The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-03-15

asked recklessly. Inwardly he was
certain that this was not so-that,
au fond, the girl was his, if pressure
were brought to bear.
Vernon felt the blood rise warm
to cheeks and brow. But in her soul
voice urged that her own voice
sounded strange in her ears, her
heart seemed beating in her throat.
But she made a supreme effort, and
said distinctly
Yes, Lionel, / do"
She dared not look at Jem, but
she was conscious that he made a
quick movement, raised his hand to
his eyes as though to brush some
thing from his sight. He moved up
quite near to Gladwyn.
You have your answer, sir" he
said.
Il don't take it," declared Lionel
wildly. You have prejudiced her
against me! You have come between
us, told her things about me"
Come" said Jem temperately,
don't talk wildly. / never saw you
in my life, nor heard of you"
Vernon assured him. "Jem doesn't t
know am sure he doesn't"
Look here" said Jem. Il don't
know exactly what you mean, but |
feel very sorry for you. Only l must
think of Miss Wilmot first. All this
is too much for her. Won't you go
back to Carronlea, and leave her to
collect herself? will bring her home
later, and then we can have things
cut. If you think you have a griev-
ance against me, I'm quite at your
service, you know. / shan't run
away"
He spoke in low, tense voice,
that told Vernon how great was his
inner excitement. Lionel clenched
his fists and glared at him. They
We're fine pair, and Vernon caught
herself thinking that a fight be.
tween them would be an even match.
She wondered that she could think
that thing at that moment. But all
her mind was, as it were, dislocated,
broken up into fragments, and float.
ing discursively in a void. She knew
there was grass under her feet, and
sky and trees about her; but the
colors Of everything were changed,
and Jem's voice came from far away.
She could see that he drew Lionel
to little distance, she could hear
their voices, IN urgent talk. She did
not catch what they said; but after
a minute or two they both stroled
away, up the slope, in the direction
of the road. She did not call, for
she knew that Jem had no intention
of leaving her alone. She merely,
with gratitude, sank down among
the fern, and stared at the pool in
silence so amazed that it was al.
most hypnotic.
The milky vel. of clouds was part
ing towards the west, and shafts
of delicate sunlight, warmly colored,
stole through. They tinted the wat
ers of the mere, and made a paah of
glory towards the brink where the
girl sat- Along it, every snowy
plume tinged with fire, sailed the SUI
perb male swan, his wings raised
The soft, melodious evening call of
the sedge warbler made a kind of
Alleluia to her flooding emotions of
divine thing too inward to be
described as joy-as yet.
She asked herself nothing. she
made no attempt to collect her
thoughts. She just sat there, steeped
in the unutterable nature of her own
sensations, passively awaiting what
should happen next. She had played.
IN her turn. She had said the decis-
I'VE word from which there was no
going back. Now she had only to
wait, and see what would follow.
The minutes heightened themselves
'ut. Apparently Jem and Lionel did
lot find their differences easy to
settle. She sat on in the stiffness.
i'll suddenly a thought darted into
Ter mind. Were they-was it DOS.
lble that they were fighting.
She knew the. idea was absurd,
ct 1t brought her to her feet. And |
ar up the slope she saw Jem coming
lowly down towards her, his head |
till bare, his hands behind his back.
he sunlight caught him and gilded
is rough tweeds and shone upon
Is face Such a wonderful. still
ace, as it might have been the
of some rough. unlet-
cred knight, some Deloraine, to
HON all Unexpectedly, the Vision
the Grail had been vouchsafed.