Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-05-07
CHAPTER II-Continued


never had headaches, as if not having
headaches was a part of a proper pro-
gram for woman who intends to
marry correctly, have children correct
w and be correctly buried with a COR
reef husbands tears. Perhaps this
came into her mind, for at the vine
covered portico she turned, put her
arm against one of the ancient stone
pillars and, making a pretty picture
with her high color and her lean young
body, she called out: do you want a
walk this afternoon-to Bosnian
wood?D
Peter nodded his assent vigorously,
and when she ran into the house he
threw himself back into the grass and
through half-closed eyelids watched
the ever-changing patterns in cottony
clouds and the flight of wheeling mar
tins.
Muriel began that afternoon walk
with great gayety Of spirits, as if, per-
haps, she had found triumph over
some difficulty, victory at the end Of
twenty-one years of preparation for
victory. AS soon as they had struck
off across the downs she threw her
arms toward the sky and sang into the
wind an old hunting song Of quaint
and engaging melody.
Let's learn the song together" she
said to Peter "Look over there on The
edge Of the horizon. That square
tower. That's Saint Dunstan's-the
very tower in which the fox sought
sanctuary in the song-the old song,
written six hundred years ago, they
saw
Peter, with his usual adaptability,
acquired both words and music. He
sang He danced upon the rolling
green plain. And at last, Selling Mu-
riel's waist around the belt of her
sporting coat, he swung her almost off
her feet and together they whirled
merT1ly-two tiny tops spinning upon
the vast expanse. When they stopped,
the girl, almost dizzy, and breathless,
chung for a moment to his coat and
locked up into Peters eyes. He could
feel her warm breath upon his chin.
Peter was not lacking in perception !;
ne knew at once that his visit at the
Benhams' must come to an end. All
the cold assurance in Muriel's face, all
the steady, stable English look had
gone. No refusal of hers to vote or
smoke a cigarette or adopt an article
Of clothing which in any way might
have unsexed her could have pro-
claimed her as a woman rather than as
q companionable playmate as com
pletely as did this searching, half
troubled, hungry look in her, swim
ming, brimming eyes,
"Come on, now" he said as If to a
private soldier who had disobeyed or
ders. Lets walk. Let's walk hard
and fast and long"
He was wondering now whether he
mad made his journey to Beconshire in
vain; whether, indeed, his willingness
to solve the puzzle that Benham had
told him was waiting for him had not
been a piece of folly leading to moth
ing When he and the girl had dipped
down the slope into the single track
path that led across the moor he
nearly walked blindly into the silver
stream through the rushes that grew
at the waters edge.
''You are not vexed?' asked Miss
Benlfam invitingly.
''Vexedw exclaimed DeWolfe. with
.gou? God bless you, dear, nor
she looked at him gratefully, watch
ing him as she walked by his side
good deal as setter might look up to
catch a glance of approval from a
man. Peter expected no storm from
Der. He knew he must pack up his
things and go back to London. This
was only fair to Benham, and certain
1y fair to Benham's sister, who had
act herself imagine so much from an
acquaintance with stray American
who inwardly believed that to live a
lifetime of MuriePs program Of days
-and years would be a close second to
a term in jail or to having berth in
a Wall Street brokers' office. He sup
posed, however, that if not actually, at
least metaphorically, Muriel had read
a book on How to Keep Ones Bal
ance." He did not figure upon the ex-
plosive forces which can be generated
in a conservative family, as if occa-
gionally the fundamentals of mankind
liked to show their half-concealed ex-
Istence of which all are aware. each
for himself, but never as to our ar
nored neighbor. Muriel, in fact. was
just the person the fundamental hui
man forces would pick out to give a
glorious exhibition Of blowing nm the
crusts of restraint. Peter, like most of
us, had heard slight crack in her
cover, but like most of us he had end
less faith in the strength of habit and
conventions.
The depression which fell upon the
girl, as if a shadow cast by the dusk,
gathering about them as they came
back from Saint Dunstans tower after
ten miles in the wind, gave no warn
ing of crisis to him. And certainly he
was under no obligation to foresee that
which the night would bring forth.
AT dinner he discovered that he
could talk to Mrs. Benham to his as
constituent he found that behind her
beam there were a great many years
of orderly thinking whose product, not
consumed by her family, had been put
up onto the shelf in many careful lay
ers like bolts of cloth with an unfash-
donable pattern. 1t was almost worth