The Washington herald., 1911-08-11

| rived The sun was low in the west. ap-
preaching the rim OF the hills, and its
level rays lighted the autumn foliage
crossed the great trees. frightened the
tall white pillars. II even illuminated
| the grounds beyond. SO that quite through
the body of the house itself its golden
light could be seen on the farther slopes,
framing the quaint and singular picture
thus set apart All around rose the wide
cup of the valley. its sides as yet covered
by unbroken decoration of vivid or parti-
colored foliage. Here and there the vivid
reds of the wild sumac broke out in riot
framed lower in the scale were patches
of berry vines touched by the
frost; while now and again a
maple lifted aloft a fan of clean scarlet
against the sky-all backed by the more
somber colors of the oaks and elms, OF
the now almost naked branches of the
lindens
These enfolding forests gave a look OF
protectedness to this secret place. They
left a feeling not of discomfort but OF
shelter. Moreover, the grass underfoot
was soft and still green. Some sort OF
comeliness, picturesque though rude
showed in the scant attempts to modify
nature in the arrangement of the
grounds. And there, noble and strong,
upon a little eminence swelling at the
y
house, rude, unfinished, yet dignified. IL
it seemed just this side of elegance, yet
the look of 1t savored of comfort. To
a woman distracted and weared II
should have offered some sort of rest.
To her who now gazed upon it, the sight
afforded only horror. This, then, was
the place. Here was to be her trial.
This was the battle ground.
Dunwody fingered, hoping to hear some
word of satisfaction.
The hills are beautiful, the trees are
beautiful, and the sky" she said, at
length. What God has done here is
beautiful. But God. Himself is gone"
Rage filed him suddenly. ''At any
rate, this is what / have and all l have
he said, Like it, woman, or by God!
hate 1t! Here you are, and here you
stay, until-until / die or until God re-
turns. You are the only woman in II
for me when you step into that house
there. You are its mistress. l rule here.
But what you want shall be yours at
any time you want it. You can think
of nothing in the world that shall not
be brought to you when you ask for 1t.
My servants are yours. Choose from
them as many as you like"
Slaves for your slave? You are full
of kindness indeed! But / shall never
be what you delicately call the mistress
IdIiWOOOs.
by the Lord! girl. il / thought that
would be true--if / thought for one mo-
ment that it were true In a half
frenzy he threw out his arm. rigid. An
instant later he had lapsed into one of
the moods new to him. There is no
punishment | don't deserve" he said.
IAN the time l have hurt you. when I'd
rather cut my tongue out than hurt you.
I've seen you. these few days, God
knows, at the hardest-me at the worst
you at the worst But your worst is
better than the best of any other wom-
an ever saw. I'm going to have YOU
It's you or nothing for me. and I'm go
ing to have you. Choose your own title
here, then. madame. This is your home
or your prison, as you like
For a moment Josephine paused. look
ing around her at the surrounding hills.
He seemed to catch her thought. and
smiled at her.
Twenty miles to the nearest house
that way, madam. None at all that
other way. Every path known and
guarded by my people. No paths at all
in these hills out yonder Wild animals.
in them, little food In them for
man or woman not used to living
wild You would be helpless In one day.
II you tried to get out Wed fnd you
before you'd gone Ave miles Don't at