Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-23
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What Becomes
of Her
SuitOrs7
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| WHAT you were uOlns. - =.
"What was / doing?" said Peter
"The elescope--father's telescope.
"Oh yes--the telescope" rcpeate'
Peter, as II he had been accused Q
stealing the squeaky old glass.
did have the telescope. didn't IL"
| He was thinking that one could no
very well tell hosts like these tw'
women who had treated him as i m
were the owner OF the estate and OF tn
old stone house and even quaint Spod'
coffee cups which came on at breakfast
that he had como to Beconshire not tf
see them. He was thinking that !
they had not chosen to mention AZ
acquaintance other than the rather str
and dull and correct persons wbos hat
come TO tea almost every afternoon ant
three or four times to dinners. savet
by the Chateau Yquem graciously iei
by Sir Austin rs a legacy in the vim
cellar, he could not very well mentor
this acquaintance.
Muriel Creates An Atmosphere
Furthermore he had begun to fee
| that Muricl in some strange manner OF
her own had created an atmosphere
of a proprietress without any other
intimacy than calling him Peter and,
upon ono occasion, dressing cut OF
a hawthorn on the back OF his hand
with a peculiar tenderness mixed with
all the care of procedure that one can
find in "Whnt to Do in nn Emer-
gency." lie shrank from making one
inquiry he would have wished to make,
, Hc now had the chance to make
this inquiry. because Muricl said, 'You
were standing there under that beech
tree. thought"
"What did you think
"That you were looking through the
glass across the fields toward that
place under the big trees--the place
we call the Curate's because one used
to live there"
Peter might have spoken then to ask
who now occupied the little gabled
house with its guardian trees. It was
the opportunity to hear a name lie
had not heard since he had heard II
from Colonel Benhams lips: Peters
CHARACTERISTIC perversity. that often
made him allow life to set its own pace
and bring events at its own whim,
added at this moment to his disin-
clination to disclose one of his reasons
for idling under the Benham's roof.
1t prevented him from speaking. The
sun was warm, there was a fatalistic
assurance that he would hear the name
soon enough, and there was the pos
sibility that look of pain would come
into Muriel's face and he would hurt
= girl for whom he had acquired good
natured, comphniOnable and almost pa
ternal affection.
He only smiled, and Muriel's pink
| fingers being near upon the grass, he
touched them lightly. After long
pause, he said, Il was looking around
the country"
II do not believe you." the girl
said, jumping up with startling sudden
ness.
Where are you going?" he asked.
Into the house. have ahead
ache"
She had often insisted that she never
had headaches, as If not having head
aches was part of proper program
for n woman who intends to marry
correctly. have children correctly and
be correctly buried with correct hus-
bands tears. Perhaps this came into
her mind, for Mt the vine covered por-
one Of the ancient pillars and, making
n pretty picture with her high color
and her lean young body, she called
out, do YOU want to walk this after
noon--to Bosnian Wood "
Peter nodded his assent vigorously,
and when she ran into the house hc
threw himself back into the grass and
through half closed eyes watched the
ever. changing patterns in cottony
clouds and the flight Of wheeling mar
tins.
Muriel began that afternoon walk
with great gayety Of spirits, as if, per-
haps, she had found triumph over
some difficulty, victory at the end OF
twenty-one years of preparation for
victory. As soon as they had struck off
across the downs she threw her arms
toward the sky and sang into the
wind an old hunting song of quaint
and engaging melody.
Lets learn the song together" she
said to Peter. Look over there on the
edge of the horizon. The square tower.
That's Saint Dunstan 's-the very tower
In which the fox sought sanctuary in
the song-the old song, written six
hundred years ago, they sny."
Peter, with his usual adaptability.
acquired both words and music. lie
sang. He danced upon the rolling green
plain. And at last seizing Muriel's
waist around the belt of her sporting
coat, he swung her almost off her feet
and together they whirled merrily--two
tiny tops spinning upon the vast ex-
panse. When they stopped, the girl
almost dizzy, and breathless, clung
for moment to his coat and looked
into Peters eyes. He could feel her
warm breath upon his chin.
Continued on Tuestlav