The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1910-12-07


and even with the distance and the
broad glare of noon between them
she recognized his aspect-his gayest,
of diabolic glee. There lurked about
him the impish quality Of the whistle
that had summoned her.
Come down." he called.
All sorts of wonders and terrors
were beating around her. He had
transcribed her widest wish; he had
come to her more openly, more dar>
ingly, more romaptically than she
could have dreamed. All the amaze
ment of why and how he had braved
the battery of the windows Of her
house was swallowed up in the greater
Joy of seeing him there. standing In
his "grays," with stiff black hat
pushed off his hot forehead, hands be.
hind him, looking up at her from the
middle of anemones and daffodils.
Come down." he called again, and
waved at her with his slim, glittering
stick. How far he had come since
their last encounter to wave at and
command her. as If she were verify
his own! She left the window, left
the room, ran quickly down the stair.
The house was hushed; no passing
but her own, no butler in the hall, no
kitchen-maid on the back stair. Only
grim faces of pictures-ancestors not
her own-glimmered reproachful
upon her as she fed past. Light
echoes called her back along the hall
The furniture, the mufling curtains,
her own reflections flying through the
mirrors, held up to her her madness,
and by their mute stability seemed to
remind her of the shelter she was
leaving to forbid.
She ran. This was not shelter; IL
was prison. He was rescue; he was
light itself. The only chance for her
was to get near enough to him. Near
him no shadow lived The thing was
to get near enough. She rushed d.
rect from shadow into light She
came out into the sun, into the gar
den with its blaze of wintry summer.
its whispering life and the free air
over 1t. The man standing in the
middle of 1t, for all his pot hat and
Gothic stick, was none the less its
demigod waiting for her, laughing.
He might we'll laugh that she who had
written that unflinching letter should
come thus flying at his call; but there
was more than mischief in him. The
high tide of his spirits was only the
sparkle of his excitement 1t was
evident that he was there with some.
thing of mighty importance to scy.
Was 1t that her letter had finally
touched him? Had he come at last to
transcend her idea with some even
greater purpose? She seemed to see
the power, the will for that and the
kindness-she could not call 1t by an
other word-but though she was be-
seeching him with all her silent atti-
tude to tell her instantly what the
great thing was, he kept 1t back mo-
ment, looking at her whimsically. In
diligently, even tenderly.
81 have come for you," he said.
"Oh, for mel" she murmured. Sure
ly he couldn't mean that! He was
simply putting her of with that.
81 mean it, I mean it," he assured
her. This doesn't make 1t any less
real, my getting at you through gar
den. Better" he added, "and sweet
of you to make the duller way Inn
possible"
She took a step back. 1t had not
been play to her; but he would have
it nothing else. He, too, stepped
back and away from her.
Come" he said, and behind him
she saw the lower garden gate that
opened on the grassy pitch Of the
hill, swinging idle and open. The
sight of him about to vanish lured her
on, and as he continued to walk back
ward she advanced, following.
"Oh, where?" she pleaded.
with mel" Such a guaranty Of
good faith he made It!
She tried to summon her reluctance.
But why?"
"Well talk about It as We go along"
His hand was on the gate. I'VE can't
stop here, you know. She'll be watch
ing US from the window"
Flora glanced behind her. The win.
dows we're all discreetly draped--
most likely ambush-but that he
should apprehend Clara's eyes behind
them! All, then, he did know what hs
was about! He saw Clara as she did
She would almost have been ready to
trust him on the strength Of that
alone. Still she hung back.
But my things!" she protested
She held up her garden hat And my
gown!" She looked down at her frail
silk flounces. Was ever any woman
seen on the street like this!
"Oh, la, Ia, Ia" he cut her short
1--WE can't stop to dress the part
You'll forget EN-"
She smiled at him suddenly. looked
back at the house, put on her hat
the garden hat. The moment she had
dreaded was upon her. In spite Of her