The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1912-11-22

hitlon-cnArmB too numerous nueeu
to enumerate, and far too sacred to
discuss. FROM which It may rightly
be inferred that we understood each
other, Evelyn and /. and that we wer1
already considerably beyond the state
or condition Of mere formal acquRint-
anceshlp.
It was no Queen Titania who now
came gliding to a stand beside me on
the broad, level, well-oiled highway,
under a double row Of arching elms. 1t
was no gossamer fairy, but Hebe the
Goddess of Youth, with creamy skin
and red lips and a lifting melody Of
voice:
What no, Sir Philip We are well
metl"
And then she told me that her Uncle
Robert had telephoned for me, leav-
ing a message with my man, bidding
me come to him at my earliest leisure.
why not come for dinner?" she add
ed; and her eyes gave accent to her
words.
But your" l queried; for her car
was headed in the opposite direction
Il am going alone to Norton. have
a hamper in the tonneau for that poor
O'Malley family. l shall be back in
time. We dine at half-past seven, you
know. You'll conner"
"Of course I'll come" answered
her. / think she must have heard
more in my voice. than the simple
words, for her lids dropped, for Just
a breath, and the color famed sudden
below her lowered lashes.
But, after all, saw very little OF
her that evening. 1t is true that she
sat on my right at table, piquantly,
youthfully beautiful in the softly tint
ed light which filtered through the
pink and silver filigree candle-shades,
but the atmosphere of the dinner was
tinged by vague, unreasoning con-
straint as from some ominously brood
ing yet undehnable influence which
overhung the three Of US. And when
the coffee and liqueurs were served
employing some slender pretext for
her going she bade us goodnight, and
left us, not to return.
In justice to Cameron, l must add
that he appeared least affected by
and certainly in no wise responsible
for-the peryading infestivity. He haC
been. indeed, rather less demure thar
was often his wont, chatting with al
most gayety concerning Evelyn's new
role of Lady Bountiful and Of hel
Norton beneficiaries. AS for the sub
ject upon which he desired to consul
me, 1t had not been so much as men
toned; so in looking back, 1t seems
impossible that matters of which
! neither Evelyn nor / was at the TIM
} informed could have exerted an effect
save through Cameron's undecided
subconscious inducement.
Even after his niece had with
, drawn, Cameron continued for a tim
to discuss with me topics of genera
and public, rather than personal, i'm
port. He spoke, remember, of
, series of articles on "The Commercial
Resources of the United States" tn
: publication of which had just begul
2 in The Week, of which l am owne
] and editor; and though | fancied a
l first that 1t might be In this conneC
] ton he wished to consult me, | yer
e soon discerned that he was merel
using a statement contained therei
y as text for certain views Of his ow
a on the conservation and development
g Of the country's timber supply.
q Meanwhile my curiosity grew keel
/ er 1t was natural, Isuppose, that
S should fancy Evelyn involved in som
t way In fact l then attributed the d.
l. preston during dinner to her know
n edge of what her uncle and guardia
n purposed to say to me, Likewise
=, found in this conception the reaso
e for her sudden and unusual desertiol
d Hitherto when l had dined here Ev.
l. Ign had remained with us while W
smoked our cigarettes, leading us {
d length to the music room, where Il
s glad half-hour the rich melody
n her youthful sweet contralto voiC
e mingled in pleasing harmony with h'
It own piano accompaniment.
] And while l vainly made effort
h. imagine wherein might have laid m
IS self open to the disapproval of tn
N most punctilious of guardians-for
t expected nothing less than studiou
n ly polite reference to some shortcoI
IS ing of which l had been unwilling
x guilty. momentarily lost track
r, my hosts discourse. Emerging fro
n. my abstraction 1t was with a measu
,e of relief that heard him saying:
e. '1 think you told me once, Clyd
a. that you rather prided yourself {
" your ability to get line on one
se character from his handwritin
1t That's why telephoned for you tn