Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-12
CHAPTER XIV. Danger.

Goodnight.
CHAPTER XIV Danger
TT seemed to Hernia that she had hardly
closed her eyes before she opened them
again and found herself broadly awake. A
blue light was filtering softly through the
tops of the trees, and the birds were already
calling. She pushed her covers away and
sat up, all her senses acutely alive. The
fire was out; but the air was not chill. She
glanced at Markhams recumbent figure, at
Cleofonte and Luigi, and then stealthily
rose. TomasSo the bear, who OF all the
vagabond company had alone kept vigil,
eyed her whimsically from his small eyes
and moved uneasily in his chains.
On tiptoe she made her way to the stream.
One of the dogs followed her; but she patted
him on the head and sent him back to the
wagon. As she reached the depths of the
forest she relaxed her vigilance and went
rapidly down the stream, finding at last at
some distance quiet pool in the deep shad-
| ows. Here was her porcelain tub. She
quickly undressed and bathed. her teeth
chattering with the cold; but before the
caravaners were awake was back In camp,
gathering wood for the fire.
Her activities, furtive as they we're,
| awakened Markham, who sat up rubbing
his eyes,
4Hello!" he said. Haven't you been
asleep?'
For reply she pointed silently through the
| treetrunks to the rosy east.
He got to his feet, shaking himself, rubbed
his eyes sleepily, and took from her hand
the dead branch that she was dragging to
the fire. Between them they awoke Cleo
| fonte, who numbered to his feet and stared
about with bleary eyes.
"Bnon gioyno, SfgnoYG, SfgnOr. have
| slept-oh, what Sleep-oh, what sleep!
Luigi, up with you! Dioi 1t is already
day."
Immediately the camp was in commotion.
The signora descended from the wagon, and
with Hermias help prepared the breakfast,
while Stella held the baby. By sunrise the
gray horse was hitched to the shafts of the
wagon, the bear hitched to the tail, and the
| travellers were on their way (the contents
| of ones valise is on ones back in Vaga-
bondia). Cleofonte had invited Hernia to
sit with him upon the seat of the wagon; but
she had refused and taken her place by
| Markham side behind Clarissa, who quite
peacefully, followed in the trail of Tomasso
| the bear.
| In this order the procession moved for
| ward into the golden wake of the morning.
Hernia was in high humor joyous, spark
| ling satirical, by turns. If yesterday she
had found talent tor living, today 1t seemed
that the genius for joy had got into her
veins. Her mood was infectious, and Mark
ham found himself carried along on its tide,
aware that she was drawing him by imper-
ceptible inches from his shell, accepting his
aphorisms one moment that she might the
more readily pick them to pieces in the next
He couldn't understand her, of urse,-she
hadn't intended that he should, and this
made the game so much more interesting for
them both. He didn't mind her tearing his
dignity to tatters, and this she did with a
thoroughness that surprised him; but he
discarded the rags of it with excellent grace,
meeting her humor with gaiety that left
nothing to be desired.
|OH, Philidor,' she cried, @what delusion
~ you are!"
@Me? Why?"
@Your gravity, your dignity, your wise
saws and maxims, your hatred of women"
ooh, l say"
Gall pose!" she continued gaily. 3Politic,
but Ineffective. You love us all madly, l
know: Do they make love to you, Philidor1'
"Who?"
@Your beautiful sitters."