Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-19

spent hour inside the house. and then galoped off
knows where, before anybody could get look at
his face. Dubois the postman, used to leave great
many letters with crests hem but not many now,
hear Look carefully next time you walk in the forest
and when you hear footstep turn your head
SEVERAL weeks passed in this way and then came
late afternoon when was on long plateau. Sud
denly at the farther end of wood path caught
glimpse of something moving
The trees arched above the path and the light
filtered dimy, through cathedral windows. \
shadow in the gloom the moving object seemed known
to be alive only because it moved; known be moving
only because of the sunbeams it tossed in its progress
"a Pickering shadow, not even differentiated
until 1t approached nearer, special woman
until she had reached within few hundred feet of me-
By this time there was no mistaking it. 1t not
Gables!
Something in the pose of her head with the peculiar
uplht of the chin-the poise of a who looks
the tops of things, not under themconvinced of her
identity. But she was not queer as Susette had sald
had she tried to hide behind tree; instead she
walking straight toward me- her deep gray eyes mne
her ungoved hand extended as she fastened her last
steps
smile not only lighting up her face, but seeming to
those of wood bird "You live in the house
that | see from my windows-your droll landadys
taste, am sure, not yours But can't we sit down
moment? and she drew me to fallen treetrunk. Il
want to know you BETTER for we love the things
the out of DOORS and these great friends of ours the
trees
| took my seat beside her, answering her as best
could, bewidered | by her personality: sixty,
perhaps, yet age was not part of her. her hair only
family nged with gray; her skin of that color and fine
ness which in woman stands for birth and tender
and her eyes deeply shadowed while about her mouth
there played sympathy warming and bewildering in
She talked of many things: the old women bent with
their fagots the poor mushroom gatherers who passed.
and the struggles they made to live, her all the
time searching into if she would read my very
soul. Then she left me- and saw her figure with its
gentle distinction fade away among the leaves. Not
till she had gone did gain possession of myself Where
had | seen her before?
THAT night note arrived: she would take the
much my 1andlady's establishment, there followed
other notes, and other walks and finally invitation
to the mysterious house. and even to the room that
opens the balcony with its flowers in china pots 1t
the room in which she slept.
What impressed me on first entering was its air of
ndescribable quiet, calming and refreshing that of
her reposeful presence By degrees only could
take details the rich, but faded red upon the walls
and draped about the bed the poched floor, and the
old French chests of drawers Above these hung full
length portraits of her anCesorsa distinguished group
of and women, in sable bordered satins,
with swords, and all with thoughtful brows and firm
strong lps,gving to the odd effect of being
somehow peoped by those with power to make them
selves your friends
Frequent visits followed to this which
villagcr enterS,ViSitS made fascinating by her
talk of books and nature she and sewed her gar
ments for the poor; growing more and more mysied
to her real identity and that haunting resemblance
to familiar face, and more and more bewildered
by her charm and tenderness Intimate, the world
would have called us; though never escaped the
of something sbtly suggestive of barriers between
she the side with her gentle aloofness from things
PERSONAL on the other not wishing to oversep the line
yet all astir and eager for the store of knowledge that
this enchanting woman held. Each time met felt
myself drawn the closer.
IN walks and talks like these sped the early days of
our acquaintance, until this afternoon when the post
man. his head shrouded in a monks hood, and his long
cape beaded with raindrops, made special trip to bring
me another of her notes the third this week