The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1914-06-25

the thought. between him and her
there swept through the shimmering
candle-lighted air breath of wet rose
fragrance like an impalpable cloud.
and set in the midst of it a misty star
tintaf. gown sprayed with lilies-ofth
valley, and above it girls face clear
and vivid, her deep shadow-blue eyes
fixed on his.
The music of a two-step was lam
gushing when. little later, Valiant
and Shirley strolled down between
the garden box-hedges, cypress-shaped
and lifting spire-like toward sky
which bent, silent canopy Of mauve
and purplish blue. Behind them
Damory court lay nest Of woven
music and laughter. The long white
muslined porch shimmered goldenly,
and beside it under the lanterns dal-
lied tiirtatious couple or two, ghost
like in the shadows.
Come" he said Let me take you
to see the sun-dial now"
The tangle had been cut away and
narrow gravel-path led through the
pruned creepers. She made an excla-
nation of delight. The onyx-pillar
stood in an oasis Of white-moonflow-
ers, white dahlias, mignonette and mar
cissus; bars of late lilies-of-the-val-
ley beyond these, bordered with Arum-
lilies, white clematis, iris and bridal
wreath, shading out into tender paler
hues that ringed the spotless purity
| like dawning passion.
white for happiness he quoted.
You said that when you brought me
here-the day we planted the ram
blers. Do you remember what
said? That some day, perhaps, should
love this spot the best of all at Damory
court" He was silent moment, trac-
ing with his finger the motto on the
dial's rim. when / was very little,
he went. on--"hardly more than three
years old, 1 think-my father and
had a play, in which we lived in a
great mansion like this. 1t was called
Wishing House, and 1t was in the mid
die of the Never-Never Land-a sort
of beautiful fairy country in which
everything happened right. l know
now that the Never-Never Land was
Virginia, and that Wishing House was
Damory court. No wonder my father
loved it! No wonder his memory turn
ed back to it always! I've wanted to
make it as it was when he lived here
And want the old dial to count happy
hours for me.
Something had crept into his tone
that struck her with a strange sweet
terror and tumult of mind. The hand
that clutched her skirts about hel
knees had begun to tremble and she
caught the other hand to her cheel
in vague hesitant gesture. The moon
flowers seemed to be great round eyes
staring up at her.
Shirley" he said, and now his
voice was shaken with longing-"wil
you make my happiness for me?"
She was standing perfectly still
against the sun dial, both hands, laced
together, against her breast, her eye!
on his with strange startled look
Over the hush of the garden now, like
the very soul of the passionate night
throbbed the haunting barcarole O
Tales Of Hoffmann:"
Might of stars and night of love-"
an inarticulate echo of his longing. He
took step toward her, and she turn
ed like one in sudden terror seeking
a way of escape. But he caught hel
close in his arms.
Il love you!" he said. Hear 1t nov
in my brides garden that I've made
for you! l love you, I love you!"
For one instant she struggled. Then
slowly, her eyes turned to his, the
sweet lips trembling, and something
dawning deep in the dewy blue tina
turned all his leaping blood to quick
silver my darling!" he breathed
and their lips met.
In that delirious moment both hat
the sense of divine completion tina
comes only with love returned Fo
him there was but the woman in hi
arms, the one woman created for hin
since the foundation Of the world.
was Kismet For this he had come t.
Virginia. For this fate had turned
and twisted thousand ways. Through
the riot of his senses, like a silve
blaze. ran the legend of the calendar
Every man carries his fate upon
riband about his neck" For her, some
thing seemed to pass from her sou
with that kiss, some deep irrevocabl
thing, shy but fiercely strong, that hal
sprung to him at that lip-contact a
steel to magnet. The foliage abou
them f1ared up in green light and tn
ground under her feet rose and fel
like deep sea-waves.
She lifted her face to him. 1t wa
deathly pale, but the light that burne'
on it was lit from the whitest altar
fires of southern girlhood. six week
ago." she whispered, you had neve
seen mel"