A Romance of Billy-Goat Hill | Page 9

all she had done for me, I
oughtn't to go dead against her wishes, and I guess she was right. Then
I went into the bank and was beginning to get the hang of things, when
she had a nervous collapse and was ordered to Egypt for the winter. My
brother-in-law couldn't take her, so he sent me."
"But you stayed longer than she did."
"Yes, I played around on the Riviera for a while."
"And you have been home, how long?"
"Three months. Honestly, I meant to buckle down to something right
off, but Cropsie Decker got this offer to go to the Orient for the
Herald-Post, and asked me to go along. I was keen about it until--until
I came down here."
They were both silent for a while, watching a spider that was exploring
Don's boot-lace.
"It all seems so footless now. What I want is a house of my own, a
home, I mean. I never had much of that sort of thing--I'm not quite sure
I knew what a home was until I saw Thornwood."
"Isn't it dear?" asked Miss Lady with a loving look over her shoulder at
the old house silhouetted against the sky. "I could kiss every brick of it,
I love it so."
"I wish I didn't have to go back to town tonight!" burst out Donald
inconsequentially. "I wish I never had to go back to it!"
"Why?"
"Oh, for lots of reasons. I'm a different fellow down here in the country,
with things to do, and the right sort of things to think about, and--and

you! You see," he smiled without looking up, "I'm not much good in
town."
"How do you mean?" asked Miss Lady, with disconcerting frankness.
Donald shrugged his broad shoulders: "Oh! I don't know. I get into
things before I know it. This Eastern trip, now; it sounded great when I
said I'd go, Cropsie is a regular bird, the best fellow in the world to go
on such a lark with, but--"
Miss Lady shot a glance at the handsome, boyish, irresponsible face
beside her.
"Don't go, Don!" she whispered impulsively; "stay here and buy your
farm!"
"You mean it!" he demanded, seizing her hands. "You want me to
stay?"
The blood surged into her cheeks, but she did not withdraw her hands.
Into her eager, luminous eyes had leapt the response that had been held
in abeyance all afternoon.
"If I stay," he pressed hotly, "if I settle down and behave myself, and
make good, you'll promise me--"
"Jimpson!" thundered a familiar voice from the road. "That good-for-
nothing, lazy nigger, why don't he come help me with these things?
Jimpson!"
"I'll tell him, Dad!" called Miss Lady, springing from the hammock.
"But wait!" pleaded Donald, "just a minute. I've got to beat that storm
to town, and tell Decker the trip is off. But I'll be back in the morning!
Perhaps to breakfast. Oh, my darling, I am so happy! Say you love me!
Say it!"
Old Mike stirred in his slumbers, then opened one eye. It was evidently
time for him to take some action. When two young people are standing

very close with clasped hands and love-lit eyes in the dim fragrance of
an old garden, even a dog of a chaperon knows that it is time to
interfere! With great presence of mind he discovered an imaginary
squirrel in the hedge directly beside them, and set up such a furious
barking that Miss Lady looked around and laughed. For a second she
stood, her head thrown back, a teasing, half-shy, half- daring look on
her face, then she dropped a swift kiss on the hand that clasped hers,
and without a word went flying crimson-cheeked up the lilac-bordered
path.
CHAPTER III
Donald Morley rode back to town through the coming storm, in that
particular state of ecstasy that mortals are permitted to enjoy but once
in a lifetime. Not that falling in love was a novel sensation; on the
contrary a varied experience had made him agreeably familiar with all
the symptoms. But this, he assured himself with passionate vehemence,
was something altogether and absolutely different. Between now and
that morning when he had idly ridden out to Wicker's in search of a
farm, lay a sea as wide as Destiny!
There in the country he had unexpectedly come upon his fate and with
characteristic impetuosity had pursued and overtaken it. Other girls
may have stirred his heart, but it had remained for a wild little pagan of
the woods to stir his soul. He had laid bare to her the most secret places
of his being, had confessed his sins, and received absolution. From this
time on the frivolities of youth lay behind him, and ambition sat upon
his brow.