Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1912-10-25
cuApreR, xv-fcontInued)

COME UNNATURAL anu rbo
CHAPTER xv-(Continued).
He did not know that. Women
have learned through centuries oil
weakness that fine art of concealment
which man has never mastered. She
never let him see what she thought OF
him. Yet he was not without sus-
picion; II that suspicion grew to GER
tainty, would he control himself then!
At frst he had sought to keep out
of her way, but she had compelled
him to come In. The room that was
kitchen and bed room and store room
for him was cherries and somewhat
oosd Save at night OF when he was
busy with other tasks outside they
lived togethed in the great room. II
was always warm, II was always
bright. II was always cheerful. there.
The little piles of manuscript she
had noted were books that be had
written He made no effort to con-
oeal such things from her He talked
frankly enough about his life In the
hills. indeed there was no possibil.
fly of avoiding the discussion OF such
topics. On bait two subjects was he
inexorably silent One was the pres
ent state of his affections and the
other was the whyan wherefore OF
his lonely life She knew beyond per-
adventure that he loved her. but she
had no faint suspicion even as to the
reason why he had become a recluse!
He had never given her the slightest
clew to his past save that admission
that he had known Kirkby which was
in itself nothing definitive and which
she never connected with that pack
age of letters which she still kept
with her
The mans mind was too active and
fertile to be satisfied with manual
labor alone, the books that he had
written were scientific treatises in the
main. One was learned discussion
OF the fauna and fora of the noun
tains. Another was an exhaustive ac-
count OF the mineral resources and
geological formations of the range.
He had only to allow a whisper. a
suspicion OF his discovery of gold and
silver in the mountains to escape him,
and the canons and crests alike would
be fllled with eager prospectors. Still
a third work was scientific analysis
Of the water powers in the canons
He had willingly allowed her to
read them all Much of them she
fact that he had written them. unin.
teresting But there was one book
remaining in which he simply dis
cussed the mountains in the various
seasons Of the year; when the SHOWS
covered them. when the grass and the
moss came again, when the flowers
bloomed, when autumn touched the
trees There was the soul OF the
man, poetry expressed In prose. man.
like but none the less poetry for that
This book pored over. she questioned
him about II; they discussed It as they
discussed Keats and the other poets
Those we're happy evenings She
en- one side of the fire sewing. her
finger wound with cloth to hold his
giant thimble, fashIoniEg for herself
some winter garments cut Of a gay
colored red, white aud black ancient
and exquisitely woven Navajo blank.
Ell, soft and pliable almost as an old.
fashioned piece of satin-prlceless II
she had but known (which ne nut
at her disposal While on the other
Cd nF
made Tor her out OF the skins OF some
OF the animals that he bad killed a
shapeless foot covering. half mecca
sin and wholly leggin. which she
could wear over her shoes in her
hcf; excursions around the plateau
and which would keep her feet warm
and comfortable
By her permission he smoked as be
worked. enjoying the hour, putting
aside the past and the future and Tor
a few moments blissfully content
Sometimes he laid aside his pipe and
whatever work he was engaged upon
and read to her from scDe immor
tai noble number. Sometimes the en-,
tertainment fell TO her and she sans
to him in her glorious contralto voice
music that made him sad Once be
could stand il no longer At the end
Of brrst Of song which flled the lit
tie room--he had risen to his feet
while she sang. compelled to the cree;
position b. the magnificent melody
as the last notes died away aid she
smiled at him triumphant and expec.
tant Of his praise and his approval. he
hurled himself out Of the room and
into the night. wrestling for hours
with the storm which alter all was