The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-07-24

mind. When she had pushed the gold
harp into its corner she threw herself
upon broad sofa in a feathery drift
of chintz cushions and dropped her
forehead in her laced fingers. A gilt
framed mirror hung on the opposite
wall, out Of which her sorrowful brood
ing eyes looked with an expression OF
dumb and weary suffering.
Her confused thoughts raced hither
and thither. What would be the end?
Would Valiant forget after time?
Would he marry-Miss Fargo, per-
haps? The thought caused her stab
of anguish. Yet she herself could not
marry him. The barrier was impas'
sable!
She was still lying listlessly among
the cushions when step sounded on
the porch and she heard Chilly Lusk's
voice in the hall. With heavy hands
Shirley put into place her disheveled
hair and rose to meet him.
Pm awfully selfish to come to-
night" he said awkwardly; mo doubt
you are tired out"
She disclaimed the WEAKNESS that
dragged upon her spirits like leaden
weights, and made him welcome with
her usual cordially. She was, in fact
relieved at his coming. At Damory
court, the night of the ball, when she
had come from the garden with heI
lips thrilling from Valiant's kiss, she
had suddenly met his look. 1t had
seemed to hold a startled realization
that she had remembered with a re-
morseful conjunction. Since thai
night he had not been at Rosewood.
Ranston had lighted pine-knot II
the fireplace, and the walls were shud
dering with crimson shadows. Hell
hand was shielding her eyes, and al
she strove to fill the gaps in theil
somewhat spasmodic conversation
with the trivial impersonal things tina
belonged to their old intimacy, thu
tiny pickering flames seemed to b.
.darting unfriendly fingers plucking a
her secret. Leaning from her nest o
cushions she thrust the poker int
the glowing resinous mass till spark
whizzed up the chimneys black NAV
in torrent.
"How they fy!" she said. "Ricke!
Snyder calls it raising blizzard II
Hades. used to think they few VI
to the sky and became the Titles
stars. What pity we have to grow
I'm and learn so much! I'd rattle
have kept on believing that when tn
red leaves in the woods whirled abou
in a circle the fairies we're dancing
and that 1t was the gnomes who pu
the cockle-burs In the hounds ears.
She had been talking at random
gradually becoming shrinkingly cor
scious of his constrained and stun
bling manner. She had, however, bu
half defined his errand when he cam
to 1t all in asburst. 54s sle..-
"I-I can't get to 1t, somehow, Shil
ley" he said with sudden desperation
"but here 1t is. I've come to ask 20
to marry me. Don't stop me-" b
went on hurriedly. lifting his hand
whatever you say, I must tell yot
rye been trying to for months an
monthsl" Now that he had startet
It came with q boyish vehemence tha
both chilled and thrilled her. Eve
in her own desolation. and shrinkin
almost unbearably from the avowa
the hope and brightness in his voic
touched her with pity. 1t seemed t
her that life was a strange tumble {
unacceptable and incomprehensibl
pain. And all the while. in the youn
voice vibrant with feeling, her GRIN,
ing ear was catching imagined echoe
of that other voice, graver and nor
self-contained, but shaken by the sam
passion, in that iteration Of Il Low
you! love you'll"
His answer came to him finally
her silence, and he released her hand