The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-04-20

the Mill, ana over It's top the reu Ddii
of the sun shot rays of fire that
illumined their faces. and burned in
the curliness of Vernon's hair. Upon
reaching the summit their way would
lead them almost in the opposite di-
rection; and when they stood there.
as if with one accord, they checked
their horses and remained long min
ute, watching the slow dipping of the
glowing thing, which seemed to their
strained eyeballs to throb and bound
as it spun downwards.
At last, with a long sigh. the girl
turned Sultana's head and they rode
on. Still no word was spoken. Yet
by rapid process the veXation was dy-
ing down in her, and was being sue
ceeded by sense of quiet content,
which somehow seemed like the re-
suit of Jem's sympathetic silence.
Soon she began to reproach herself
for being SO bad companion; and
when they refined in after long,
sharp trot, she said, almost apologet-
ically-
"I have never asked you whether
you had a successful expedition?'
'well, had" Jem admitted. ct got
those little cattle I was after. I must
show them to you. Pretty little
beasts
81 should like to see them,'' said the
girl, more kindly than she had ever
spoken to him before.
After short interval he actually
volunteered a remark.
This is a new idea of yours, since
left homer
Eyes. / found my way here quite
by accident, the other day-and Stun
bled upon Miss Morrison also, quite
by accident. It happened so curl
ously-'
She broke off, Could it be true that
she had been about to tell him of the
spell of the Magic Pond? How he
would sheer!
How did it happen?" he asked, as
if he really would like to know.
"Oh-it sounds too silly to tell you.
It is nonsense. You know I have al.
ways been so much alone
Have yoh?"
Eyes. My father and Mr.. Gladwyn
were away all day-very often for
two or three nights at time. My
nurse, Mrs. Chapman. and her chill
dren were all the company had; and
somehow the children were stupid
did not take much pleasure in them.
And when they were twelve and four
teen years old, their father sent them
to boarding school, in Canada, ever so
far away, too far for them to be able
to come, except once a year. My
father did not send me. He felt that
he could not part with me. You see
had no mother, was all he had.
But I was horribly lonely sometimes.
There were other people, but at such
a distance! So I got into the habit
Of going about alone, riding anywhere
and it made me fanciful, I suppose"
'FWhat kind of fancies?"
"Oh, of a soul nature, that SYM
pathized with me or that was some
times unfriendly and malicious. How
stupid it must sound to you."
1T doesn't. I know it's true
She was so surprised that she twist
ed herself in her saddle to stare at
him. you! You know Instruct!
He looked at her, quietly, in the
sober light that was beginning to ov-
erspread the world. eff you've been
lonely, what about me?" he asked.
"Have I had much congenial society
here, do you suppose. I've been
and as you say, some of us, if we
can't get people. have to make friends
with nature
She said las if she were hardly con-
ed pond, few miles to our left as
we are riding now
Where the wild swans nest?'
"Yes-yes-'
'I know said Jem.
II waded-the other day. 1t was
as warm as June. The sun and the
broom and the hawthorn flower sent
me mad, I think! And the water
spirits took me. and I said I would
follow them, and they led us across
the waste-Sultana and me-and over
the summit of Wishfield Gap, am
down to the Mission Of the Resurrec-
ton; and Miss Morrison was standing
in the middle Of the road, and she
wanted doctor fetched. and I went.