The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1914-06-04
CHAPTER VII.
A EalthfuI craxon.point.


with the motor. a sullen resentment
in her heart, but Q. welcoming smile
on her lips. The sun shone brightly.
The sound glared with the white of re-
1ected skies.
II thought Of catching the eight
o'clock" he cried enthusiastically, as
he dropped his bag beside the motor
in order to reach over and shake
hands with her. THAT would have
gotten me here hours earlier. The diff
ficulty was that didn't think of the
eight o'clock until l awoke at nine."
And then you had the additional
task OF thinking about breakfast" I"
said Hetty, but without q trace of sar.
casm in her manner.
Il never think of breakfast" said
he amiably. II merely eat It. OF
course. it's task to eat 1t sometimes,
but-well, how are you? How do you
like 1t out here?"
He was beside her on the broad
seat, his face beaming, his gay little
mustache pointing upward at the ends
like oblique brown exclamation points,
30 expansive was his smile.
! Il adore it." she replied, her own
smile growing in response to his. 1t
was impossible to resist the good ma
ture of him. She could not dislike
him, even though she dreaded him
deep down in her heart Her blood
was hot and cold by turns when she
was with him, as her mind opened and.
shut to thoughts pleasant and unpleas-
ant with something of the regularity
OF fsh's gills in breathing.
When / get to heaven l mean to
have place in the country the year
. round" he said conclusively.
And If you don't get to heaven?"
Il suppose I'll take furnished fat
somewhere"
Sara was waiting for them at the
bottom of the terrace as they drove
up. He leaped out and kissed her
hand
Much obliged" he murmured, with
a slight twist of his head in the direc-
tion of Hetty, who was giving orders
to the chauffeur.
You're quite welcome" said Sara,
with smile of understanding. "Shes
lovely, isn't she?'
"Enchanting!" said he, almost too
loudly.
Hetty walked up the long ascent
ahead of them. She did not have to
look back to know that they were
watching her with unfaitering interest.
She could feel their gaze.
lN- - L.
larging his estimate without really be-
ing aware that he voiced 1t.
Sara shot a look at his rapt face,
and turned her own away to hide the
queer little smile that fiickered briefly
and died away.
Hetty, pleading a sudden headache.
declined to accompany them later on
in the day when they set forth in the
car to pick up" Brandon Booth at the
inn. They were to bring him over,
bag and baggage, to stay till Tuesday.
HE will be wild to paint her." de-
clared Leslie when they were out of
sight around the bend in the road. He
had waved his hat to Hetty just be-
fore the trees shut off their view of
the steps beside one Of the tall Italian
vases.
I've never seen such eyes," he ex-
claimed.
She's a darling" said Sara and
changed the subject. knowing full we'll
that he would come back TO 1t before
long.
I'm mad about her" he said sim
ply, and then, for some unaccountable
reason, gave over being loquacious
and lapsed into a state of almost
lugubrious quiet.
She glanced at his face, furtively
at first, as If uncertain of his mood,
then with prolonged stare that was
frankly curious and amused.
Don't lose your head. Leslie" she
said softly. almost purringly.
He started. "Oh. say. Sara, I'm
not likely to-"
Stranger things have happened"
she interrupted, with a shake of her
head. II can't afford to have you
making love to her and getting tired
of the game, as you always do. dear
In love with you. She is too dear to :
be hurt in that way. You mustn't"
Good Lord!" he cried; what
beunder you must take me forl Why,
If / thought she'd But nonsense!
Let's talk about something else.
Yourself, for instance"
She leaned back with smile ON
her lips. but not in her ayaa. and
drew a long, deep breath. He was
hard hit. That was what she wanted
to know.
They found Booth at the inn. He
was sitting on the old-fashioned porch,
surrounded by bags and boys. AS he
climbed into the car after the bags.
the boys grinned and jingled the coins
IN their pockets and ventured, almost
In unison, the intelligence that they
would all be there IL he ever came
back again. Big and little. they had
+ N = nd n tO - -.