The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-01-17

cate; her recent illness had left it's | mark upon her. Always slight, she now looked almost ethereal in her shadows round her eyes were quite pronounced, and every vestige of her healthy sunburn had vanished. Per haps her beauty had increased, but it | was the beauty of flower reared in | the hothouse rather than that which | comes from the open air and healthy exercise. Truth to tell, she had lost | that delight she once had for the | sunlight; she had grown almost to fear it. The stoep had practically become her only exercise ground. Guy was looking up at her with eyes that made no attempt to dis guise their boldness. It was look | which indexed his whole attitude to- | wards her now.
 why do you steadily refuse to ride with me now?" he asked her, after a long and vain attempt to draw her into talking more intimately. 'I don't think I could stand the exercise or the heat-yet." ''It is the way to get your strength back. Besides, we needn't go too far"
 The woman shook her head. 'I know. But I don't want to ride"
 The sjambok fell sharply on the soft leg of the mans boot. ''tTs pity. I want to show you the wondergat," he laughed, his black eyes lighting with malice. 'why do you laugh?" Guy shrugged. "A happy thought" he replied in- differently.
 He did not tell her that his mirth was provoked by the recollection of the compact. and the part the Won dergat was to play in it. '"The Wondergat is weird place, and ought to be accounted another wonder of the world" he went on lightly. Tt will certainly interest you. Can't I even persuade you to ride my 'tripler?' He wouldn't shake pea off the saddle" Mary was silent for awhile. Here was a chance to thrust in the thin end of the wedge. She wanted to dismiss him easily Somehow the gliding seemed to have fallen from him. Perhaps she regarded him from different standpoint now. And gild- ing is not like genuine gold; the light must be just so to show it off to it's best advantage.
 .I don't think I shall ever go for another ride with you," she said at last. Then she added to soften hfr refusal: "The fever has left me very weak. I feel more useless here than ever before"
 The man laughed unpleasantly. "You needn't apologize" he said ''Why don't you want to ride with me? I have right to ask" Mary shook her head. The eyes which smiled so naturally had be- come cold.
 "There are many reasons. But l am not strong enough" And the other reasons?' The sjambok was quite still. 1T have the right to refuse them.''
 The man had it on the tip of his <n1 J,a but he saved himself the indiscretion by considerable effort. His im- petuosity was his worst enemy. It was curious that it was the most un- pleasant side of his character. It was rare that his impulses were for good.
 l He looked up into the woman's face. But she was intent upon the ! distant horizon. so he turned away to watch a beetle laboriously rolling a
 ball of soil much larger than itself The insect was moving backwards, slaving away with what appeared to him ridiculous energy.
 Considering all things, it is hardly i fair" he said slowly. "Al1 things?"
 ! Mary's eyes were wide open with angry inquiry.
 "Yes. I repeat; considering all
 things"
 i The mans sun-tanned face had
 flushed, and his eyes were flashing
 wickedly. Mary. stirred; she leant forward with her elbows on her
 knees, and her face held between the
 palms of her hands. Her eyes chal-
 lenged him.
 "I don't understand" she said in-
 cisively.
 i Guy laughed mirthlessly. A woman never understands un- less she wants to-" he said, as he de- liberately stopped and took the ball
 of soil from the beetle and flung it away. The poor creatures labors were thus cruelty wasted. "In this
 case it is useless subtarfuge. You
 understand me well enough" Mary's
 eyes were fixed upon his face, and
 he began to feel uncomfortable. He
 didn't want to go too far. "All that
 I ask you is to step on to the path
 that will lead you to health and