The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1918-12-26
CHAPTER xI-Continued-

Phliip Rinker alone had no eyes Tor
his master or for Miss ysnderpool He
sat by the kitchen table, watching
| Susan, who looked unusually charm
ing in a gown Of pink ginghsm- set Of
by an apron of dainty white muslin.
I'VE will go through the meadows
by the forget-me-not brook" Rebecca
was saying. Stand still here a mo-
ment and enjoy the view"
Martin halted, his face shining and
happy as that of a school urchin.
You see soft green, very green
grass at your feet and all about you"
| began Rebecca. There is a great
| lonely chestnut tree a few yards to
the right. and Sally stands there with
her calf. You saw her, you remember,
through the window in the grape
leaves. And just beyond us begins the
forget-me-not brook. II runs under
the stone fence from this field into
the next one. II pours straight down
from the woods where we are going.
, They are quite uphill. you know II
Is the only hill on the plateau, but
they are on its very edge. On their
other side you can look down miles
and miles through the valley-it is so
beautiful! But ! must not tell you
it"
The Brook sings.
She pressed Martins arm gently and
they started to walk ahead very
| slowly.
Lift your feet we'll" she said. ut
is even walking and you need fear no
obstruction, but the grass is long.
| Now, do you hear the brook singing
TO you? If you give heed you will fino
that, as ii goes over that rock, il
makes real musical sounds. Stoop
down and listen. There-now If you
drop your hand a bit father it will
rest on bed OF forget-me-nots. They
run all along the brook, almost into
the woods. / planted them myself.
The only bare places are where the
cattle drink. Here, let me put a few
in your buttonhole and l will tuck
some in my hair"
Martin had knelt down at her re-
quest, and now he bent his head and
| listened.
Yes. hear it," he said. 81 hear
all the little sharps and trebles. Ten
nyson must have been lying by some
English brook as eloquent as this
when he wrote US its song"
| " nat Is II 81 ing 70 YOU dSheu
! Rebecca, dropping down beside him
Il have promised never TO tell" said
! Martin. He rose to his feet, and so
did Rebecca. For the first time since
their comradeship began a shadow
crossed his face. He became grave
and preoccupied. She wondered wheth-
er unwittingly she had brought TO life
| some old remembrance which he
would have been better pleased to let
| remain asleep.
Come" she said. I'VE must 60"
She laid her hand on his arm, and
they started again.
1T is strange" he said. that you
| have never married. II is unusual TO
find a young and lovely woman living
so far from civilization"
A tremor passed over Rebecca and
at first she scarcely knew what to an
swer. She did not know that men and
women talked Of such matters unless
they were engaged or married. She
felt a bit angry at first, but toward
Martin she never could keep any emo
ton long except tenderness-and be-
sides, since yesterday her views of
life had changed. Then q Sting an
swer flew TO her tongues tip quite IN
awares, rather a clever retort for her,
she thought
A Hit ConceIted.
by civilization said she. laughing
a bit, Il presume you mean men"
Martin smiled.
i did sound bit conceited. didn't
-" he replied. still you must admit
that Providence never meant that
men and women should live apart
without the companionship each OF
the other. repeat: l wonder that
you have never married"
Il do not know how il has hap
pened." she said. but there are many
unmarried women. II is a sort OF
Fate. I suppose"
But a woman so attractive. SO
filled with the spirit of things, Of so
great magnetism, That counts for
more than beauty. What is beauty
without soul, rsonality-whaJever
you choose to call it? I have thought
much about these matters since
have been with you. Miss Nanderpool
You might be the very qUintessence OF
physical defornity, but that could not
change you-the woman soul that
speaks kind words and does kind
deeds and gives me back that which
I have lost, made exquisite by the pow
ers of her own imagination. Without
! personality, beauty is a dead thing
nothing more than a painted mask. "
At his words Rebecca's heart beat
more quickly, and she pressed her free
hand against it. How she longed 10
make known TO him her real appear
ance, to tell him about her ugly nose.
and small eyes and unbecominE hair,
| She had never confided even to her
| mother concerning her feelings on
these matters. It would be such a re-
/ lief. She could imagine how tenderly
he would know how to comfort her
But she had promised Maud that she
would never divUlge her perfidy-it
anything so charming in its results
could be termed perfdy: and besides
that. Rebecca felt pretty sure that for
all his admiration for soul Martin had
not lost his masculine enjoyment OF
golden hair and brown eyes and a
complexion Of creamy fairness. Il
would be a pity to spoil the illusion
for him, and she could never again act
quite the same should he know that
she had lent herself to deception.
Tell me, Miss Becky" went on her
companion. how the gods came 70
shower all their gifts upon you"
Jealous of Shadow.
Perhaps they have not" she made
answer. But her heart throbbed pain
| fully. She was growing Jealous OF
| that other woman who lived only in
Martins imagination. that woman
whom day by day she could see he
! was growing TO love-love as one
might love ones nearest and dearest
| friend