Evening star., 1927-10-09

istics of the tanager. At the end of
It she said sweetly:
What color is it?"
Edison Payne laughed lightly.
I'm have to bring YOU some Of my
books. Then. with the field glasses,
we can so bird stalking. It's great
fun. And we can keep notes and
dates and compare them from year to
year"
jamie looked trifie blank. Some.
how keeping tabs on birds did not
quite register But this impression
passed quickly as she gazed at Edison
Payno's profile. He was extra ordi-
narilr good looking. No one could
help but like him. jamie found her
self liking him more and more
They drove away up into the back
country whore the roads were ruts
In a grove of pines they left the car
and started on their hike. Edison
PAYNE left his hat in the car and
walked beside jamie, bare-headed, his
eyes happy.
This is the life. oh" Doesn't it
smell good" | found this place last
week when | was prospecting around.
didn't think I'd he lucky enough to
come hack with some one who'd love
il az much as ] do. Look at those
shadows on the hills. and the puppies
under the green in the bank over
there. And, look, there's maidenhair
fern--'
jamie looked and tripped over
stone. He put out rescung hand.
but kept his saze on the fern. jamie
looked at II, too, and honestly tried to
find it wonderful. but the sun was
hot and the blue tam-o shanter lacked
hr.m. She felt sure that her nose
was getting red and burnt. There
We're little. biting things about nip
ping at her neck ard buzzing before
her eyes. But jamie was game.
After the woods. a swamp, which
necessitated considerable maneuver,
ing from one slippery hummock to
another After the swamp. a hill. sun.
bright and steep and rough One of
her new shoes had a large scuff on
the toe. the other was black with
slime from the swamp. She was so
warm she could not endure her gloves.
and hriar marred the bue.veined
Whiteness Of one hand. But under the
spell of Edison payne's praise of her
comradeship jamie kept on.
Il do wish" she said at last. break
ing into his expression of hone that
they would see another tanager, II
do wish / had a drink of water
What she was perishing for was a
large chocolate soda. But jamie
Knew enough of nature not to eXpect
a drug store in the wilds.
Edison Payne spanked with the pleas
ure that comes of giving pleasure.
Right over here is the prettiest
spring Of the clearest. coolest water
YOU ever tasted. I'll make YOU cup"
They started at once right over
here'-a hard half.mile filled with
underbrush. They at last reached the
spring, crystalline bubble at the
foot Of mighty outcrop of stone.
Did YOU ever see anything more
beautiful?" cried Edison.
He found a sycamore leaf and made
cup for jamie and she drank and
drank and drank. 1t was unfortunate
that at the last cupful she should
have seen disporting itself in the
water a moderate sized water snake.
Even EdSon's reasSuranc as to its
harmless effect on the water could not
check her fear. But after an interval
ny powerful effort at self control she
subdued her qualms.
III carry a thermos If I 60 on
another walk like this she said
family.
Edison was genuinely concerned.
L ought to have thought of that.
But you really don't need to mind
about the snake
Let's not talk about it." begged
Jane. She could not bear it. II
think we'd better go home"
They made their way back to the
car and jamie literally fell into it.
Poor dear, you're all in," said
Edison Payne.
He steadied her with his arm. and
she did not repel him. She didn't
care If he did call her dear" After
what she had gone through on that
walk nothing mattered. All she
wanted was to get home and have
bath and go to bed, and she was so
tired and sleepy that she hardly re.
membered to be thankful that it was
dusk when they got in and neither
Mia Baldwin nor any other interested
spectator could observe her state of
dishevelment
pERHAPS if Rolio had appeared at
this moment and eaten humble
pie, jamie might have made it up with
him. But he didn't appear. The next
morning jamie had a message from
him to the effect that he might not he
able to go to Nita's party, as he ex.
pected to have to go on a business
trip. 1t was unfortunately true, but
jamie thought ne was doing it to be
mean, so she assured him amiably that
1t was quite all right. because they