The Washington herald., 1912-05-19

marshes, swinging their tails. and NOV.
ing slowlyefrom one to another of tn,
little pldks of heritage. The YER
smoke from those red-tiled cottages
went straight to heaven, unrufied b.
even the faintest of breezes. tt
Desne il seemed that he had found al
idyll of still life, and with a strong in
stinct Of relief, he felt the desire foi
sleep, so long denied him, creeping ovei
his hot eyes. The drowsiness Of thu
place numbed his senses. The pair
ceased. He was content TO forget. He
threw himself upon the sands, with hi:
back to a sandy knoll covered with
weedy green grass, and with the muir
muir OF the sea in his ears, ne slept
Desne was awakened by light touch
upon his arm. He sat up, and was
aware of a girl bending over him.
Il am sorry to disturb you" she
said, but if you sit there for another
five minutes, you will be very wet"
The tide was already within a few
feet of them. Deane realized the posi-
ton and struggled to his feet 1T was
very kind of you to wake me" he said.
Il have come down here for a rest,
and l suppose was entering into the
programme a little too thoroughly.
After London, the sea air is just little
strong"
She looked at him. with interest, and
he returned the gaze. She was tall
almost as tall as he was himseif-slim,
with dark eyes, heavy eyebrows, and
complexion burnt brown by exposure
to all sorts of weathers. She wore plain
tweed clothes, in the cut of which his
critical eye quickly detected the village
tailor. Yet there was something about
her appearance which seemed to re-
move her definitely from behind the
pale of rusticity His eyes were long
and a little narrow, her eyelids heavy,
her mouth had a disconnected turn at
the corners, her whole expression was
trifle sullen- He was not in the least
prepared for the change in her face
when her forehead suddenly relaxed,
the corners of her mouth softened, and
her lips parted in a dazzling smile
you are a Londoner" she asked
simply.
VERY much so, am afraid"
"Afraid" she repeated incredulous-
ly
why not?" he asked. 'T am one
of the slaves of the world, a man who
sits in his Office and tolls, year in and
year out We're caught in the Golden
Web, you see:. The time comes" he
continued, when we find our way into
little corner of the earth like this,
and one realizes the gigantic folly of
it."
Your point Of view is interesting but
unconvincing," she said.
Why unconvincing
Have you ever thought Of the mat
ter from the other point of view?" she
asked-"thought about those poor peo-
pie, for instapce, who have to live in
corner of the world like this, always?
All these things, which rest and soothe
you here, are beautiful by sheer force
Of contrast. For a few days. week
or so, perhaps-the contemplation of
them would be restful You would lie
about on the sands and in the sunshine
and believe that you had found Para
disc. And then ] think that you would
begin to get Just a little discontinued.
The sun doesn't always shine here, you
know. and when the sun doesn't shine,
all the land is colorless. The sea is
gray and ugly, the marshes are fiat and
dreary, the wind, even in the summer
time, is cold"
He looked at her with interest. She
had turned inland, walking very slow
Iy and he somehow or other found
himself by her side, her self-inyited
That is rather a pathetic picture"
A. - i
mains, and when one has lived with
the roar in ones brain. year in and
year out, the solitude itself is marvel
ous."
And when one has lived" she said,
with the solitude always on ones
nerves, lying about ones senses, as
though one were the only live thing in
! dead and forgotten world, don't you
.hink that one may long for the roar,
wen as you have come here longing
ior the solitude?"
I'VE apparently represent the op-
posite poles" he remarked lightly. |
Tell me, do you live here? l pre-
tune, from the feeling with which you
peak, that you are a native"
Il have lived here for nine years."
he answered. Il live in a small house, |
which you can see just behind the vii
age there. 1t is very tiny, but very
,retty to look at have lived there
With an aunt who was a farmers /
laughter, and is very domestic, and !,
IN uncle who was invaded early IN
ife from the Indian civil service, and |
Who has done nothing but play golf
md fish and study his constitution for
he last fifteen wears"
You don't travel much, them"
81 have not been out of this county"
he answered, since l first set foot
n II, nine years ago. / had almost
Iven up all hope of ever leaving il.
Intil," she added, with a little sigh Of
ontent "a few weeks ago"
He nodded sympathetically You
re going to travel at last, them" he
Il hope SO" she said. Il have an
ncle come home from abroad, who,
believe, is very rich. He wrote to
he the day he landed, saying that he
,as going to send for me to pay him
visit. / am expecting to hear from
i'm now any day"
He is in London?"
"In Londonp' with a little sigh.
Fancy" she went on, turning toward
i'm, Il have never been in London
ust say that to yourself and imagine
that it means. The biggest town l
ave ever seen is Kings Lynn. Have
on ever been to Kings LYNN"
He shook his head. Il am afraid
OF"
saTNL 49,, -. I.ID