Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-01-17
XVII (oontinued)

xLVH (continued)
She looked up into his eyes,
anxious but imperious, and an
swered softly: ''Why not?"
Exactly. I've no desire to take
that long journey with you. but
I'm not going to take any chances,
either. -. All! Here's an
idea that beats the other hollow.
When the party breaks up we'll go
down to Huntersville with them,
marry there, and return to camp.
don't see how your Dolomites
could beat this for a honeymoon.
Why in thunder should we trail all
the way over to Europe to find Sc
clusion when we must return in
two or three months, anyhow? It's
scandalous waste. We can go to
the Dolomites for our second hon
eymoon = We'll have one every
year. And this is much more in
the picture If you want to be Mary
Ogden again. She never would
have proposed anything so elabo.
rate and unnecessary. Say yes,
and don't be more than a minute
about 1t"
Mary drew in her breath sharp
~ The plan made violent and
irresistible appeal. There would
be no long interval for possible re-
yersal. for contacts in which it
might be difficult to hold fast TO
her new faith. But what excuse
could she make to leave him later?
Later? Did Austria really
exist? Did she care? Let the flu
ture take care of itself. Her horl
ION. a luminous band. encircled
these mountains She
smiled into his ardent eyes Very
we'll III write to Hortense today
and tell her to send me up a trouS
seau of sorts And now YOU are
to understand that you have not
daradsto propose to me yet and
are suffering all the qualms of I'M
certainly for | am a desperate flirt.
and took a long walk in the woods
this morning with Mr. ScoFesn
Very we'll Miss Ogden. ! will
now DO my best to make a fool of
myself. and as soon as we return
to camp win telegraph to New
York for fyepouhd box OF choco-
iates."
"Hark! Hnrk! The Lark"
shouted Todd as he rowed past
with Babette Gold. "Only there
ISN'T a lark or any other bird in
these woods that I've been able to
discover"
Birds sing one at time" shout
ID back Clavering. Choir OF jeal-
gus soloists."
He rowed into a little cove and
they gazed into the dim green
woods, but the maple leaves grew
almost to the ground, and it was
like peering through the tiny
changing spaces Of a moving cur
tain through which one glimpsed
green columns fecked with gold
He beached the boat, and they
walked, single file. up a narrow
runway made by the, deer. Every
where was that leafy whispering
curtain. Between the rigid spruce
and soft naples were fragrant bal
sans and ferns, and an occasional
pine with its pale green spikes
They passed enormous boulders de.
.ached from the glaciers that had
ground mountains in their EN-
brace, but today things OF mere
beauty in their coats of pink and
green and golden moss.
Their footsteps made no sound
on the messy path, and they came
suddenly upon a deer and his doe
drinking at pool. But the ant
tered head was flung back instant
ly, the magnificent buck wheeled
on his hind legs, gave leap and
went crashing through the forest
snorting his protesting fury. The
doe scampered after, her white
lined tail standing up perfectly
straight.
They sat down on a log, dried
and warmed by the sun in this
open Space. and talked sor tWt
hours. There was no need for
careful. avoidance of dangerous
subjects. Clavering had come to
these woods nearly every year
since he had made the north his
home. and she had forgotten roth
ing Of her woodland lore. When
one is "in the woods" as the great
Adirondacks are Familiarity called,
one rarely talks Of anything but
their manifold offerings. 1t is easy
enough to forget the world. They
both had their long tramps, their
rough campings-out, more or lesa
exciting adventures. When loud
bell, hung in a frame outside the
camp, summoned them to dinner.
they walked out briskly. Once, as
the trail widened, he touched her
fingers tentatively. She let her
own curl for a moment, then gave
him a provocative glance over her
shoulder and hurried on.
sa
XLVill
C1avnrinp when making nm hia