The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-03

| deeply and with enjoyment the bosky
odors which greeted me sfrssh al
every step.
The dead silence which ! had re
marked earlier was broken now by the
hoarse footing OF a steamboat whistle
somewhere OFF shore. and by the shrill
voices Of birds, apparently In resent
ful protest at this aucou invasion OF
their sylvan quiet.
had succeeded in 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 thnn a hope, a confidence
even, that | should see Evelyn. | was
tempted, indeed, to a regret that | had
not waited, visited the kennels, and
accepted Cameron's invitation for
luncheon, which would doubtless have
insured me a few words at least with
my Goddess of Youth.
While on the verge OF this s~elf.re-
proach my spirits suddenly lifted, for
the steam whistle having died away
In the distance and the ~feathered
choristers having relapsed into a
pleased chirp that merely accented
the stiffness, there broke all at once
on the mute calm OF the woodland the
silver sweetness OF a girls singing.
Clear and resonant II rang through the
forest aisles; a voice | knew beyond
mistaking. Evelyn Grayson was com
ing towards me over the scented turf
Still hidden by a bend in the path, the
melody alone measured for me her ap.
proach. 1t was a French chanson she
vas lifting, a lyric Of Baudelaire's, of
which we were both fond.
Sweet music sweeps me like the aea
Toward my pale star,
Whether the clouds be there or all tho
air be free.
/ sail afar.
And then she came around the turn.
At first she did not see me, for her
eyes were lifted with her voice, and I
had time to mark the fascinating
grace OF her long, free stride, before
abe became conscious of my presence
and checked and shortened it. She
wore a frock of white serge, the
skirts edge at her ankles, revealing
dainty, snowy buckskin ties and Just a
peep OF white silk hose. And her
fiower-like face looked out through a
frame OF Leghorn straw and pink
roses, tied gnugly beneath her softly
rounded chin with the tilmiest Of long,
floating white wells. You can imagine
tho p~lcturf she made, there In this
green glaze, with hg big blue eyes
alight with glad surprise, and the
warm blood suddenly risen In her
cheeks.
You ~truant!" | cried, in jocuIar rep
rimand. Are you always going to run
away when l visit Cragholt"
She pouted prettily. / detest a won.
an who pouts, ordinarily. There Is
usually such palpable affectation about
1t. But Eyelyn's pouting was winsome
as an infants. Besides 1t was only
.momentary. Then her eyes flashed and
her foot was planted very hard. for
such a tiny taing. on the green grass
blades.
I'm not a truant," she declared,
with feigned Indignation. and l never
thought Of running away. That's Just
c~onceited manly Imagination,
You fancy that everything / do can
but n cause, and that is your
self. How. pray, was / to know you
intended paying us a morning CALI"
Tut, tut" | caught her up. What
a little spitfire We have here! II you
hadn't deserted me 80 shamefuily last
evening, ! shouldn't have minded this
morning. 10 much. AS it Is, 1t seems
aeons since | saw you"
Now she smiled until her dimples
nestled. THAT Is much better she
returned, gayly, "and deserves a reply.
just as my action OF last evening de-
serves praise, and not rebuke. sac.
myself and my pleasure for n
| love-