The state herald., 1910-12-02
CHAPTER X.
Miss Vests REQUEST,

"'os "Sst hCQucst.
The surprising change in her held
me speechless. All the animation of
the breakfast table was gone; there
was no hint of the response with
which. before, she had met my non.
sensical sallies. She stood there,
white-lipped,unsmillng, staring down
the dusty road. One hand was clench-
ed tight over some small object. Her
eyes dropped to it from the distant
road, and then closed, with a quick.
indrawn breath.
Her color came back slowly. What
ever had caused the change, she said
nothing. She was anxious to leave at
once, almost impatient over my de.
liberate masculine way of getting my
things together. Afterward / recalled
that | had wanted to explore the barn
for a horse and some sort of a We
hicle to take us to the trolley, and
that she had refused to allow me to
look. remembered many things
later that might have helped me, and
did not At the time, I was only com.
pletely bewildered. Save the wreck,
the responsibility for which lay be.
tween Providence and the engineer of
the second section, all the events of
that strange morning were logically
connected; they came from one cause,
and tended unerringly to one end.
But the cause was buried, the end
not yet in view.
Not until we had left the house
well behind did the girls face relax
its tense lines. I was watching her
more closely than | had realized. for
when We had gone little way along
the road she turned TO me almost pet.
ulantly. please don't stare so at
me" she said. to my sudden confusion
81 know the hat is dreadful Green al.
ways makes me look CHASTITY"
Perhaps It was the green" | was
unaccountnbly, relieved. DO Won
know. a few minutes ago. you looked
almost pallid to mel"
She glanced at me quickly. but |
was gazing ahead We were out of
sight OF the house, now. and with
every step away from It the girl was
obviously relieved Whatever she held
in her hand, she never glanced at II
But she was conscious OF Il every sec.
ond. She seemed TO come to n de-
cislon about II while we were still In
sight OF the gate, for she murmured
something and TUNED back alone. go.
ing swiftly, her feet stirring up small
puifs OF dust at every step. She fns.
tened something to the gate post
] could see the nervous haste with
which she worked. When she Joined
me again II was without explanation.
But the clonched fingers were free
now, and while she looked tired and
worn. the strain had ylsibly relaxed.
We walked along slowly In the gen.
ernl direction Of the suburban trolley
line. once man with an empty
wagon offered us lift, but after n
glance at the sprlngless vehicle de
clined.
The ends Of the bone think they
arc castanotH as Il H." I explained.
But the lady"
The young lady however declined
and we went on together once. when
the trolley line was In sight. she got
n pebble In her low shoe. and we sat
down under n tree until she found tho
cause Of the trouble.
IL don't know what should have
done without you" blundcrod.
Moral support nnd--Rnd all that DO
you know, my nrst conscious thought
after the wreck was OF relief that
you had not boon hurt7"
She was sitting beside me where n
big chestnut tree shaded tho road. and
surprised n look OF misery on her
face that certainly my words had not
been meant 10 produce.
And my nrst thought" she said
slowly, "waa regret that i-thnt I
hadn't been oblltoratod. blown out like
candle, Please don't look like thati
! am-only talking"
but her lips were trembling. and bo.
ehuno the little ahnma Of society arc
forgotten at times like this, leaned
over ana paited her hand lightly.
where n rested on the grass beside
mo
You must not ray those thlnEs." I
sKpoHtulatod Perhaps. after all. your
friends"
= had no friends on tho train"
Ter voice was hard again, her tone
nnal She drew her hand from under
ninc not quickly, but doclaiyely. A
iaf was IN alght coming toward u.s.