United States or Palau ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !


He wore the khaki suit, the high-laced riding boots of the ranch days; and he wore them with the grace, the debonair ease that had so charmed Rhoda in young Cartwell. That little sense of his difference that his Indian nakedness had kept in Rhoda's subconsciousness disappeared.

It surprised him to recognize Rhoda's writing on the envelope, which seemed to contain at least two sheets of notepaper. What now? Some whimsey? Agitated and annoyed by the anticipation of trouble, he went apart and broke the letter open. First appeared an enclosure a letter in his cousin Mary's writing. He turned to the other sheet and read these lines,

Rhoda's eyes, ox-like, as were her father's, smote full upon Robert's, as in a pang of apprehension of what was about to be uttered. It was a quick blaze of light, wherein he saw that the girl's spirit was not with him.

He has this morning sent a letter down to the farm saying, that, as he believes he has failed in securing Rhoda's affections, he renounces all pretensions, etc., subject to her wishes, etc. The courting, I imagine, can scarcely have been pleasant to him. My delightful manner with him during the last fortnight has been infinitely pleasanter.

'Take it back. Custom is too strong for us. We should only play at defying it. Take it back or I shall drop it on the sand. Profoundly mortified, Everard restored the gold circlet to its hiding-place and stood gazing at the dim horizon. Some moments passed, then he heard his name murmured. He did not look round. 'Everard, dearest Was that Rhoda's voice, so low, tender, caressing?

"That's all right," laughed Rhoda. "I asked him about them last night" They ran out to the corral as soon as the girls got into their new riding habits. They had had them made something like Rhoda's. "You see," the latter had said, "our ponies are not often trained for side-saddles and skirts. And, then, they are dangerous." The silent Hesitation was on hand.

"Dahlia down here!" Previously emotionless, an emotion was started in Rhoda's bosom by the command, and it was gladness. She ran up and knocked, and found herself crying out: "He is here Edward." But there came no answer. "Edward is here. Come, come and see him." Still not one faint reply. "Dahlia! Dahlia!" The call of Dahlia's name seemed to travel endlessly on.

Cupp demanded when she had looked over the contents of Rhoda's two trunks. "These clothes might be of use if you expected to attend the opera, or appear in society. How absurd to dress a young girl in such garments! Your mother " "Please, Mrs. Cupp, do not blame my mother if you think these things are not suitable for me to wear. She is not at at fault for their selection.

Half-an-hour seemed a long time to prepare for tea, when no change of garment was possible, but it passed so quickly that the sound of the gong came as a surprise, and she emerged from her retreat to find her room-mates already filing towards the door. Thomasina led the way, staring at Rhoda's locks with an amusement which the girl found it hard to fathom.

Besides, there was but one virtue possible in Rhoda's ideas, as regarded Dahlia: to oppose facts, if necessary, and have her innocent perforce, and fight to the death them that dared cast slander on the beloved head. Her keen instinct served her so far. His was alive when she refused to tell him what had taken place during their visit to London.