Evening star., 1923-07-29

face from the night itself. whisper
| ing, But he couldn't see me. He'll
never know who it was"
! She lived with her married sister:
she had nowhere else to live without
loneliness. Her brother-i law liked
/ to tease her He said once, You've
had to quit your playin' up at Macey's
place"
YES" agreed Eve stilly
Il bet you. No stealin' flowers
| with the new owner around"
Whats his name?" asked Eve.
Lehman. A great bull-buck of a
| feller, with red in his eyes. The boys
let him alone. He's marked Dan
| GER"
| Eve thought of the man and the
bun up there by the mountain
! formidable, solitary. She confused
them in her dreams. 1t was Lehman
| she saw pacing the corral and calling.
deep-throated, to the night. Once she
woke herself with a cry on her own
| lips. That night she slept no more.
| She dreaded to see Lennan; though
| he could not know.
| In that small community she could
not avoid him for long. She met
| him at the store, on the trail, waiting
! for mail on the wharf. He passed her
! without sign of recognition, always
! with his suggestion of something
| menacing and alien. always alone.
But when she had passed she was
| aware Of his steady regard d.
fnld ~ ha
seen me-"
| THE forerunning rains came early,
f, l. deluged the world for a week,
| and passed in a roll of thunder and a
| double rainbow over Macey's place.
| The forest sucked the wet audibly,
the streams ran full. Plants put
[ forth hurried leaves, rocks greened
| into a lace Of little ferns, quail ran
| and piped by the raw logs of the
| bulls corral. It was like another
spring. Then the clouds gathered
| again, coming up out of the sea.
The weather broke again: and that
| day Eve must carry a message to a
| settler who lived across the noun
tain. Returning, from the burnt
height behind Macey's place. she saw
| the gray clouds drop lances suddenly
| to the ocean. She ran, but the rains
| were quicker. They struck the shore,
| came inland with a sound of tram
pling, Of drums. The forest bowed.
Wind and. rain. struck on her to-
gether; in a moment the trail ran
| fluid under her feet: she battled as il
! with the wings Of kpplacable angels.
| he clin cfn q
I and fell. She was. sodden; her clothes
dragged on her. Her 1oosened hair
! covered her eyes. With small. hum
| rise against the rain.
Something light-footed yet ponder
Gus approached her. She heard the
rain beat on another body. For an
| instant she visioned a mist Of rain
spraying from the bulls shoulders,
and covered. Then she knew it was
Lehman in an oilskin coat.
| He said nothing. He stopped and
lifted her, and that ease awed her. He
carried her silently to the house and
set her down in an old chair just in
side the door. She cleared the drowned
hair from her eyes. She saw a square
| Of gray glitter, and roses above, hang
| ing heavily. Outside was all a roar and
a shining Of rain. She was In an islet Of
such quiet she could hear her clothes
| dripping on the floor. Her breath stilled.
The silence became an oppression. She
looked up at last into Lennan's face.
Then her pulses raced hammering
shame. For she saw that he knew her.
Everything else in a moment was for
! gotten and out Of mind between them.
They might have been isled In their
little silence on another star. -
Lehman stared at her heavily. his head
| lowered, his shoulders swinging 4 little.
He said, you amt been for more roses. /"
Ewes lips moved, but no sound came.
He came q pace nearer to her. He
eaid, and she knew that as he said 1t
he became formidable. Tell me, who
was you waiting for at my place, that
night came homer"
| mo one"
He put out hts hand, swept her rough
ly to her feet. Don't lie to me-" he said.
Eve was silent, She lifted her hands
and covered her face. Outside, the bull
sent a sudden thunder into the rain.
Lehman laughed on the same note.
He took her into his arms. She gasped,
feeling his intolerable strength inclose
her. He said In her ear, Anyway,
I,wooNesExanS q n v>ll.A Afoys xo,,oN