The states-graphic. (Brownsville, Tenn.) 1???-1984, 1916-12-15

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so entirely his. Because be would not
let himself hope this time be was not
disappointed, or at least so he told
himself, when he found only Dexter
Allison with Caleb the next afternoon
near 0. And on a sudden thought his
eyes went rowing around the room
then, looking for Archibald Wicker
sham. But Miss Sarah gave him no
time for protracted scrutiny.
"Your room Is ready. Stephen" she
tola~him and steered him toward the
stairs. "You have an hour in which
to dress, and you know already that
am old maidenishly strict"
And then. quarters OF an hour
later, when he had dressed and turned
to the stairway Barbara was there
at the foot Of. the flight waiting for
him to appear. In little low pink
satin gown that made rounded her
slenderness- her appear even
smaller than she was-she gave him
an elaborate courtesy from the main
floor and flung up at him her laughter.
merry Christmas, Sir Galahad!" she
called.
Steve, who was only dimly aware of
the fact that Garry and Fat Joe had
arrived, the latter guilty of his first
dinner jacket and enormously proud OF
his guilt. stood looking at Barbara
while she was chattering at him with
out hearing distinctly word she
spoke.
"You look as though were a
WRATH" the girl accused him. Am
so pale after few weeks OF sophisti-
Gated city arr"
II thought you looked like-shall !
tell you what thought?'
Most certainly" she was forced to
insist wasn't 1t bald enough invi-
tation for a pretty spcech?'
81 thought you looked like small
pink bon bon," responded Steve leisure
ly, and, while the rest laughed at her
discontinue, Fat Joe leaned over and
nudged Garry,
"What'd | tell your he demanded.
"What'd tell you? Say, amt he
working well tonight?'
There was no keeping the girl within
doors after dinner was over. She ran
upstairs and changed into moccasins
and white blanket coat and skirt that
barely met the moccasin tops halfway.
And Steve, who had changed, too, and
was waiting for her when she came
down. had knotted Il crimson scarf
about the middle of his belted jacket
to match the white one twisted about
her throat
The man and girl climbed far that
night in quite unbroken silence. They
had reached the crest Of the first hill
and stopped with the higher ridges in
front Of them. black bulks filigreed
with white, before Barbara decided
that she would have to make him talk.
From the first he talked fitfully that
night. On other occasions she had no
ticed how his mind seemed to veer,
whimsically, from one topic to anoth-
er with little apparent continuity Of
thought, only TO swing back again just
when she was beginning to feel that
she had lost the thread Of inference to
4 nnsrf his srpnmnnf nslf saa sail <ls ina
were new and delightful VISIONS to
her ears. But tonight his grave voiced
divergences oftener than not left her
thoughts behind his thoughts.
'It is very easy country to get lost
In" he remarked when he had had to
insist that his sense OF direction and
NOT hers should be the one to be
trusted.
ut doesn't seem complicated he
pOndered. ITO man who has come
into the world with his sense Of north
and south and east and west all safely
relegated to bis backbone instead of
having to depend upon the Eighty
functions of his brain for his guide It's
about the simplest thing there is He
finds his way without thinking about
the lay Of the land or moss on the
trees or the sun or stars. But the 9th
er one-the one who has to stop and
reason that he must travel so mnny
miles to the west to reach home In
the afternoon because he came that
many in the morning why, he even
gets TO doubling his compass, until
night catches him without a roof over
his head and no wood collected for a
campfire"
81 shall try to remember that" she
answered soberly. IF ever | am lost
IL shall try to wait confidently for
daylight and keep my eyes to the fore
She was near to tears when he stoop-
ed and knelt in the snow to tighten a
thong slipping from one webbed foot.
Below them stretched plain Of SHIN
mering frost points, bounded by in
scrutahle walls of black timber. Some
where within the warmer heart of
swamp fox yapped hungrily; some
where within her own heart his whim-
steal discourse had awakened a sense
of the mystery of his wilderness-its
friendship for those who love Tits
implacable enmity for those who do
not understand. And he looked up just
when that emotion came flooding into
her face.
ut Is wonderful wonderful-wo
derful" she breathed, throwing out
both arms with that ecstatic impulslve-
ness which he knew so well Now |
know why YOU said men always re-
turn to it once they have felt its spell"
"You> are loyelier than you known
came lack from him. almost grufily