Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-11-25

WINE lHdl oA MS companion was Jet
black. The younger mans face APP
peared so dark that l suspected he wore
a beard, and his figure was erect and
| vigorous. in the prime of life. virile and
full of power.
He certainly dominated the older
nan. l watched them attentively, as
they paced back and forth. and the de-
pendence of the one upon the other
was very manifest. Both heads were
bent as though in earnest talk and. for
perhaps half an hour. they walked slow
ly up and down. Then, at a sign of
fatigue from the older figure. the other
led him to a garden bench. where both
sat down.
The elder man. I told myself. was no
doubt Worthington Vaughan. Small
wonder he was considered queer If he
dressed habitually in a white robe and
worshiped the stars at midnight! There
was something monkish about the hab-
It's which he and his companion wore,
and the thought flashed into my mind
that perhaps they We're members Of
some religious order, or some Oriental
cult or priesthood. And both OF them.
l added to myself. must be a little
mad!
AS I watched. the discussion gradu-
ally grew more animated, and the
younger man, springing to his feet,
paced excitedly up and down. touching
his forehead with his fingers from time
to time. n raising his hands to heav-
en-. as though calling it as a witness to
his words. At last the other made a
sign of assent. got to his feet. bent his
head reverently as to a spiritual supe-
rior and walked slowly away toward
theh house. The younger mar stood gaz-
ing after him until he passed from
sight. then resumed his rapid pacing
up n down. evidently deeply moved.
At last. from the direction Of the
house. came the flutter of a white robe.
For a moment, I thought it was the old
mar returning; then. as it emerged full.
ly from the trees. I saw that it was a
woman-a young woman, l guessed.
from her slimness. and from the mass
OF dark hair which framed her face.
And the l remembered that Godfrey
had told me that W~orthington Vaughan
had a daughter.
The man was at her side in an in
slant. held out his hand. and said
something. which caused her to shrink
away. She half turned. as though to
flee. but the other laid his hand upon
her arm. speaking earnestly, and. after
a moment. h permitted him to lead
her to a seat. He remained standing
before her. sometimes raising his hands
to heaven. sometimes pointing toward
the house. sometimes bending close
above her. and from time to time. maxi
Ing that peculiar gesture of touching
his fingers to his forehead. whose
meaning I could not guess. But T could
which poured from his lips. and at the
eager light which was in his eyes!
The woman sat quite still, with
bowed head, listening. but making no
sign either OF consent or refusal. Grad
ually. the man grew more confident.
and at last stooped to take her hand,
but she drew it quickly away. and. rails
ing her head, said something slowly
and with emphasis. He shook his head
savagely, then. after a rapid turn up
and down. seemed to agree. bowed low
to her, and went rapidly. away toward
the house. The woman sat for some
time where he had left her, her face
In her hands: then. with. q gesture of
WEAKNESS and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, crossed
the lawn md disappeared among the
treas. 80,
For a long time I sat there motion
less. my ayes on the spot where she
had disappeared, trying to understand.
What was the meaning Of the scene?
What was 1t the younger man had
urged sc passionately upon her, but
at which she had rebelled? What was
1t for which ne la pied so earnestly?
n obvious answer was that he pied
for her love, that he had urged her ia
become his wife; but the answer did
not satisfy me. Fills attitude had been
PooSASiiuSC CAOo6I Oul IL Idu scarcely
been lover like. 1t had more of adj
monition. of warning. even of threat.
than of entreaty in it. 1t was not the
attitude of a lover to his mistress.
but OF a master to his pupil.
And what had been the answer.
wrung from her finally by his insist
ence-the swe to which he had at
first violently dissented. inc then re-
l~uctantly agreed?
Nh donht If fhaca manila h,l l.1.u
CARRIED in the clothes of every day,
I should have felt at the outset that
all this was none Of my business, and
have crept down the ladder and gone
away. But their strange dress
gave to the scene an air at
once unreal and theatrical, and not for
an instant n / felt myself an intru-
der. 1t was as though I We're looking at
the rehearsal of a drama designed for
the public gaze n enacted upon a
stage; or. more properly. a pantomime,
dim and %figurative. but most impress
sive. Might 1t not, indeed. be a re-
hearsal Of some sort-private theatre
cals--make believe? But that scene at
midnight-that could not be make be-
heve! No. nor was this scene in the
garden. 1t was in earnest-in dead
lest earnest; there was about it some
thing sinister and threatening: and it
was the realization Of this-the real
ia SLlSAS WAS SOAIASiIll1AS lltSES
not right, something demanding sc,u-
tiny--which kept me chained to my
uncomfortable perch, minute after
minute.
But nothing further happened, and I
realized. at last, that if l was to escape
an agonizing cramp in the leg, I must
get down. | put my feet on the ladder,
and then paused for q last look about
the grounds. My eye was caught by
a flutter Of white a.neng the trees.
Someone was walking along OF he
paths: in a moment, straining for
ward, I saw it was the woman, and
that h was approaching the wall.
And then. as she came nearer. ] saw
that she was not a oma at all. but a
eirt-a girl OF 1S or 90. to. whom the
flowing robes gave. at asdistance, the
effect Of age. l caught bh{y a glimpse
OF her face before it was: hidden by a
clump OF shrubhery, but that glimpse
told me that 1t wa u face to set the
pulses leaping. I strained still farther
forward, waiting until h should come
into sight again. 81.
Along the path h came, with the
sunlight about her. kissing her hair,
her lips, her clieeks--and the N in
slant her eyes were staring upwald DIS
into mine.
/ could not move. | could only stare
down at her. + saw the hot color sweep
across her face; | saw her hand go to
her bosom: | saw her turn to flee.