Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1910-01-13
CHAPTER VHI.-contInued.

night.
4. CHAPTER vIiI.-continued.
"An interest in geography, shall we
call it?" she chaffed, gayly.
cor astronomy! We will assume
that we are both looking for the Little
Dipper."
Good" she returned on my own
note. Between the affairs of the Hol-
brooks and your evening Dipper hunt
you are a busy man, Mr.. Donovan"
II am not half so busy as you are,
Miss Hoibrook! 1t must tax you Sc
verely to maintain both sides of the
barricade at the same time," l ven
tured boldly.
"That does require some ingenuity
she replied, musingly, but / am very
flexible character"
"But what will bend will break-you
may carry the game too far"
ooh, are you tired Of it already"
mot d bit of it; but should like
to make this stipulation with you:
That as you and / seem to be pitted
against each other in this little con-
test, we shall fight it all out behind
Miss Pats back. / prefer that she
shouldn't know what a." and / hes
ltated.
ooh, give me name, won't your"
she pleaded, mockingly.
what a beautiful deceiyer you
are!"
splendid! We will agree that am
q deceiver!"
'If it gives you pleasure! You are
welcome to all the JOY you can get out
of it,"
please don't be bitter! Let us play
7 fair, and not stoop to abuse"
II should think you would feel con-
trite enough after that ugly business
of this afternoon. You didn't appear
! to be even annoyed by that Italians
effort to smash the launch"
She was silent for an instant; I
heard her breath come and go quickly;
when she responded with what seemed
forced lightness:
"You really think that was inspired
by" she suddenly appeared at a
loss.
by Henry Holbrook., as you know
well enough. And If Miss Pat should
be murdered through his enmity, don't
you see that your position in the mat
ter would be difficult to explain? Muir
der, my dear young woman, is not
looked upon complacently, even in this
remote corner of the world"
"You seem given to the use Of
7 -
drop the calling of names and consider
Just where you put me-"
81 don't put you at all; you have
taken your own stand. But / will say
that / was surprised not to say
panied, to find that you played the
eavesdropper the very hour you came
to Annandale"
A moments silence; the water muir
INJURED in the reeds below; an owl
hooted in the Glenarm wood! a rest
less bird chirped from it's perch in a
maple overhead.
ooh, to be sure!" she said at last
you thought / was listening while
Aunt Pat unfolded the dark history of
the Holbrooks."
Il knew it, though / tried to be-
iieve l was mistaken. But when /
saw you there, on Tippecanoe creek,
meeting your father at the canoe-ma-
ker's house, was astounded; I did
not know that depravity could go so
far"
my poor, unhappy, unfortunate IA
ther!" she said in low voice; there
was almost a moan In 1t.
II suppose you defend your conduct
on the ground of filial duty" / sug-
gested, finding 1t difficult to be severe
why shouldn't II. Who are you to
Judge our affairs? We are the unhap-
piest family that ever lived; but l
should like you to know that 1t was
not by my wish that you were brought
into our councils. There is more in
all this than appears!"
There is nothing in 1t but Miss Pat
her security, her peace, her happi-
ness. I am pledged to her. and the
rest of you are nothing to me. But
you may tell your father that / have
been in rows before and that propose
to stand by the guns"
SNAIL utllNeT your message, MT.
Donovan; and / give you my fathers
thanks for it." she Knocked.
Your father calls you Rosalind--
before strangers!" / remarked
Eyes. It's a fancy of his" she muir
INJURED, lingeringly. Sometimes it's
Viola. or Perdita, but, as think of 1t,
it's oftener Rosalind. l hope you don't
object, Mr.. Donovan"
mo, / rather like it; It's In keeping
with your variable character. You
seem prone, like Rosalind, to wood
land wandering. dare say the other
people of the cast will appear in due
season. So far have seen only the
Fool"
1.-The Fool? oh. yes; there was
Touchstone, wasn't there?"
81 believe it is admitted that there
was"
She laughed; i felt that We were
bound to get on better, now that we
understood each other,
You are rather proud Of your at