Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1917-05-25
CHAPTER XVIII.
EacinQ the Music.

Facing the Music.
They had not underestimate the
danger from Sassoon's suspicious ma
levolence. He returned next morn
ing to read what further he could
among the rocks. 1t was little, but it
spelled meeting Of two people-Nan
and another-and he was stimulated to
keep his ewes and ears open for fur
Their discoveries. Moreover, continu-
ing ease in seeing each other, unde-
tected by hostile eyes, gradually rem
dered the lovers less cautious in their
arrangements.
De Spain, naturally reckless, had
won in Nan girl hardly more con-
cerned. Self-reliant both of them,
and instinctively vigilant, they spent
so much time together that Scott and
Lefever, who, before a fortnight had
passed after Dukes return home, sur
missed that De Spain must be carry
ing on some sort of a clandestine af-
fair limiting toward the gap, only ques-
toned how long it would be before
something happened, and only. hoped
it would not be, in their own word,
unpleasant. 1t was not theirs in any
case to admonish De Spain, nor to
dog the movements Of so capable a
friend, even when his safety was con-
cerned, so long as he preferred to keep
his own cOunsel-there are limits
within which no man welcomes unin-
vited assistance. And De Spain, in
his long and frequent rides, his pro-
tracted absences, Indifference to the
details of business and careless humor,
had evidently passed within these
limits.
What was stage traffic to him CON-
pared to the sunshine on Mans hair 3;
what attraction had schedules to offer
against a moment of her eyes; what
pleasing connection could there be be-
tween bad-order wheels and her low
laugh?
The two felt they must meet to dis
cuss their constant perplexities and
the problems Of their difficult situa-
ton; but when they reached their
trysting places, there was more of gay
ETY. than gravity, more of nonchalance
than concern, more of looking into
each others hearts than looking into
the troublesome future. And there
was hardly an inviting spot within
miles of Music mountain that one or
the other of the two had not waited
near.
There were, of coarse, disappoint.
ments, but there were only few fail
ures in their arrangements. The diff
culties of these fell chiefly on Nan
How she overcame them was source
of surprise to De Spain, who marveled
at her innocent resource in escaping
| the demands at home and making her
way, despite an array Of obstacles, to
his distant Impotence.
Midway between Music mountain
and Sleepy Cat a low-lying wall OF
lava rock, in part sand-covered and In
part exposed, parallels and sometimes
crosses the principal trail. This undu
lating ridge was a favorite with De
Spain and Nan, because they could
ride in and out of hiding places with
| out more than just leaving the trail
itself. To the west of this ridge, anC
commanding it, rose rather more thar
a nile away the cone called Black Cap
Suppose" said Nan one afternoon
looking from De SPANS side toward
the mountains, someone should be
spying on us from Black Capri She
pointed to the solitary rock.
"If anyone has been, Nan, with {
good glass he must have seen ex
changes of confidence that would make
him gnash his teeth. 1 know if l evel
saw anything like it I'd go hang Blu
the country around there is too rougl
for a horse. Nobody even hides arount
Black Cap, except some tramp hold-uI
man that's crowded in his getaway
Bob Scott says there are dozens o.
mountain lions over there"
But Sassoon had the unpleasant pa
tience Of a mountain lion and its dog
ged persistence, and, hiding himself OF
Black Cap, he made certain one day
of what he had long been convinced
that Nan was meeting De Spain.
The day after she had mentioned
Black Cap to her lover, Nan rode over
to Calabasas to get a bride mended
Galloping back, she encountered Sas
soon just inside the gap. Nan sc
detested him that she never spoke
when she could avoid it. On his part
he pretended not to see her as she
passed. When she reached home she