The Press., 1911-08-09

then that low, delicious laugh broke from her lips as her finger tips brush. ed his sleeve.
 Oliver, puzzled and quite as silent as his fair pursuer, doubled and turn ed and twisted and found difficulty in evading the grasp of her hands.
 There was no sound in the forest save the ring of their skates upon the ice and the occasional fall of some frost laden twig. In the distance blue jays were screaming, and occasionally the call of a crow came down from some altitude.
 All at once, when Oliver had again slipped through her little fingers, the girl stopped and pressed her hands over her beating heart
 ''It's not fair, Oliver" she pouted. ''You have decidedly the advantage of me. If I had not been handicapped I would have caught you long ago."
 Oliver Ray caught his breath sharp ly. What was this girl saying, and why did she call him Oliver?
 Again she spoke, this time with an acute note of anxiety in her sweet voice.
 ''Don't tease, Oliver. Won't you speak? Your silence frightens me" Again her head was bent in that lis tening attitude, only the eyes turned toward the young man were pitifully eager.
 'I wonder if you have not made a mlstake"- began Oliver gently. when the sound of his voice startled her into a terror that carried her swiftly to the other side of the pond.
 "Oh, who is it? Where is Oliver" she walled.
 "I am Oliver Ray." said the owner of that name apologedcally. "I am in charge of the surveying party, and I took the liberty of enjoying a quiet skate on this pond. am sorry if frightened you, but thought you could see that was a stranger"
 q thought it was my brother Oliver. He came down to skate, and was following him. Sometimes he tries to tease me by keeping very quiet and pretending that he is not here. Have I-have been pursuing you around this pondT she asked in a horror struck voice.
 "I rather enjoyed the exercise" ad- mltted Oliver with smile.
 "And your name is Oliver alsoP' she asked suspiciously.
 "Here is my card if you will look ct it." said Oliver, tugging at his breast pocket. -a
 ooh, I couldn't read it: am blind." she said simply.
 'Blind! Good Lord, how could guess thatT gasped Oliver. "Why. if I had only known might have saved you all this trouble. Pardon me. but it does not seem possible"
 "'It is only too true," said the girl, tinge of pathos in her voice. Then. as If his own quiet tones had reassured her, she went on: Il was not born blind. could see as well as anybody until a year ago, and then one day I fell through the ice in this pond and a form of rheumatism that the physicians say caused the loss of my sight"
 'But it is not incurable Surely you must recover your sight some day., protested Oliver. ......-.
 A clear whistle sounded through the woods, and, following the crash of frozen branches, a youth of sixteen came running toward them. "Oh, there you are, Elsie! Are you all dght?" he called anxiously.
 "Yes," she said severely. Where nave you been, Oliver LewisY' ''I didn't think you would be down | 70 soon, Elsie, and l ran on to chin a little with the surveyors beyond here, md forgot all about you. When I lid remember l didn't lose any time | getting here, you can bet" He looked | at Oliver Ray. and the girl 1 introduced them with a repetition of | hat delicious laugh.
 "I was afraid you might fall in," |aid the boy after shaking hands with !, he tall young man. "You don't want ! : =. $---- ----------