The Detroit times., 1913-11-24
CHAPTER xxxvi.
(Contlnued.)

enough. Tor me.
The major pounced upon them at
this juncture. feelingly accusing John
OF the nefarious design OF robbing the
assemblage of It's bright and particu-
lar star. When Katharine put her
hand in her cavaliers arm. her eyes
were dewy under their long shading
lashes and her fine lips ever SO little
tremulous. II had been her best avail
able moment. and she had used IT,
AS she moved away. her faint color
slightly heightened, she was glad OF
the interruption. Ii was better as II
was. When John Valiant came 10 her
again.
But to him. as he stood watching
her move lightly from him. there was
vo,tchsafed illumination. IL came to
him suddenly that that placidity ana
iauteur which he had SO admired IN
the old days were no mask for fires
within. The exquisite husk was the
real Katharine. Hers was the lowell
ness OF some tall white lily cut in
marble. splendid but chill. And with
the thought, between him and her
there swept through the shimmering
csndle-lighted air breath OF wet
rose-fragrance like an impalpable
misty star-tinted gown sprayed with
lilies-of-the-valley and above II girl :
face clear and vivid her deep shadow
blue eyes fixed on his.
The music OF two-step was lam
gushing when, little later, Valiant
and Shirley strolled down between the
garden box-hedges, cypress-shaped
and lifting spire-like toward sky
which bent. a silent canopy OF mauve
and purplish blue. The moon drowsed
between the trees like great yellow
moth and the shadows OF the
branches lay on the ground like sharp
blush etchings on light green paper.
Behind them Damory Court lay nest
OF woven music and laughter The
long whitemuslined porch shimmered
goldenly. and beside IL under the Ian
terms dallied a flirtatious couple or
two, ghostlike in the shadows.
Peace brooded over all. vast sweet
silence creeping through the trees
only here and there the twitter OF a
waking bird-and around them was
the glimmer of tall flowers standing
like pensive moon worshipers In an
ecstasy Of prayerless bloom.
Come" he said Let me take you
to see the sun-dial now
The tangle had been cut away and
narrow gravelpath led through the
pruned creepers She made an ex-
clamation of delight. The onyx-pillar
stood in an oasis OF white-moonfiow
ers, white dahlias. mignonette and
-Harcissus;- bars of late lilies-of-the-
valley beyond these. bordered with
Arum- lilies, white clematis, iris and
bridal-wreath, shading out into ten
der palel hues that ringed the spot
( less purity like dawning passion.
white for happiness" he quoted.
'sYou said that when you brought me
here-the day we planted the RAM
bierS. Do you remember what said?
That some day. perhaps, I should love
this spot the best OF all at Damory
Court" He was silent moment.
tracing with his finger the motto on
the diafs rim When | was very
little" he went on,--"hardly more
than three years old, | think,-my
father and had play, in which We
lived In a great mansion like this. Ii
was called Wishing House, and IL was
In the middle OF the Never-Never
Land--a sort of beautiful fairy coun-
try in which everything happened
right. l. know now that the Never
Never Land was Virginia, and that
Westinghouse was Damory Court. No
wonder my father loved 1t. No won
der his memory turned back TO 1t al
ways, I've wanted TO make it as il
was when he lived here And | want
the old dial to count happy hours for
me-
Something had crept into his tone
that struck her with strange swel
terror and tumult OF mind. The hama
that clutched her skirts about her
knees had begun to trenble and she
caught the other hand TO her cheek
In vague hesitant gesture. The
noonflowers seemed TO be great round
eyes staring Up ii, her.
Shirley he said. and now his
voice WAS shaken with longing-''will
you make my happiness for me-"
She was sta3dEg perfectly still
against the sandisl both hands, laced
toxs.nc-, AgAinst hn- breast. her eyes
On his With strange startled look
Over tee hueh Oh ;as garden now. like
tie ver- soH, OK the passionate night.
tnro5oed the haunting barcarole of
sfa.cs o. Hcimapn:
"Nisht OK o:srs and night OF love-"
an inarticnlEta echo OF his longing.
lie took q step toward her, and she
turned IKE Ole in sudden terror seek
Ing q way OF escape. But he caught
her close In his arms.
II love yoa," he said. Hear IL
now In my brides garden that I've
made for you. / love you, | love
you"
For one instant she struggled Then.
slowly, her eyes turned 10 his, the
sweet lips trembling, and something
dawning deep In the dewy blue that
turned all his leaping blood to quick
silver. MY darling" he breathed,
and their lips met.
In that de1irious moment both had
the sense OF divine completion that
comes only with love returned. For
him there was but the woman In his
arms the one woman created for him
since the foundation of the world II
was Kismet. For this he had come
TO Virginia. For this fate had turned
and twisted thousand ways Through
the riot OF his senses, like a silver
blaze. ran the legend OF the calendar
Every man carries his fate upon
riband about his neck" For her
ss0mething seemed to pass from her
soul with that kiss, some deep irrevoc.
able thing, shy but fcrcely strong.
that had sprung to him at that lip
contact as steel to magnet The foil
seb about them fared up in green
light and the ground under her feet
rOee and fell like deep sea-waves.
She lifted her face 10 him. II was
de6th1y pale, but the light that burned
on 1t was lii from the whitest altar.