The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-18
CHAPTER ky.

THROUGHOUT the week Daylight found him
self almost much interested IN Bob in
Dede; and not being In the thick OF any big
deals, he was probably more interested In both
OF them than In the business game. Bob's
trick OF whirling of especial moment TO him.
How to overcome It? That was the thing Suppose
he did meet with Dede out in the hills and suppose,
by some lucky stroke of fate he should manage TO
be riding alongside of her. then that whirl OF Bobs
would be most disconcerting and embarrassing. He
was not particularly anxious for her TO see him
thrown forward Bob's neck. On the other hand,
suddenly TO leave her and go dashing down the back
track plying quirt and spurs wouldn't do, either
What was wanted was method wherewith TO
prevent that lightning whirl. he must stop the
animal before it got around. The reins would not
do this. Tvitier would the spurs. Remained the
quirt. But how TO accomplish it, Absent-minded
moments were many that week when, sitting In bis
office chair in fancy he was asride the wonderful
chestnut sorrel and trying 10 prevent anticipated
whirl One such moment, toward the end OF the
week occurred In the middle Of A conference with
Hogan. Hogan celebrating new and dazzling legal
vision, became aware that Daylight was not listen
ing His eyes had gone ack-lustre, and he, too Was
seeing with inner vision
Got III" he cried suddenly. Hogan, congratulate
me. It's as simple as rolling off a log All I've got
to do is hit him the ncse and hit him hard"
Then he explained TO the startled Hogan, and be-
good listener again, though he could not re-
frain, now and again, from making audible chuekes
of satisfaction and delight That the scheme
Bob always whirIed 10 the right Very well He
would double the quirt in his hand and the instant
of the whrl that doubled qurt would rap Bob on
the nose The horse didn't live, after It had
learned the lesson, that would whrl in the face Of
the doubled Quirt
More keenly than ever during that week In the
Office did Daylight realize that he had social nor
even human, contacts with Dede The situation was
such that he could not ask her the simple question
whether she going riding next Sunday. II
a hardship of sort, this being the employer
of a pretty girl. He looked at her often when the
routine work of the day going on, the question
he could ask her tickling at the fOunts OF speech
she going riding next Sundayl And he
looked he wondered how old she was, and what
love passages she had had. must have had, with
those COLLEGE whippersnappers with whom according
TO Morrison, she herded and danced. His mind was
very full of her those six days between the Sundays,
and one thing he came to know thoroughly well, he
wanted her And much did he want her that his
old timdity Of the apron string put 10 rout He,
who had run away from women most or his life,
had now grown courageous as to pursue. Some
Sunday, sooner later, he would meet her outside
the Office somewhere in the hills and then, If they
did not get acquainted il would be because she did
not care to get acquainted.
Thus he found another card in the hand the mad
god had dealt him. How important that card was 10
become be did not Dream yet he decided that it
a pretty good card. In turn, he doubted. Maybe 1t
was trick Of luck TO bring calamity and disaster
upon him. Suppose kDede wouldn't have him. and
suppose he went loving her more and more, harder
and harder. All his old generazed terrors OF love
revived He remembered the disastrous love affairs
OF men and women he had known in the past There
was Bertha Doolittle, old DoOlittles daughter, who
had been mady in love with Dartworthy the rich
Bonanza Fraction owner; and Dartworthy in turn,
not loving Bertha at all, but madly loving Colonel
Walthst0ne's wife, and clipping down to Yukon with
her; and Colonel Walthstone himself madly loving
his own wife and lighting out in pursuit of the fleeing
couple And what had been the outcome? Certainly
Bertha's love had been unfortunate and tragic and
so had the love of the other three. Down below
MinOok Colonel WathstOne and Dartworthy had
fought 1t out Dartworthy had been killed. bullet
through the ColOneIs lungs had weakened him
that he died OF pneumonia the following spring And
the Coonels wife had one left alive on earth TO
love-
running mush ice because of soms man on the other
side or the world and hating him, Daylight because
he had happened along and pulled her out OF the
mush ice and back TO life. And the Virgin
The Old memories frightened him. If this love germ
grpped him good and hard and if Dede wouldn't
nave him. II might be almost bad as being gouged
out or all he had by DOwsett, Letton and Hammer
smlIn. Had his nascent desire or Dede been less
he might well have been frightened out OF all thougbt
OF her As ii he found consolation in the thought
that some love affairs did come out right And for
an he Knew maybe Luck had stacked the cards for
MN TO win Some men were born lucky, lived lucky
ali their days and died lucky. Perhaps, too he was
such man, born luek-pup who could not lose
sunday came, and Bob out in the Piedmont hills
behaved like an angel His goodness at times was
Oh the spirited prancng order but otherwise he was
lanlD Daylight, with doubled quiPt ready In his right
hand aehed for whir, just one whir which Boh
with an excellence of conduct that tantalizng re-
1900
counter he vainly crcled about among the hin
roads, and IN the afternoon took the steep grade over
me divide OF the second and dropped down into
Maraga Valley. Just after passing the foot of tha
descent he heard the hoofbeats Of cantering horse
II was from ahead and coming toward him Wbat If
II were DedeF He turned Bob around and started 10
return at walk. If it were Dede BE was born 10 Incl
ne decided for the meeting couldn't have occurrad
under better circumstances. Here they were botb
going In the same direction and the canter vonId
bring her up to him just where the stiff grade yvond
compel walk There would be nothing else for ber
TO do but ride with him to the top Of the divide and
once there the equally stiff descent on the Other al.
would compel more walking.
The canter came nearer but he faced straight ahead
until he heard the horse behind check to a Wall Tba
he glanced over his shoulder. 1t was Dede The rec
ognition was quick, and with her. accompaniea br
surprise. What more natural thing than that nart
turning his horse, he should wait until she caught mn
with him. and that when abreast they should confip
abreast up the grade? He could have sighed with
relief. The thing was accomplished and SO easily
Greetings had been exchanged. here they were side
by side and going in the same direction with miles
and miles ahead of them
He noted that her eye was first for the horse and
next for him.