The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1913-03-06
CHAPTER H.


The set al tennis having finished
with victory perchng on my banners,
! made excuse to put of the inspection
~ Tie collie puppies until another
time, resumed my walking boots and,
with parting II futile admonition TO
Cameron to think no more about IT,"
started on my homcward way.
Ny route lay again through The min
..ure forest, for the day had waxcd
ua 0mfortabIy warm with the ap.
rra1ch Of noon. and there was scant
Aada on the high-ruad between our
t"o houses In the wood. however,
the air was gratefully cool, and
strobe on at good pace, breathing
deeply and with enjoyment the bosky
odurs which greeted me afresh at
every step
The dead silence which ! had re-
marked earlier was broken now by the
ho0rse footing OF steamboat whistle,
somewhere on shore. and by the shrill
voices Of birds. apparently in resent
lul protest at this raucous invasion OF
their sylvan quiet.
had succeeded ia putting aside, for
the moment at least, all thought Of
Cameron. his anonymous letters. and
his mutilated portrait. and was dwell.
ling on my disappointment at not hav-
ing caught even SO much as a glimpse
OF Evelyn Grayson during my morn.
ing visit to Cragholt. II Is true that |
had gone there with a single purpose
In mind-tO convey to Cameron what
believed to be an important theory
but underlying this, realized now,
was more than a hope. a confidence
oven, that should see Evelyn. was
tempted, indeed, TO q regret that | had
not waited, visited the kennels. and
accepted Cameron's invitation for
luncheon. which would doubtless have
insured me few words at least with
my Goddess Of Youth.
While on the verge OF this self.re-
proach my spirits suddenly lifted, for
the steam whistle having died away
in the distance and the feathered
chorlsters having relapsed into
pleased chirp that merely accented
the stiffness, there broke all at once
on the mute calm Of the woodland the
silver sweetness of n girls singing.
Clear and resonant 1t rang through the
forest alsles; n voice | knew beyond
mistaking. Evelyn Grayson was COM
ing towards me over the scented turf.
still hidden by bend in the path, the
melody alone measured for me her ap-
proach. II was a French chanson she
was lifting, a lyric OF BaudelaIres, of
which we were both fond.
Sweet music sweeps me like the sea
Toward my pale star.
Whether. the clouds be there or all the
air be free,
sail afar.
And then she came around the turn.
eyes were lifted with her voice, and
had time to mark the fascinating
grace OF her long, free stride, before
she became conscious OF my presence
and checked and shortened II. She
wore frock OF white serge, the
shlEl tubS NJ utI uHhlts, revealing
dainty. snowy buckskin ties and Just a
peep OF white silk hose. And her
face looked out through
frame OF Leghorn straw and pink
roses. tied snuSly beneath her softly
chm with the filmlest OF long,
floating white wells. You can imagine
the picture she made. there in this
green glade. with her big blue eyes
alight with glad surprise. and the
warm blood suddenly risen in her
cheeks.
you trl,nt!" cried. in jocular rep
rimand. Are you always going to run
away when visit Cragholt?"
She pouted prettily. detest a wom-
an who pouts. ordinarily. There is
usually such palpable affectation about
Il. But Evelyn's pouting was winsome
as an Infants. Besides II was only
Then her eyes flashed and
her foot was planted very hard. for