Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-07-16

/ the evening" she said. And you de-
serve them. It's fine big thing you
/ are attempting-the restoring Of this
4 old estate. And I know you have even
/ bigger plans. too"
He nodded, suddenly serious and
/ thoughtful. There's a lot I'd like to
/ do. It's not only the house and
/ grounds. There are -. other
things. For instance, back on the
mountain-on my own lands a set
! Element they call Heu's-Half-Acre.
Probably it has well earned the
name. It's a wretched collection Of
novels and surly men and drabs of
/ women and unkempt children, the
| poorest of poor-whites. Not one of
| them can read or write, and they live
| like animals. If I'm ever able, mean
! to put a Misunderstanding school up
/ there. And then"
He ended with a half laugh, sudden
| Iy conscious that he was talking in a
language she would scarcely under
! stand-in fact, in tongue new to him
| self. But there was no smile on her
! lips and her extraordinary eyes-cool
/ gray, shot through with emerald
were looking into his with a frankness
and sympathy he would not have
! guessed lay beneath her glacial pla-
cidity.
To Katharine, indeed, it made little
difference what philanthropic fads the
man she had chosen might affect as
regarded his tenantry. Ambitions like
| these had a immortal flavor that did
not dispIease her. And the Fargo mil
lions would bear much harmless ham
mering. A change, subtle and incom-
mUnicable, passed over her.
Z shall think of you" she sighed,
''as working on in this splendid pro
| gram. For it is splendid. But New
! York will miss you, John"
"Ah, no. I've no decisions on that
score. I dare say I'm almost forgotten
there already. Here 1 have a place"
Her head, leaned back against the
! cushion, turned toward him, the pale
orchids trembling on her bosom-she
was so near that he could feel her
breath on his cheek. A new waltz
had begun to sigh its dangerous meas
ures
Place" she queried do you think
you had no place there? Is it possible
that you do not understand that your
going has left-a void?"
He looked at her suddenly, and her
J eyes fell. Before he answered, how
ever, the big form of Major BristoW
appeared, looking about him.
1T has-Ieft a void" she said, her
eyes still downcast, her voice just low
enough, for me-"
The major pounced upon them at
this juncture, feelingly accusing John
of the nefarious design of robbing the
assemblage of its bright and partic-
ular star When Katharine put her
hand in her cavaliers arm, her eyes
were dewy under their long shading
Iashes and her fine lips ever SO little
tremulous. 1t had been her best avail
able moment, and she had used it.
As she moved away, her faint color
slightly heightened, she was glad OF
the interruption. It was better as il
was. When John Valiant came to her
again.
But to him, as he stood watching
her move lightly from him, there was
vouchsafed illumination. 1t came to
him suddenly that that placidity and
hauteuT which he had so admired in
the old days were no mask for fires
within. The exquisite husk was the
real Katharine. Hers was the lowell
ness of some tall white lily cut il
marble, splendid but chill And with
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
tinted gown sprayed with lilies-of-the
valley, and above it a girls face clean
aad vivid, her deep shadow-blue eyes
fixed on his.
The music of a two-step was Ian
gushing when, a little later, Valiant
and Shirley strolled down between
the garden box-hedges, cypress-shapeC
and lifting spire-like toward a SKI
which bent, a silent canopy of mauve
and purplish blue. Behind Their
DamoTy court lay a nest of woveI
: music and laughter. The long white
muslined porch shimmered goldenly
l and beside it under the lanterns dial
lied a flirtatious couple or two, ghost
: like in the shadows.
: Come" he said. LET me take you
l to see the sun-diaI now"
: The tangle had been cut away ant
) a narrow gravel-path led through tht
= pruned creepers. She made an excla
f nation of delight. The onyx-pilIa.
stood in an oasis of white-moonflow
l ers, white dahlias, mignonette and mar
r cissus; bars of late lilies-of-the-val
ley beyond these, bordered with Arum
? lilies, white clematis, iris and bridal
l wreath, shading out into tender pale
4 hues that ringed the spotless purit.
2 like dawning passion.
- White for happiness" he quoted
You said that when you brought m
j here-the day we planted the ram
: blers. Do you remember what
said? That some day, perhaps, shoult
E love this spot the best of all at Damon,
! court" He was silent a moment, trac
: ing with his finger the motto on tn
t dial's rim. When | was very little,
{ he went on-"hardly more than tire
: years old, I think-my father and
1 had play, in which we lived in
! great mansion like this. 1t was GALE
: ties of oil were also used in place @
: coal for gas making. and on the est