The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-07-04
copSe,oHr 81 DOUBLEDAY. page 81 CO.

| brook, holding her skirts above the
water
Consider yourself turned to a stag
she said.
"All right" l answered, "but don'r
stay in that cold water too long
eff | do it will be your fault" she
smiled. with sidelong glance. Then
she turned and began wading tenta-
lively downstream. But the brook deep
ened suddenly, and she sank almost
to her knees, catching her skirts up
! just in time. | withdrew hastily. and
called back to her to come out When
| heard her on the bank, [ brought her
a big handkerchief for towel, and
withdrew once more, telling ner to
hurry and help me plan the path
through the pines. In a moment or two
she was by my side. We looked at
each other. Her face was still flushed.
but her eyes were merry. We We're
standing on almost the exact spot
where we had first met. But low there
seemed in some subtle wise new bond
of intimacy between us, bond that
had not existed before this hour. |
could not analyze it, but l felt 1t, and
l knew she felt it. But what she said
was:
81 told you to work till five o'clock
Its half-past four" | answered.
Besides, you must have sent for me.
Something suddenly prompted me to
come out and hunt you up, at any
rate
"To say | sent for you is rather
rather forward, under the circum-
stances. don't you think?"
ct might be-and it might not be, y
l answered. Did you have a good
time?"
1.-THE best ever had-till you spoiled
it," she exclaimed. "Oh, the nice, cold
brook. Now, let's build the path you
spoke about once"
We went back to the naples, where
the ground was open, and selected
spot on the edge of the pines where the
path would most naturally enter. Then
we let it wind along by the brook
When we reached the bayfield, wall be-
side the house it was nearly six O'Clock.
"Now, let's just walk back through
itr' she cried. Tomorrow we can
bring the wheelbarrow, can't we, and
pick up the litter we've made?"
Il can, at any rate, while you wade
said I.
She shot little look up into my
face. 81 guess I'll help" she smiled.
In the low afternoon light weturned
about and retraced our steps. There
was but a fringe of pines along the
southern wall. and as they were forty
year-old trees here the view both back
to the house and over the wall into the
next pasture was airy and open. Then
the path led through a corner of the
tamarack swamp where in wet weather
| should have to put down some planks,
and where the cattails grew breast
high on either side. Then it entered
the thick pine grove where a great
many of the trees were evidently nOt
more than fifteen or twenty years old
and grew very close. The sunlight was
shut out, save for daggers of blue be
tween the trunks toward the west. The
air seemed hushed, as if twilight were
already brooding here. The little brook
rippled softly.
AS we came to the first crossing, !
pointed to the pool, already dark with
shadow. and said, 1T was wrong of
me to play Action to your Diana, but
l am not ashamed nor sorry. You were
very charming in the dappled light,
and you were doing a natural thing,
and in among these little pines, per
haps, two friends may be two friends,
though they are man and woman"
She did not reply at once, but stood
beside me looking at the dark pool and
apparently listening to the whisper of
the running water against the stepping
stones. Finally she said with a little
laugh, Il have always thought that per-
haps Diana was unduly severe. Come,
we must be moving on
Once more we entered the pines, fol-
lowing the new path over the brook
again to the spot where we first had
met. There | touched her hand LET
US wait for the thrush here" | whis-
pered.
could see her glimmering face
lifted to mine. "Why here?" she asked.
Because it was here we first heard
him."