Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-08-16
CHAPTER vn.-tContinued.,

l.. les: ne exclaimed eagerly. She
had offered him his inmost desire; in
his gratitude he caught her hand,
stammering in the rush Of words re-
leased. Yes. If you will go, I have
q house-our house. La. me toll you.
Yesterday. after meeting you at Mas
tersonss the night before, 1 was at the
limit. I had to keep out OF doors and
Keep moving, or 60 to pieces. I kept
seeing Fred. and Holly. Well, I took
a long drive; across the river, i went,
perhaps because o were always
kind of a fairyland. And on the way
back, on the road along the Palisades,
I saw the house. 1t was-I stopped
and went in. It looked like I. place
you had made a picture Of. I can't
explain what / mean, but 1 a down
there and thought things out. You
won't be angry? I bought Il. Not
that I was so sure Of you! You see,
II you refused to take. me, l knew I
had money enough to buy fifty like it
for a whim. And il you would come,
1t was the house."
There was M anger in her glance,
only a h%eartening comprehension and
cordial willingness.
LET us go there" she agreed. II
should like that best Of all"
Terminated, he put her into the
waiting taxicab, gave the chauffuer
his directions. and closed the door
upon their first welded solitude.
But this is one of the things we
must not do" she told him, bringing
the relief of humor. to the situation.
I'VE must not take taxis and let them
wait for us with a price on the head
of each moment. 1t is more than ex-
~travagant; it is reckless ~
He laughed out, surprised.
so 1t Is. l I'M afraid you will have
a lot to teach me-"
YES" she assumed the burden.
Eyes" |gI
They rode down to the ferry. and
the taxtcab rolled On board the broad,
unsavory-smelling boat. When the
craft started, the vibration of the en-
CINE sent a -throbbing sense of de-
parture through Adriance such as he
never had felt in starting a European
voyage. This time he could not re-
turn. He was humbly grateful for
Eisie's silence, which permitted his
own.
On the Jersey side their cab slowly
moved through the dark ferry house.
then plunged out int a sun-drenched
world and swung blithely up to the
long Edgewater hill. They left the
river shipping behind. presently. The
sunlight glittered through the woods
that still clothe the long, rampant
like stretches along the summit Of the
great cliffs: a forest, of jewels like
the s~ubterranean woods Of the
Twelve Dancing Princesses, only in
stead of silver and diamonds these
trees displayed the red of cornelian
and brown of topaz all set in copper
and. bronze. The storm of the night
before. had Uttered the ground with
the spoils of Lady Autumn's Jewell
box; the air was spicily sweet and
very clear.
The village on the first slope of the
hills had been dingy and poor. Here
above, on the heights winding up the
river. there were few houses, with
long spaces between. Elsie leaned at
the window, her wide eyes embrac-
ing all. Adriance leaned back, see
~ing-nothing.
The taxicab finally stopped, never
theless, at his signal. before a little
red cottage set far back from the
road.
"Here?" the chauffeur queried, with
~incredulous scorn.
Here" Adriance affirmed, swing
ing out their w s~uit-cases and his
wife. He laughed a little at the mans
face. How much ?"
The toll pointed Elsie's warning.
She made a grimace at her pupil.
His spirits mounting again. Adriance
answered the rebuke by catching her
hand to lead her up the absurd. stag
gerinR Gothic porch in miniature.
It'll come back for the baggage"
he promised. "Come look. first"
us there anything inside ?"
"Oh, yes. Il he looked
askance at her. ~ bought things, at
q shop in Fort Lee. early this morn
ing: I suppose they're all wrong"
She met his did1dence with a smile
so warm, so enchanting in its sweet,
maternal rail1ery and indulgence that
his heart melted within him. And
then. as he fumbled with the key, she
took from her handbag. a book and
a small glass bottle, and gave them to
him. q
'eWhat-?" he marvelled.
Don't you know" she wondered