The Washington herald., 1922-01-01


her an sxuitant note Of unleashed animation.
From morning until dark she was intently
occupied. alert and responsive to every new
impression. The varied sctivities Of the men
we're her delight. The boy and the home
were her charges. and both received . new
purst Of life under her guiding hand.
The boy was captivated by her. The old
dog left his sunny steps by the kitchen and
followed her about with fatuous grin and
waving tail. Her presence amongst the
punchers melted them to breakneck capers
df horsemanship. They yearned for dragons
to siay at her feet Not . creature on the
home range seemed to be left unmoved by
her blithe charm.
But Lanham was stirred by vague resent.
msnt. 1t was not in the bargain that she
should involve him. He had expected his
interests to hold to general outer circle Of
guardianship-and It was not %.
Yet, attempting to define any overt atti
tuds of attraction toward him. he was COM
psiled to admit that she held unvaryingly to
q plane Of cordial impersonaiity. And this
but added to his disquietuds . querulous
sense Of piqus. She seemed. in this light.
irritatingly acceptant and content in their
anomalous position.
Returning to the big room one evening
after tuckins Don into bed. Helen fingered
by the piano and trailed her fingers wistfuly
over the keys.
would you mind" she asked. "n were
70 play bit7"
- didn't know you Played LAnham an.
swered in surprise
There is not wouldn't spoil anything
II were to use it? I haven't wanted to ask
before"
II there Is any music in it-by all means.
The old relic was just dumped on me in the
scleanup' Of a bad debt I'd been wondering
what to do with It,"
With q happy laugh Helen sat down and
struck a series of low. blending chords.
You don't know how afraid Of you I've
been since you came in." she. smiled over her
shoulder. "A funny old man with a wabbly
wagon and two burros drove In to-day and
asked II we had things to be mended or any
pianos to be tuned. let him go ahead.
And then / was afraid" She lightly fol-
lowed through old melody as she talked.
Lanham watched her through the blue
haze Of his cigar smoke. A stock journal
slid from his lap to the floor. unnoticsd. In
her dim corner the mellow light from the
lamp. absorbed In the somber shadows. was
reflected only by the gently swaying shoul-
ders in light gown and scarf. She appeared
as . phantom wrought by the spell Of har-
mony-an evanescent figure Of fancy that
might vanish when the music ceased
Az her hand swung out to the lower keys
Lanham's eye caught the golden CLINT Of the
ring he had given her His attention became
hxed in watching for the flicker Of It, For
while the music was lost upon him as his
thoughts held to the empty significance Of
that little plain band on her finger.
Lanham was stirred as she had not stirred
him before. 1t was not the music-it was not
the mere charm OF things sweet to the
senses: somewhere at the source Of thes.
outward expressions lay something nne and
beautiful yet undiscovered. 1t was the mys
tory Of this hidden something that moved
him a. one is impelled to search out ana
know the flower that drifts unwonted per-
fume across q path.
II Helen knew Of the disturbance within
Lanham she gave no sign outwardly. Her
attention was devoted largely to a daily
period Of study and reading with Don. Birds
and flowers were game that these two hunted
with little books during their hours In the
saddle. Her evenings with Lanham passe1
in the same gracious, impersonal friendly
way that had marked their beginning
But event of the following fall brought
disturbance on her own account. filling her
with vague uneasiness. 1t was a telegram
from Barclay, Of the New York Office stat
ing that he was travelling eastward from the
West Coast and would stop off to see Ian
ham about some affairs at the mines.
As Helen Maitland Of those days in the
once she had been mildly annoyed by inter.
mittent but perseverins attentions Of the
complacent young secretary. AS Helen Ian
ham she shrank from another meeting with
peculiar aversion. And the thought that
Barclay. with his inquisitive. SNUG little
analytical habits of mind. might pry under
the surface relationship Of her marriage 10
Lanhsm made her flush with ready resent
ment.
Barclay was received by Lanham with Tire
cordiality Of the frontier home. He accepted
an invitation to remain for q couple Of weeks
and have a try at the quail shooting.
grsu,nfn1 trir Ma nod apd with cook