The Detroit times., 1913-11-27
CHAPTER Kill
In fhe Rain

Shirley stood looking out at the
rain. Ii was falling In no steady
downpour which held forth promise Of
ending, but with gentle consistency
hat gave the hills "a look Of sodden
discomfort and made disconsOlate
niry pools by the roadside. The
clouds were not too thick, however. to
let through a dismal gray brightness
that shone on the foliage and touched
with glistening lines OF high-light the
draggled tufts of the soaked blue
grass. Now and then, across the
dripping fields. fraying skeins OF mist
wandered, 10 lie curdled In the flooded
hollows where, here and there, cat
lie stood lowing at intervals In a
mournful key
The indoors had become impossible
TO her. She was sick of trying to
read, sick OF the endless pacings and
purposeless invention OF needless
tasks. She wanted movement, the
cobwebby mist about her knees, the
wet rain In her face. She ran up
stairs and came down clad In a close
scarlet jersey. with leather CATERS
and a soft hat.
Emmaline saw her thus accoutered
with disapproval. 'Lawdy-mercy.
chile!" she urged you amt goin'
out It's rainin cats en- dawgs!'
I'm neither sugar nor salt, Emma
line, responded Shirley listlessly,
dragging on her rain-coat, and the
walk will do me good"
On the sopping lawn she glanced
up at her mothers window. Since
the night OF the ball her own pang-
ing self-consciousness had overlaid
the Ane and sensitive association be-
tween them. She had been full OF a
horrible feeling that her face must
betray her and the cause Of her loss
Of spirits be guessed.
Her mother had, in fact, been trou-
bled by this. but was far from guess
ing the truth. A somewhat long In
disposition had followed her first
sight OF Valiant, and she had not
witnessed the tournament. She had
hung upon Shirley's description OF IL.
however, with an excited interest that
the other vas later to translate In
he light OF her own discovery. II
the thought had fitted to her that
fate might hold something deeper
than friendship In Shirley's acquaint-
ance with Valiant, 1t had been OF the
vaguest. His choice Of her as Queen
Of Beauty had seemed natural hon.
age to that swift and unfiinching act
of hers which had saved his life.
There vas In her mind more
obvious explanation OF Shirleys alter
cd demeanor. Perhaps it's Chilly
Iusk," she said to herself Have
hey had foolish quarrel, wonder
All. well. in her own time she will
tell me-"
There was some relief to Shirley =
overcharged feelings In the very dis
comfort Of the drenched weather: the
sucking pull Of the wet clay on her
boots and the fiirt Of the drops on
her cheeks and hair. She thrust her
dog-skin gloves into her pocket and
held her arms outstretcLed to let the
wind blow through her fingers. The
moisture chung In damp wreaths to
her hair and rolled in great drops
Town her coat as she went.
The widest. most secluded walks
had always drawn her most and she
iustinctively chose one of these to-
day. II was the road wherein SQUAT
Ted Mad Anthony's whitewashed cab.
In. "Dsh's or man gwine look in dem
eyes, honey. en- gwine make 'em cry
en- cry" She had forgotten the Incl
lent of that day, when he had read
Ter fortune. but now the quaverine
prophecy came back to her WITS n
shiverinF sense OF reality. TO dah'a