The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1939-09-28
hour ago." he said.

hour" he responded.
Another couple strolled by in the
moonlight.
''Look here" Florian said sudden
ly. "Why can't you come down for
the weekend in Kelowna soon? The
family will be keen on you. They've
all heard about you from your IA
ther. My sister Linda wanted terri
bly, to come up tonight, but she had
a sprained ankle. She'd be crazy
about you."
''I should love to come" Autumn
assured him.
"I'n tell you what" he suggested.
"Drop down for the polo game a
week from tomorrow and stay over
Sunday. promise you good time.
Your father owes my governor a
visit too. He hasn't been down for
months. Let's make real party of
it," .-.--.e-~~-~---- --~--,-~
''I'u speak to father about it."
"Right!" he said.
"Let's go back, Mr.. Parr," Au-
tumn remarked. 'Tm forgetting my
duties"
"Pn come if you'll call me Flori-
an" he stipulated, in a voice SO
low and engaging that it brought
her throaty, pleased laughter.
Every well, Florian," she re-
sponded, and they retraced their
way to the brilliantly lighted house.
The music fioated out to them
when they mounted the steps to the
piazza that was completely fes-
TONED with honeysuckle In sweet
and heady bloom. Florian caught
her arm.
Let's finish this dance before we
go in." he said, and drew her lightly
away on the rhythm of the waltz
that was being played.
The piazza was in darkness, away
from the moon, and as they waitzed
to the farther end of it, they found
themselves alone. There Florian
paused, drew her close and brushed
her hair with his lips.
II think I'm going to love you. "
he whispered.
Auturnn's lips and cheeks giowed
family, and she experienced the old,
swift sensation of being deliciously
drugged. Then, for some unaccount-
able reason, she thought Of her
mother, Millicent, whom she could
recall only as dream, and Of that
other Odell woman, known only as
myth, the woman who had been
her grandmother. She thought then
of men in England and men on the
Continent, whom she had played
with until they merely bored her.
One especially she remembered-a
blue-eyed youth who had been
manned In the war. The Odell
women had been no respecters of
hearts, old Hector had said. The
BASQUE bell! She WINGED suddenly
and drew away from Florian. Was
it for this, then, she had left behind
her that life she had lived for the
past nine years?
Casually, and without a word, she
led Florian back into the rectangle
of light from the open French win
dows, and moment later they were
among the dancers in the drawing
room.
When the waltz had ended, Au-
tumn spoke quiet word to her IA
ther and slipped away up the rear
stairs to her own room.
Autumn knew not what mad i'm
pulse had possessed her to desert
her fathers guests and come out
here to be alone on the silver-lit
range. In her own room it had TAX
en- only minute or two to change
into her riding clothes, steal down
again and out to the stables where
she had saddled her horse, and come
galloping away under the pallor OF
the night. Some yearning for es-
cape, she knew, had prompted her
act. She realized now that she had
run away from Florian Parr. II
was from the Florian PARIS she had
run when she had left that shallow
life she had known in Europe-the
Florian PARIS, in whom deep pas
sions were merely quaint and laugh
able.
She was well within the Landor
ranch before she realized the direc.
ton she had taken. She had been
sitting there for minutes, breathing
deeply of the nights enchanted per-
fume, when a sound behind her
caused her to draw sharply on the
reins and wheel her horse about
Another rider was coming down the
narrow trail, his form looming black
and high against the moon.
Hello, there!" a mans voice
challenged her, a level voice, I'm.
hurried, its intonation rich and deep
AS he drew closer Autumn could
see that he was bareheaded, dressed
in riding breeches and the collar OF
his dark shirt carelessly open.
II am Autumn Dean" she an.
nounced quickly, as he came along.
side her and halted his horse.
Although the moonlight made ar
obscure mask of his features, she
thought she saw a look of puzzled
surprise cross them.
Autumn Dean!" he exclaimed
and extended his hand.
"Why-Bruce Landor! It is you
isn't it,"
Above their clasoed hands, Au.
tumn saw his smile-the boyish
| quizzical smile she remembered.
81 was sure it was you-at once, y
| he told her.
A thrill of uneasiness ccurseo
through her-a queer, unsteady feel
ing that left her ridiculously irritat
ed at herself.
| "Why didn't YOU say so, then?'