The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1939-12-14

to prepare the ground lot excaVat-
ing. however. or while he hauled
cedar posts for the framework, his
mind remained heavy with the
knowledge of Jarvis Deans violent
bitterness toward him.
At the end OF the day he found
himself on edge with his men and
his work and himself, and in an al
together unadmirable frame of
mind. He hurried through his sup
per with scarcely word to Gilly,
who sat opposite him. The motion
less heat of the evening droned in
his senses; insects crawled up and
down the window screens with tiny,
unpleasant activity; against the VIZ
olet-tinted rectangle of twilight be-
yond the screen door, he could al
ready see the bats swooping down
in black and noisome parabolas.
When he had finished his meal, he
got up abruptly and with a brief
word or two to Gilly, left the table
and went out of the house.
Half an hour later, he tied his
horse to a birch tree near his herd
er's cabin in the ravine, rubbed the
animals nuzzle affectionately, and
gave him a lump of sugar in re-
sponse to a peremptory whinny.
Within the cabin, Bruce undressed
quickly, threw about himself the old
bathrobe he had brought along, and
with towel on his arm, emerged
and walked down into the ravine
and I'D the creek to where the noun
tain stream narrowed and deepened.
After a dip in the cool water and
a brisk toweling, he tied his robe
about him and stood for moment
listening to the mountain voices that
drew from the sleeps above him,
plaintive, spaced in piquant inter-
walls. sometimes all but unheard: a
hoot-owl's reproachful enquiry, the
sleepy, last note of bird dropped
like a soft jewel into the twilight,
the scurry of some small animal into
| the underbrush, the sigh of dying
| wind in the tall pines. But the beau-
| ty and significance of the night con-
spired against him, tore down the
defensive structure he had erected
about his being. It had all con-
verged suddenly into an intense de-
sire for Autumn Dean.
In a rage at himself, he turned
brusquely and made his way back
to the cabin, where he dressed hur-
riedly in the half-darkness. He was
! gathering up the things he had
brought with him when he heard
his horse whinny, and moment
later sound at the doorway caused
him 10 glance up quickly.
Softly outlined against the deep
ening dusk, Autumn Dean stood, as
she had stood one other night, in
her black riding clothes, her man
ner half diffident, half audacious.
Bruce tossed the dressing -gowr
and towel down upon chair anc
came with slow deliberateness tc
the door. He placed one hanc
against the door-frame and the 9th
er on his hip, and stood looking dowr
at her, a contemplative half-smilt
about his mouth that drew his righ
cheek up into a quizzical long hol
low-that hollow that she had pic
tured in all her tormenting thought.
of him. He was waiting for her t,
speak.
Bruce" she began, and knew
how desolately her voice faltered-
"Mr. Gilly told me I should find yol
here. I've been wanting to tall
to you"
"You too?" Bruce remarked
"Thc Dean family has suddenly &C
quired a vivid interest in me.
seems"
She fumbled with her gloves. Sh
raised her head and looked at hin
with blank eyes. "I should like t
come in, if you please" she ven
fured.
Bruce laughed caustically as h
opened the door for her and stoo,
well to one side. "You are quit
welcome, he said. ''It happen
I have no kerosene in the lamp.
wasn't expecting guest"
He lighted cigarette and offere,
the package to her. Autumn shool
her head. "As you WILL" he said
and replaced the package in his shir
pocket.
Autumn seated herself in the din
light close to the door, while Bruc
leaned against the tables edge wit
his feet crossed idly before him
She could see HIM looking at her re
fectively through the dimness, an
the half-smile did not leave his face
"You were over to see father thi
morning." she began.
"At his invitation" Bruce replied
He wished to reimburse me fo
some sheep ! lost"
'He told me So"
He should have told you, also
that we were to have nothing to sa
to each other in the future"
He told me that, too"
''Is this visit, then, just anothe
little gesture on your part?"
"a gesture-of what kind?"
"Disobedience to the Laird-an
contempt for me-" Bruce supple
mented.
Father has no suspicion that
have come to see you," Autumn eS
planned "And if I wanted to sho,
contempt for you, l should hav
stayed away"
"As you have done all summer,
he observed.
Aut,irnn c1enchad her fctc in he