Las Vegas optic., 1912-10-14

- : s4As'A~uy = HfNoAfAHs 4tASSS 20 W
i ler. Run around to the door, Mr.. Ell
lcry, quick And don't tell her I've
feen you. for mercy sakes! Don't
row, will We? Pleased RUM"
| The minister did not run, but he
walked briskly around the corner.
sure enough, Lavinia was there, Just
Irnlocking the door. She expressed her
IEalf as very glad to see the caller,
ushered him into the sitting room and
disappeared, returning ia another mo-
Iment with her brother, whom she un-
bIushingly said had been taking nap.
Abishai did not contradict her; in
stead, he merely looked apprehensive-
~ at the minister.
The call was short one. Lavinia
cid seven-eighths Of the talking and
Ellery the rest. Ryan was silent.
| He told no one Of Kyan's conf
Dental disclosure, and, after some
speculation as to whether or not there
might be q sequel, put the whole Iu-
dicrous affair out Of his mind. A week
from the following Sunday he dined in
state at the Daniels table. Captain
Elkanah was gracious and condescend-
ing. Annabel was more than that.
She was dressed in her newest gown
and was SO very gushing and affable
that the minister felt rather embar-
raised, When, after the meal was
over. Captain Elkanah excused himself
and went upstairs for his Sabbath nap,
the embarrassment tedoubled. Miss
A.nnabel spoke very confidentially Of
her loneliness without "congenial So
cietyp of how very much she did en-
Joy Mr.. Ellery's intellectual sermons,
and especially what treat 1t had been
to have him as guest
He left the big house as soon as he
could without giving ofEense, and
started back toward the parsonage
But the afternoon was 30 fine and the
early summer air so delightful that
he changed his mind and, jumping the
fence at the foot Of Cannon Hill, set
off across the fields toward the bluffs
and the bay shore.
The sun was low in the west as he
entered the grove Of pines on the bluff.
The red light between the boughs
made brilliant carpet patterns on the
thick pine needles and the smell was
balsamy and sweet, Between the tree.
trunks he caught glimpses Of the
flats, now partially covered, and they
reminded him Of his narrow escape
and Of Nat Hammond, his rescuer.
Thinking Of the Hammond family
reminded him of another member Of
1t. Not that he needed to be remind
ed; he had thought Of her often
enough since she ran away from him
in the rain that night. And then he
saw her. She was standing Just at the
outer edge of the grove, leaning
against a tree and looking toward the
sunset. She wore a simple white dress
and her hat hung upon her shoulders
by its ribbons. The rosy light edged
the white gown with pink and the
fringes Of her dark hair were crinkIy
lines Of fire. Her face was grave, al
most sad.
John Ellery stood still, with one foot
uplifted for a step The girl looked
out over the water and he looked at
her. Then crow, one of several
whirling above the pines, spied the in
truder and screamed a warning. The
minister was startled and stepped
back A dead limb beneath his foot
cracked sharply. Grace turned and
saw him.
Obi" she cried. "Who is it?"
Ellery emerged from the shadow.
Don't be frightened, Miss Van
Horne" he said. 1T is-er-I."
"You came to see the sunset, 4
SUPPOSED" she said hurriedly. as If to
head off a question. so did /. 1t is
ia beautiful evening for walk, isn't
it?"
She had said precisely the same
thing on that other evening, when
they stood in the middle OF "Ham-
monds Turn-off" in the driving rain.
He remembered It. and so, evidently,
did she, for she colored slightly and
smiled
4 mean it this time, she said. TI'm
glad you didn't get cold from your
wetting the other day"
"Oh! ! wasn't very wet. You
wouldn't let me lend you the umbrella,
so I had that to protect me on the way
home"
mot then; ] meant the other morn
ing when Nat Cap'n Hammond met
you on the fats. He said you were
wading the maip channel and it was
over your boots"
1T was worse than that good deal
worse 1t might have been my last
cruise. I'm pretty certain that / owe
the captain my life. That part Of the
channel proposed swimming was ex-
actly where two men have been
drowned, SO people say. I'm not a
very strong swimmer, and they were.
So, you see"
Grace cried out in establishment.
"Ohl" she exclaimed Then point
ing toward the bay. she asked: out
there, by the end Of that leader was
it?p
yes, that was it,"
She drew a long breath. Then, after
a moment:
"And Nat spoke as If It was all a
~. !