The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-01-05

would probably have starved with
out its aid. It Is a most benevo-
lent old god. and the one thing
connected with earth that doesn't
mind working overtime"
I'm sure 1t must be frayed at
the edges and hollow at the core.
And when it is in the three-quar.
ters it looks exactly like q fish
that has lost It's platter"
"If you continue to insult the
moon, shall take you back to
camp and ask Minor to teach you
how to Jazz"
1T love the moon," said Mary
contentedly. and pushing a cushion
between her head and the sharp
edge of the seat, "I'd like to stay
out all night"
They continued to talk nonsense
for a while and then fell silent.
When the boat was almost at the
head Of the lake Clavering turned
1t into a long water lane where
the naples met overhead and the
low soft leaves kept UP a con-
tinual whispering. It was as dark
as a tunnel, but he knew every
inch Of the way and presently
shot out into another lake. ssmall
enough for Its shores to be sharply
outlined under the fun light of the
moon, which appeared to have
poised itself directly overhead.
Woods Sounds
. Here 1t was less silent than on
the larger lake. There was a
chorus of frogs among the lily
pads, an owl hooted wistfully in
the forest, and they heard an
angry snort from the underbrush,
followed by a trampllng retreat.
II fancy il we had fingered
quietly in that passage we should
have seen deer drinking from that
patch Of sward over there" said
Clavering. "But~I was not think.
ing OF deer"
What were you thinking Off,
"Why-you-in a way, / sup
pose. If was thinking at all. I
was merely filled with vast
content. God! / have found moro
than L ever dreamed any man
could imagine he wanted. Vastly
more than any mans deserts. 1t
is an astonishing thing for a man
to be able to say"
Mary sat up suddenly. BE
careful. A little superstition is a
good thing to keep in ones bag of
precautions.
Il feel good enough TO disdain
it. SOf course may be struck by
lightning tomorrow, or the car
may turn turtle when we go down
to be married, but refuse to
contemplate anything Of the sort.
| feel as arrogant as that moon
up there, who may have all the
gods inside him, and do not mind
, proclaiming aloud that earth is
heaven
"Well-it is" She was not
superstitious herself, but she was
suddenly invaded by a sinister in
explicable fear. and smiled the
more brightly to conceal It. But
she lowered her eyelids and
glanced hastily about her. wonder
ing il an enemy could be hiding
in those dark woods. She was
not conscious Of possessing en-
emies venomous enough to as
sassinate her, but she knew little
of Clavering's life after all, and
he was the sort Of man who
must inspire hate as. well as
love danger assuredly was
lurking somewhere It
seemed to wash against her
brain, carrying a message. :.
But there were no wild beasts
in the Adirondacks, nor even
reptiles. . . Nor a sound. The
owl had given up his attempt to
entice his lady out for a rendez-
vous and the frogs had paused
for breath. There was not the
.faintest rustic in the forest ex-
cept those eternally whispering
leaves and the faint surging
tide in the tree tops. That ugly
invading fear was stin in her
eyes as she met his.
What lie tho matter1'' he asked.
"You look frightened"
II am a little-I have a curious
feeling Of uneasiness-as IL some
thing were going to happen"
"'out of the depths Of the hollow
gloom,
On her souls bare sands she
heard It boom,
The measured tide of the sea
Of DOOM"
he quoted lightly. IT fancy when
one is too happy, the jealous gods
run the quicksilver of our little
spiritual barometers down for a
moment, merely to remind us that
we are mortals after ALL"
The shadow on her face lifted,