Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-03-31

! 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 it's dangerous meas
ures.
Placer" she queried EDO 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
eyes fell Before he answered, how
ever, the big form of Major Bristow
appeared, looking about him.
ut has-left a void" she said, her
eyes still dcwncast, her voice Just low
enough, for me-"
| The major bounced upon them at
this juncture, feelingly accusing John
of the nefarious design of robbing the
assemblage of it's bright and partic-
u,ar star. When Katharine put her
hand in her cavaliers arm, her eyes
were dewy under their long shading
laShes and her fine lips ever so little
! tremulous. It 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. Ii was better as it
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
| hauteur 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 in
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,
1 and set in the midst of it a misty star
! tinted gown sprayed with lilies-of-the-
valley, and above it girls face clear
and vivid, her deep shadow-blue eyes
! fixed on his.
The music Of q two-step was Ian
! gushing when, a 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 a nest Of woven
music and laughter. The long white
muslined porch shimmered gOldenly
and beside it under the lanterns dali
lied a firtatious 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
a narrow gravel-path led through the
pruned creepers. She made an eXcla-
nation of delight The onyx-pillar
stood in an oasis of white-mOonfiow-
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 i
said? That some day, perhaps, | should
love this spot the best of all at Damory
court He was silent a moment, trac-
ing with his finger the motto on the
dial's rim. when l was very little, >"
he went on-"hardly more than three
years old, l think-my father and !
had a play, in which we lived in a
(! great mansion like this. 1t was called
] Wishing House, and it was in the mid
die of the Never-Never Land-a sort
of beautiful fairy country in which
| everything happened right. | 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 her
; knees had begun to tremble and she
/ Caught In6 OluSI W ACl ChOOn
! in a 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-"will
you make my happiness for me?"
She was standing perfectly still
against the sun dial, both hands, laced
together, against her breast, her eyes
on his with a strange startled look.
| Over the hush of the garden now, like
| the very soul of the passionate night,
throbbed the haunting barcarole OF
Tales of Hoffmann:"
might Of stars and night Of love"
an inarticulate echo of his longing. He
took a step toward her, and she turn.
ed like one in sudden terror seeking
a way Of escape. But he caught her
/ close in his arms.