The Idaho Republican., 1914-05-08

quickly with handful which she put
in his grasp.
'There!" she whispered and slipped
back through the perfumed dark.
An hour later she stood in the
cozy stiffness of her bedroom.
She threw off her gown, slipped into
soft loose robe of maize-colored silk
and stood before the small glass. She
pulled out the amber pins and drew
her wonderful hair on either side Of
her face, looking out at her reflection
like mermaid from between the rip
pling waves of a moon-golden sea.
At last she turned, and seating her.
self at the desk, took from it diary.
She scanned the pages at random, her
eyes catching lines here and there.
"A good run today. Betty and Judge
Chalmers and the Pendleton boys My
fourth brush this season" A frown
drew itself across her brows, and she
turned the page. "One of the hounds
broke his leg, and I gave him to
Hickey" Chilly Lusk to
dinner today. after swimming the Lor
ing Rapid"
She bit her lip, turned abruptly to
the new page and took up her pen.
This morning a twelve-mile run to
Damory Court" she wrote. This
afternoon went for cape jessamines."
There she paused. The happenings
and sensations of that day would not
be recorded. They were unwritable.
She laid down her pen and put her
forehead on her clasped hands. How
empty and inane these entries seemed
beside this rich and eventful twenty
four hours just passed! What had
she been doing year ago today? she
wondered. The lower drawer of the
desk held a number of slim diaries
like the one before her. She pulled 1t
out, took up the last-year's volume
and opened it.
why" she said in surprise, II got
jessamine for mother this very same
day last year!" she pondered frown-
ing, then reached for a third and a
fourth. From these she looked up,
startled. That date in her mothers
calendar called for cape jessamines.
What was the fourteenth of May to
her?
She bent slow troubled gaze about
her. The room had been hers as q
child. She seemed suddenly back in
that childhood, with her mother bend
ing over her pillow and fondling her
rebellious hair When the wind cried
for loneliness out in the dark she had
sung old songs to her. Sad songs!
Even in those pinafore years Shirley
had vaguely realized that pain lay be-
hind the brave gay mask. Was there
something - some event - that had
caused that dull-colored life and un-
fulflment? And was today, perhaps,
its anniversary?
John Valiant sat propped up on the
library couch, an open magazine un-
needed on his knee. The reading
stand beside him was litter Of let
ters ard papers. The bow.window
was open and the honeysuckle breeze
blew about him, lifting his hair and
ruffling the leaves of the papers. In
the garden three darkies were labor
ing, under the supervision of Uncle
Jefferson. The unsightly weeds and
lichen we're gone from the graveled
paths, and from the fountain pool,
whose shaft now spouted slender
spray shivered by the breeze into a
million diamonds, which fell back into
the pool with tintinabulant trickle
and drip. ..
The master Of Damory Court closed
the magazine with a sigh. III could
only do it all at once!" he muttered.
1T takes such a confounded time.
-Four days they've been working now.
and they haven't done much more
than clean up" He laughed, and
threw the magazine at the dog who
lodged it with injured alacrity. After
all. Chum," he remarked. "it's bean