The Washington herald., 1914-03-14

by nature. She held out her hand. 20
am very sorry. But l was scared Il
death at the COWS. If you have another
stick. maybe 1 could help get them bach
in. again. mean the bugs"
He laughed. No. thank you. II will
only take few minutes, Miss Miss
Harmon. l am Victoria Harmon, and
am staying over at the Emerson farm
My car broke down and I'm walking
But it's two miles"
II kno&"
And it's beastly hot day."
Yes, 1t isl
We'll, won't you let me hitch up and
drive you home?"
Victoria, accustomed to offers of hom-
age and also accustomed to accepting
them, said simply, Yes, thank YOU. /
believe 1 will"
So she waited in the shade Of a chest
nut tree while the man went to the
barn and got the runabout ready. She
was thinking that. dressed I'D. he would
be very fine looking, and he certainly
lad commanding manner. He was 50
dlherent from the men whom she knew
at home. He was big and brown and
nearly and she was sure he had never
an unwholesome thought in his life.
SO he drove her to the house. Then
he towed her car home little later.
And Victoria kindly consented to drive
over to Hanging Rocks with him on Sun
day TO see the falls. 1t was as she had
thought. He did look well dressed up
and he seemed to know how to dress.
His clothes were well made and made
fol him. She began TO he puzzled. Once
he spoke Of Naples as though he had
been there.
The Emersons knew nothing of him ex-
oept that he had recently bought the
Brown farm.
There were several rides and many
walks. before the time came for VIC
toria to go home.
She both hoped and feared something,
but when the day came her young farm
er friend said only a polite "Good-by."
at the station. Victoria went home to the
city with vague longing in her heart
Even in the exciting. bewildering So
cial whirl that followed, Victoria felt
uneasy and unhappy. 1t was hard for
her to be nice to the young men her
mother invited to the house. They were
so different from-some one whom she
knew.
One day her mother said TO her, Vic
toria, j wish you would be nice to Mr..
whom your father is bringing
home to dinner tonight. He is very de-
sirable, good family and all that-and
very rich. He has been away and has
Just come to town. He has the reputa-
ion of being eccentric and people say
ne is crazy about farming. don't know
much about that part Of it. but know
ne is very, very well of 4
p "fes. and | suppose he is as ugly as
satan and as rich as Croesus and he's
ooking for. young wife and I'm il"
Victoria storIned and ran out of the
-oom-
She was getting very irritable. Thai
whole scheme of society nauseated her
Dinner was at & She was dressed nv
. for she wanted an hour in the cool
darkness Of the little garden back of the
louse.
She walked restlessly up and down he.
ide the hedge of althea and finally
ropped disspiritedly onto a bench. Don
Id. she almost sobbed aloud Donald.
'onald, Donald. 1t is so lonely without
'ou. she moaned into the darkness.
And out of the night. yet close to her.
e answered: Victoria, dear: surely YOU
ant mean me. IL you do l am the luck
est dog II the world
Then It all flashed across her brain
Ter young farmer of the potato bugs was
'onald Thurston. No wonder peop,.
hought him eccentric
A