Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1913-01-02
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oAOht HAlltAH Win NlNAA hti hlhiN |
shields, and sauntered leisurely along |
the smooth macadam drive, bordered |
by sentinel Gins.
My thoughts were busy with the !
new line Of conjecture which Romney
had unconsclously opened up for me.
! wondered whether by any POSSIBLE
ity this eccentric painter, Murphy,
could be personally involved. Was
Cameron acquainted with him? Had
they ever quarrelled? From what
Romney had told me Of the affair az
| Garrisog's the artist was evidently OF
! a bellicose disposition. He had come
| here two years ago Cameron had
/ owned Cragholt less than year.
| Perhaps at the time he was preparing
| the mansion for occupancy he had
offended the too sensitive Murphy,
/ who-I was letting my imagination
/ run free-may have wished 10 take
a hand at the new decoration. II
would probably be well for me to see
! Cameron before seeing the artist The
invoutions Of my hypothetical train
led me, | fear. into many monstrous-
ly preposterous conce.is; yet, as sub
sequent events proved, the cogitation
in which | INDUCED on that afternoon
walk was not wholly idle. Although
the working out was along lines
which ! was then far from foresee-
ing, IT was curious, in looking back,
to observe how very closely, collater'
ally, even at that stage, came to the
truth.
In the midst OF my reyery, the
rhythm Of horses hoofs on the drive
awoke me TO time and place And as
| raised my eyes, / saw, still some
distance away but tbearing down
upon me at n swift single-foot, the
girlish figure of Evelyn Grayson. in
white waist and gray habit. mounted
on Prince Charley, a buckskin cayuse,
which for saddle purposes she pre-
ferred to all the thoroughbreds in the
Cameron stables.
Am | late?" she cried, refining the
wiry little animal to a stand beside
r me. Celia Ainslee Just left. She
| was expecting the Lentilhons to stop
for her in their motor boat, but they
T. broke down and were delayed, and
! instead of coming at three o'clock, it
! was halfpast four before they land
{ ed"
+ Il fancy YOU are Just on the min
rt~," was my response, rs l consult
e ii my timepiece.
4 But I'm still a mile from the
. Lodge" she argued.
And all the nearer TO the trail"
g. 1. 4.
e about here, isn't it,"
You've passed 1t. It's just beyond
that next bend" And she pointed
] over my shoulder.
;. why didn't you bring groom
c with you to hold your steed?" asked
! smiling You don't expect to ride
;. Prince Charley into the forest fast
" nesses, do you?"
| Il could" she answered. promptly
G 81 will il you dare me. He can picl
n his way like a cat. But ii isn't nee
e essary. He'll stand forever, the deal
y thing, II | drop the bride rein ovel
@ his head"
u My preference was TO have her OF
{ foot at my side, and so | did not DARE
! her. And thus It CHANGED that we lef
Il the homely little animal standn!
, with dropping head and dangling reir
on the Swallowed side OF the drive
I, way, and went of together down tn,
narrow, notwithstanding trail, III.
girl in the lead.
r. The slanting sunlight, shooting III
J. golden arrows in intermittent volleyi
e through the tree tops, made target o
q her hair. as we passed, scoring bril-
d liant flashes Of FURNISHED bronze. He
y hat, a broad brimmed sailor OF coars
It straw, was but poor shield for tina
e, shimmering, tawny coil which lay Low
2 on her neck, and the darling ray
had their will with 1t. ! have neve
before or since seen hair Just Xix,
Evelyn Grayson's There was such
p wealth Of it. and its color was so elu
siye. Under dim lights 1t seemed
y, prosaic brown. but with small encouI
Z, agement II changed to a light fawn
streaked with lustrous topaz strands
n which in the suns blaze became
is dazzling bronze glory.
If I'm pretty sure ! can find tn
e. tree" che asserted, as she sWun
along with that free, lissome strid
e which / loved 1T is an old, dea,
n chestnut, a great giant Of the woods
y imposing even in death; and It stand
only a half.dozen yards of the trail
! ! was looking for ferns, or ] neve
IS in the world should have come upoi
2, It, How do you imagine that thini
L. ever got away off here? And VIII
T, could have stuck It up on that GeaC
b" tree trunk
81 That is precisely what ! SD 3ulr
e Ike 10 ind out" was my reply 81
n seems very mysterious to me Abou
y what time was fl. when you discov
n cred it,"
T. Just before / mot you"
T. Had you heard any shooting q
re the woods, before that?"
e "Shooting?" she queried, apparent
~ surprised. No Was some on,