Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1918-11-15
AMo
The spInster Watched Them.

foreign air about him that added to
the mystery which the wind and sun
of many lands had cast in his eyes and
blended in the tan Of his face.
Hence II was that on a certain night
not long after his return he accom-
panied his mother to the Ackland
School of Art to view the annual
spring exhibit there His mother was
"a patron Of the school-being a patron
of something was a hobby Of hers
and Burke himself had contributes
largely to the museum from the fruits
If his travels. Like an automaton he
shook the hands of dozens. of very
much alike young women, and boys 50
evidently counting genius and flowing
ties-and then suddenly the hand he
found IN his was not the stereotyped.
nervous hand, but a warm, flexible
hand Of substance. And as he straight
ened up from his rather low bow his
eyes took III her gown Of golden-brOwn
simplicity.
She herself was living, breathing.
elastic thing of gold, it seemed. Her
hair, almost black, with Its hint Of
golden shadows--the ivory gold Of her
skin-and her eyes. those oriental +
cculd-love-you eyes--all reminded him
of Taluno and-Ahmeenah. In an In
slant he had passed and forgotten the
girl of the moment In memory of All
sneenah,. the girl of the past There
she stood high up on the rock above
him. poised against the sky for her
dive into the deep pool below, her
t,usky hair waving like . banner in the
wind-then his heart turned sick at
the memory Of her faulty step, his mad
rush that was too late to break the
fall of her lovely body that lay broken
and still on theSrocks at his feet. With
tired Sigh he slipped out Of the noisy
chattering throng that filed the great
room and sought the lower corridor.
where he sat on O stone, bench and
smoked deliberately insyiolation Ct al
he rules. T.
Twenty miRutes slatss. be Dascended
he steps agaiA.- At ,<ifs LANDING a. b.
urned the corner Of the stair he lookeA
upward and there stOodythe GIN Il IN
nc gold with her hand Oh rbe nta
psisea lathe act Of descending -Eorn
moment SAes RaeA - slAns thu A.
then desrendsd Gcswiy. and. when ~
met Ut fhe. ,RaA In he esates Of Il.
fiieht-tAsy smiled. d
~Yoa ass - syesy young - MD, =
r havins made q strange discsverx.A
she ,Aalf-ta.u>d n lean baek .asaisl
Dc rsn ~ ssalee ~ ~ ~ NJ
'herw.s csAssa sisses. II "a sw..sp
tw0," shs said, psnavs yst earnest
His had slid vp and touched hsn
where 1t ny o. the rail. bat she sesmsa
not to nstiee \. .sszs - ..q7-sssss
They are asking. for you" she
added, upstairs" And she gestured
with her head In the direction II the
noisy gallery. ~,
Morgan Burke. looked. ON this COM,
pcsste woman and marveled. OF all
mis- almOst-loves she seemed to- be
part. The gesture of her hand. the
supple twist Of her body a. she stood
there, the poise Of her hssA the glance
Of her eyes and the curve u her cheek
each was representative Of some one
charm Of those others Of his past.
II almost believe Iscoulda lovs you.
lie said as In dream.
For one pulsing momsnt she bsat
over him as he stood below her thsFs
and caught his upturned fAse bstwsen
her warm young hands. yct -
II know you could" she nurmuFeA.
tensely.
But before he could touch her me
tad fed back up the stairs. ~
Strangely enough there 10 always
some one to see such things. The next
the principal of ths art schoei
yho VS. . 1E1on1 r. DMntb 01lAnL