinced. Why, even l can see
what attracts them"-she turned to
look at him-"the way your head and
shoulders set-and-well, the-rest. It's
rather superior of me to have escaped
sentiment, don't you think SOP
Indeed l do. Few-few escape
where many meet to worship at my
frisky feet, and this 1 say without con-
ceit is due to my mustachios. Tangled
in those like web tied flies, imprisoned
hearts complain in sighs-in fact, the
situation vies with moments in Boccac-
cio"
Her running comment was her laugh
ter, ringing deliciously amid the trees
until wild bird, restlessly attentive,
ventured long, sweet response from
the tangled green above them.
After their laughter the soberness of
reaction left them silent for awhile
The wild bird sang and sang, dropping
fearlessly nearer from branch to branch
until in his melody she found the key
10 her dreamy thoughts.
Because she said, 'yoI are so I'M
conscious of your own value l like
you best, | think. l never before quite
realized just what it was in you"
"My value" he said, "is what you
care to make ii"
''Then nobody can afford to take you
away from me, Captain Selwyn."
He flushed with pleasure. THAT is
the prettiest thing a woman ever ad-
tnitted to a man." he said.
"What more is there than our con-