The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1916-09-07

80 you are you,' he rurmurso.
mates her costume. II was after the
hour Of 10. but the girl fingered lit.
TIE after she had executed that mis-
sion.
I'VE are very sorry that Mr.. 0'Mara
could not come" she hcsltated. 81 had
promised both Garry and Archie Wick
ersham that he would be down"
I'VE haven't heard from him since
he went back into camp" Sarah an
swered. ''IIe. no doubt, has been un.
able to get away"
Barbara Allison recrossed the lawn
very slowly that night. She retraced
her Steps with head bent. the fall OF
her sllppered feet muflied by the car.
pet OF thick. unfrosted grass. Vaguely
troubled. vaguely disturbed at herself,
she was within arms length OF a
dark figure In the hedge gap through
which she had just come before she
was aware Of its presence. Stephen
O'Mara, weather beaten hat In hand.
was standing there In her path, peer
Ing steadily at the stucco and timber
lodge allght from end TO end like a
huge and sprawllng glowworm.
An insistent desire again 10 meet the
Honorable Archibald Wickersham had
led him 10 request Fat Joe 10 hook up
the team that day ut noon for the long
drive down the river. With Steve him
self handling the reins they had rolled
the thirty miles ut n speed which might
have mildly surprised Fat Joe had he
not been accustomed 10 putting two
and two together 20 make six or eight
or more. And Fat Joe's thin tenor was
just drifting family OF down the hill
a Inournful rendition of Home, Sweet
Home"-when the girl stepped noise
lessly forward and put hand, feather
light. upon the mans arm.
Again she felt the swift tensing OF
the flesh beneath; she fell back a step
before the startling abruptness with
which Steve whirled. She even threw
up one small hand, as II TO shield her
face. And then, the cloak falling open
at her throat. a slender. swaylng fg-
ure in blue and shimmering white. she
stood and flung little laugh at him-a
laugh a little unsteady. bit tinged
with mockery and as untroubled as the
spirit OF youth itself.
as that the way you always prepare
70 greet your friendsf' she asked.
The man Just stood and stared at
her-stared much as II he mistrusted
his own ears and eyes
mot all my friends" his slow voice
drawled at last. but even the words
were tinged with doubt Not all my
friends" he said. Silently the man
reached out and found the hand which
had lain for a moment upon his arm.
80 you are-you." he murmured.
when his fingers touched hers. II
wasn't-Just sure"
Suddenly unable TO think quite clear
ly, Barbara wondered at the new pulse
IN her throat. which beat and beat un.
I'll 1t seemed not easy even to speak.
"Then it-must he you too" she fall
tered. IL wasn't sure, either. even
when ! knew II must be. I'D begun TO
believe that you hadn't forgotten-that
you didn't care to VIII you
please say that you forgive me-please
for something over which ! have
been sorrler than you can known
His eyes chung 10 the velvety face OF
that slim girl decked as Cinderella In
bits OF transparent slippers and SHIN
mering. star edged white, until even
I'm spite OF the gloom the girl recognize
ed the change which had come creep
lug over his race. She saw II surge up
IN his eyes-the old undisguised won
der OF the boy OF ten years before, for
which, until that instant, she had lock-
ed In yain-but II was mans wonder