The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-01-07

was absolutely no heroism displayed
during our flight through the hills and
valleys, unless you are willing to ac-
cept as such a single dash of 60 miles
an hour which Britton made in order
a avoid a rain shower that threatened
to flank us if We observed the speed
laws.
But wait. There vas an example of
bravado on my part that shall not go
unrecorded. l hesitated at first to put
it down in writing, but my sense of
honor urges me to confess everything,
1t happened just after that memorable
picnic luncheon in the shady dell, The
Countess, l maintain, was somewhat to
blame for the incident. She suggested
that we-that is to say, the two of US
explore the upper recesses of this
picturesque spot while the others were
making ready for the resumption of
our journey.
Shame, contrition, humiliation or
whatever you may elect to call it, for
bids a lengthy or even apologize eX-
PLANTATION Of what followed her unfor-
with it in as few words as possible.
In the most obscure spot in all those
ancient hills, l succumbed to an execra-
BILE impulse to take her forcibly in my
did it, or how, but that is just what
happened. My shame, my horror over
the t~ranscendental folly was made al
most u~nbearable by the way in which
slit lOOh IL. AT llISi 1 llouSHl SIG
had swooned, she lay so limp and un-
resisting in my arms. My only excuse,
whispered penitently in her ear, was
that | couldn't help doing what | had
done, and that | deserved to be drawn
and quartered for taking avantage OF
my superior strength and her gentle for
bearanee. Strange to say, she merely
looked at me in a sort of dumb wonder
and quietly released herself, still star
ing at me as if I were the most in
eXplicable puzzle in the world. Her
cheeks, her throat, her brow grew
warm and pink with a just indigna.
ton; her lips parted but she uttered
no word. Then I followed her defect
edly, cravenly back to the roadside
and executed an inward curse that
would hang over my miserable head so
long as it was on my shoulders.
Her vivacity was gone. She shrank
down into the corner of the seat,
and, with her back half turned
toward me, gazed steadfastly at the
panoramic valley which we were skirt
ing. From time to time I glanced at
her out of the corners of my eyes, and
eventually was somewhat relieved to
see that she had closed her own and
was doing. My soul was in despair.
She loathed, despised me. could not
blame her, | despised myself.
And vet my heart q%uickened every
time | allowed myself to think of the
crime l had committed.
The day was a glorious one and the
road more thar passably good, We
and shutdown found us about 25 miles
from our destination. Not caring to
run the risk Of a prolonged stay in
the town, we-drew up at a roadside
inn and had our dinner in the quaint
little garden, afterwards proceeding
leisurely by moonlight down the slop-
ing highway.
Billy Smith met us six or eight miles
out and we stopped TO parley. He ex-
amined the Countess skilfully prepared
passports, pronounced them genuine o.,
and then gave us the cheerful news
that everything was lovely and the
goose hung high The train for the
coast was due to leave the Staats-bahn-
hof at 1906, and we had an hour to
spare. He proposed that we spend it
quite comfortably at the roadside while
Brltton went through the pretence of
repairing our tires. This seemed an
agreeable arrangement for everyone
but Britton, who looked SO glum that I,
glad of the excuse, offered to help him.
No sooner was l out of the car and
Billy Smith in my place beside the
Countess than she became quite gay
and Vivacious once more, She laughed
and chatted with him in a manner hat
promptly convinced me that propin-
guilty so far as l was concerned had
had a most depressing effect upon her,
and that she revealed in the change of
companions.
1 was so disturbed by the discovery
d. that Britton had to caution me several
:. times to handle the inner tubes less
j., roughly or | would damage them and
we might suffer a blowout after all.
Everyone appeared to be gay and
/ frivolous, even Blake. who chartered
soto voce with Britton, that excellent
= rascal spending most of his time lean
. ing against the spare tires in order to
} catch what she was saying for his
} benefit. All efforts to draw me into
0 the general conversation were |unavail-
|, ing. l was as morose and unresponsive
| as an Egyptian mummy, and for a very
4 excellent reason, | submit. The Coun-
e tess deliberately refused to address a
4 single remark to me. Indeed, when |
0 seemed pe~rilously near to being drawn
+ into the conversation she relapsed into
: a silence that was most forbidding. My
cup of misery was overlooking.
I wondered If she would feel called
. upon at some distant confessional to
tell the fortunate Lord Amberdale that
| had b~rutally kissed her. And Lord
= Amberdale would grin in his beastly
< could you have expected from n bally
d American bounder?' She would no
| doubt smile indulgently.
I Heigh-ho!
= All things come to an end, however.
q We found ourselves at last uttering
. our good-bys in the railway station,
: surrounded by hurrying travellers and
y attended by eager porters.
e TO Be Continued.)