The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1923-05-18
lngly that she felt he was only put
ting her off.

| iAAt L ANA AhNNNp
| was their recognition of his likeness
to themselves; but what had i'm
pressed her in seeing him with them
was his difference. Was ii some mem
DRY of his former life thar seeing
these people had recalled to him,
which had affected his manner toward
her?
Again she looked at him.
Were you sorry to leave the club?'
she asked.
Il was quite ready TO leave he
answered inattentively. q.
1T must have been pleasant 70 you
though, TOTO be among the sort OF
people again that yOu-you used TO
know. Miss Furden'-she mentioned
one Of the girls who had seemed most
interested in him, the sister Of the
boy whose place he had taken in the
polo practice-"is considered a very
attractive person, Mr.. Eaton. / have
heard ii said that Il man-any man
not 10 be attracted by her must be
forearmed against her by ~thought--or
memory Of some other Oma whom
he old dear"
I'm afraid / don't quite under
stand"
The mechanicalneSs Of his answer
treasured her. 81 mean. Mr.. Eaton
she forced her tone to be light-"A1iSs
Furden was not as attractive TO you
as she might have been, because there
has been some other woman in your
life-Wh0Se memOry-Or-Or the eX-
pectatiOn Of seeing whom again-pro-
tected YOU
HAS been? Oh, you mean before"
"Yes, of course" she answered has
tily.
"No-nOne," he replied simply. IFS
rather ungallant, Miss Santoine, but
I'm afraid | wasn't thinking much
about Miss Furden."
She felt that his denial was the
truth, for his words confirmed the i'm
preston she had had Of him the night
before. She drove on-Or rather let
the horse take them On-for a few
moments during which neither spoke.
They had come about a bend in the
lObN, anu llAt Sitdl llOISc Vi Itl ID
Their loomed ahead. A motor whizzed
past them, coming from behind. 1t
was only Avcry's car on the way
home bat Harriet had jumped a little
in memory OF the day before, and
her companions head had turned
quickly toward the car. She looked
up at him swiftly; his lips were set
and his eyes gaZed steadily ahead
after Avery, and he drew a little away
from her. A catch in her breath
almost an audible gasp-surprised
her, and she fought q warm impulse
which had all but placed her hand
on his.
"Will you tell me something, Miss
Santoine?' ba asked suddenly.
"What?"
Il suppose, when / was with Mr..
Avery this afternoon, that If | had
attempted to escape, he and the chauf-
feur would have combined to detain
me. But on the way back here-dld
you assume that when you took me
in charge you had my parole not to
try to depart?"
She vas silent for a moment.
thoughtful. "Do you mean that you
have been considering this afternoon
the possibilities Of ~escape?'
1T would be only natural for me to
do that, would it note" he parted.
mo"
"Why notT"
II don't mean that you might not try
to exceed the limits Father has set for
you; you might try that, and Of course
you would be prevented. But you will
not" (she h%esitated, and when she
went IN she was quoting her father)
sacrifice your position here"
why not?"
because you tried to gain it-or-
If not exactly that, at least you had
some object in wanting to be near
Father which you have not yet gained"
She hesitated once more, not looking
at him. What 1t was that had hap
pened during the afternoon she could
not make out instinctively, however.
she felt that 1t had so altered Eaton's
relations with them that now he might
attempt to escape.
They had reached the front Of the
house, and a groom sprang to take the
horse. She let Eaton help her down /;
as they entered the house, Avery
who had reached the house only q few
moments before them-was still in
the hall. And again she was startled
in the meeting Of the two men by
Avery's triumph and the swift flare
of defiance on Eaton's face.
She changed from her afternoon
dress slowly. AS she did so. she
brought swiftly in review the events
of the day. Chiefly 1t was to the polo
practice and to Eaton's dismay al
his n remarkable stroke that her
mind went. Had Donald recognized
In Eaton something more than merely
a good player trying to pretend ignO-
rance Of the game? The thought sud
denly checked and startled her. For
how many great polo players were
there in America? Were there a hun
dred? Fifty? Twenty-Five? She did