Williams news., 1921-05-13


 tain night. The whole scene moved
 him in strange. deep ways in which he had never been stirred before; 1t left him exultant and, in deep wells of his nature far below the usual cur
 rents of excitement, a little excited too.
 Then both of them were startled
 out of their reflections by the clear,
 unmistakable sound of footsteps on
 the ridge. Both of them turned, and
 Lennox laughed softly in the dark
 ness My daughter" he said "1
 knew she wouldn't be afraid to come"
 Dan could see only Snowbird's out
 line at first, just her shadow against
 the moonlit hillside. His glasses were
 none too good at long range. And
 possibly, when she came within range.
 the first thing that he noticed about
 her was her stride The girls he knew didn't walk in quite that free. strong way She took almost a man. size step; and yet it was curious that she did not seem ungraceful. Dan had
 a distinct impression that she was floating down to him on the moonlight She seemed to come with such unut- terable smoothness- And then he
 heard her call lightly through the darkness.
 The sound gave him distinct sense of surprise Some way, he hadn't as- sociated a voice like this with a noun tain girl; he had supposed that there would be so many harshening fnflu- ences in this wild place. Yet the tone was as clear and full as a trained singers. It was not a high voice; and yet 1t seemed simply brimming, as cup brfms with wine. with the rap Of SPlf-P0nf1dQnf voice too. wholly unaffected and sin cere and wholly without embarrass- ment.
 Then she came close, and Dan saw the moonlight on her face. And so it came about whether in dreams or wakefulness, he could see nothing else for many hours to come.
 The girl who stood in the moonlight had health. She was simply vibrant with health. It brought light to her eyes, and a color to her cheeks, and life and simmer to her moonlft hair. It brought curves to her body, and strength and firmness to her limbs, and the grace of a deer to her car riage. Whether she had regular fea- lures or not Dan would have been un- able to state. He didn't even notice. They weren't important when health
  of the coarse or bold or voluptuous about her. She was just a slender girl, perhaps twenty years of age, and weighing even less than the figure oc- casionally to be read in the health magazines for girls of her height And she was fresh and cool beyond all words to tell.
 And Dan had no delusions about her attitude toward him. For long instant she turned her keen, young eyes to his white. thin face; and at once 1t became abundantly evident that beyond a few girlish speculations she felt no interest in him. After a single moment of rather strained, po- lite conversation with Dan-just | enough to satisfy her idea of the con- hood tale to her father. And she was still telling 1t when they reached the | house.
 Dan held a chair for her in front of | the fireplace and she took 1t with en- tire naturalness. He was careful to put 1t where the firelight was at it's | height. He wanted to see it's effect on the flushed cheeks, the soft dark hair. And then. standing in the shadows, he simply watched her. With the eye of an artist he delighted in her gestures. her rippling enthusiasm, her utter ir- girlishness that all of time mad not years enough to kill.
 Bill stood watching her, his hands 1eep in his pockets, evidently a com )anion of the best. Her father gazed 1t her with amused tolerance. And Oar le didn't know in just what way le did look at her. And he didn't have ime to decide. In less than fifteen and wholly without warning, she sprang up from her chair and 'tarted toward the door.
 Good LordI" Dan breathed. If vou make such sudden motions as that 'n have heart failure. Where are you going now?'
 "Back to my watch" she answered, Ter tone wholly lacking the personal lote which men have learned to ex- ,ect In the voices of women. And an instant later the three nt them saw Ter retreating shadow as she vanished lmong the pines.
 Dan had to be helped to bed. The ong ride had been too hard on his hattered lungs; and nerves and body collapsed instant after the door vas closed behind the departing girl. He laughed weakly and begged their pardon; and the two men were really , cry gentle. They told him 1t was heir own fault for permitting him to 'verdo. Lennox himself blew out the andle in the big, cold bedroom.