The Danger Mark

tood on the Long Terrace to welcome a guest whose adve

ine?"-looking down through the trees at the lake below. "There are bass in it. Those things standing around under the oaks are only silly English fallow deer. Sorry I got 'em. What do you think of my house? It's merely a modern affair worked up to look old and colonial.... Yes,

ned young Mallett

argest fenced game-preserve in America! It's only

bath and f

want to try to catch a glimpse of a wild b

well scrubbed; otherwise, I'm merely crazy. T

d Duane instantly divined it, though his back

?" with a vigorous handshake. "Every time I see you you're th

vern. "You have a streak of cinder ac

t! I'm going. Wh

eturn the compliment by washing your fa

ace!" exclaimed Duane, de

's too late, with the sunlight on the trees

the tub," observed Duane. "Where's that ag

uared blocks of field stone. Scott motioned the servants aside and did the piloting himself up a broad st

"Dysart is in there takin

"I didn't know there was

I told her, but it was too late. Anyway, I didn't know she had no use for him. He's

ere?" asked Du

next day that I expected you, too, she got mad all over, and we had a lively talk-fest. Wh

... "It will be very interesting, I

And there's that stick of a Quest girl, and Bunbury Gray. Na?da came

w my sister w

e, counting Geraldine an

his chintz-hung quarters. "This is a pretty place you've given me. Where do you g

comes from Cloudy Lake, up there on that dome-shaped mountain. Here, stand here beside me, Duane, and you can see it from your window. That's the Gilded Dome-that big peak. It's in our park. There are a few elk on it, n

oom and locking the door. Then, lighting a cigarette, he strolled int

lie Dysart or the possible renewal of their hitherto slightly hazardous friendship

w it through his buttonhole, gave a last alluring twist to his tie, surveyed himself in the mirror, whistled a few bars, was perfectly s

him right; he bestowed upon her his most courtly thanks. She was unusually pret

re you by any fortunate chance

that she tho

ose rare occasions in a thankless world whe

corn-flower in his button-hole. At the turn by the window, where potted posies stood, he encountered Rosalie Dysart in cano

r hands with that impulsively unstudied gestu

always took wha

ning her with unfeigned admiration. "Tell me, Mrs. Dysart, a

c go to your head, Mr. Mallett." And she disengaged her hands, crossed them behind her, and smil

manners. I merely complimented her upon the

I don't mind. The things you do rather gracefully seem only

Did you know

, but I don't think anybody swooned

s always a delicate and perpetual challenge. There are such women. Over her golden-brown head th

" she

rnamental," he said, looking at her im

happen to me

enthusiasm, "you would have y

w moments ago upon that maid? I'm no longer the l

ters looked dubious for her; but a door opened somewhere, and, still

ler, met him at the

care to see the trout jumping on the Gray Water this evening? If so, you are please n

occasions ... where goodne

absently; and strolled on along

cross a valley a hundred feet below, where a small lake glimmered as still

l, and went forward to greet them. Geraldine Seagrave, a new and bewitching coat of tan tinting cheek and neck, held out her hand with all

circle with an eager glance; "You know everybody, I think. The Dysarts have no

-haired, red-lipped, red-cheeked, with eyes like melted sapphires and the expression of a reckless saint; an

up to shake hands; Bunbury Gray, a wiry, bronzed little

ld Wye, a hard-riding, hard-drinking, straight-shooting young man, who knew nothing on earth except what concerned s

hantingly demure in her Greuze-like beauty. Chardin might have made her; possibly Fragonard. She did not resemble the Creator's technique. Dresden teacups tinkled, ice clattered in tall glasses, the two fount

lancing up at Mrs. Dysart. Rosa

who sat watching indifferently the filling of Mrs. Dysart's glass, suddenly leaned back and turned her head sharply, as though the aroma from glass and decan

h the lake, now inlaid with pink and gold, reflected. A few fal

ss to her side, and, glancing askance at her, was on the point of speaking w

surprised. "Are you fee

lvet dark and troubled,

ered calmly. "I was thin

ok so w

pet with me, Duane. Look at those rocks

r. She did not notice the glass for a moment. Suddenly she whe

demanded, as she turned o

ou want to see the big trout breaking

to the south of the house. He overtook

e valley; a horizon of dazzling yellow flecked with violet faded upward to

over snowy bloom; and as they passed they inhaled t

e; "and you are not incongruo

that curved her mouth had the fainte

aid s

really believe in you, Duane. I detest some of the things you are and say and do; but, a

ing the family cat out of the parlour with the broom, s

Duane! I thought you did care for

opelessly enamoured

tle less spontaneou

rather free with m

eping charges on that c

I'd be easier on anything now, even a cat. But don't think I mean more than I do mean, Duane," she added hastily. "

y turned from the driveway and entered a broad w

imental, if that's what

hy

e you a

rogatory

r easy, airy, inconsequential way with women. But I won't l

ve I eve

set eyes on you since we were children together. I know you are not to be taken seriously; almost everybody knows that! And all the same, Duane, I've though

oodland where green bramble sprays glimmered through clustering tree trunks and the

e never quite normal; I don't know. But, lately, the world has seemed very big and threatening around m

walked forward. She was speaking at intervals alm

; perhaps that's why I'm glad to see you.... Trouble is a new thing to me. I thought

in love?"

N

all

all

n wh

yway, it won't last.

and they both laughed a li

high iron gates hung between two granite posts from which the woven wire fence of

e," she said; "here is th

dashing between tanks set wit

urs into the Gray Water a little farther ahead. We m

rough the trees stretching out before them they caught sight of th

ey could hear them far out, splash! slap! clip-clap! splash!-hundreds and hundreds jumping

mmer, leaped full length into the air; everywhere f

l day and half the night he's out prowling about the woods, not fishing, not shooting, just mousing around and listening and looking. And for all his dreadfully expensive collection of arms an

hands and sent a long, clear call

e!" shouted her brot

peered out, casting a gray net over shore and water. A

the steady splashing of the fish sounded like the uninterrupted music of a distant woodland

llness delicious

ter when yo

ou to be sincere to me? Lately, I don't know why, I've seemed to feel so

lence; then he

Some people are fashioned for a self-imprisonment from which they can't break out,

o get close to-to Kathleen, for example. Do you know, Dua

it. But the curious part of it is that they have

do you

ken seriously. But did it ever occur to you that what you see in me you evoke. Shallowness provokes shallowness, levi

, not look

ce. Do you think I could endure the empty nonsense of a New York winter if I did not present to it a surface like a sounding

he heard him speak in such a manner. She could not make out whether bitterness lay under his light a

h the wealthy section of society you inhabit, the son of a wealthy man, who went abroad and dabbled in colour and who paints pictures of pretty women

ugh the dusk at th

and inherited position count for absolutely nothing unless propped up by wealth-where any ass is tolerated whose fortune and lineage pass inspection-where there is

lau

where the shuttle-cock of conversation is worn thin, frayed, ragged! Where the battledore

ua

the game-I'm done with it; I can't stand it. The amusement I extract doesn't pay. Good God! and you wonde

forward in the darkness, clasped

rel with me, just when, for the first time, something in this new forest cou

er be with men. And either you and I are like everybody else or we're going to really care for each other. Not for your pretty face and figure, or for my grin, my six feet, and thin shanks; I can care for face a

" she ask

ent inter

slowly, "that you thin

amount to much; but

d for

t! Cared for wh

I understand. W

dances. A fashionable portrait painter f

successfu

ged in since my return from abroad, have you ever asked me o

don't know an

d, and it

that ordinary people are very shy a

u to see what I do, say what you think, like it or damn it-only do something about it! You've never b

't go

ly at her in the dusk, so close that

ce, "I could go alone-anywhere-with you

a terrific fuss about being kissed when I saw, as soon as I saw you, that I wanted to win you, if you'd let me.

his totally new revelation of a man about whom

had this talk,"

your confidence. I've asked you to take an intelligent, affectionate interest

t Seagrave's electric torch flashed. They heard the velvety scraping of the c

with his flash-light-"oh, there you are. Isn't this glorious?

elling with hunger. What time is it, Duane? Half-past eight? Plea

e he discussed aloud upon the stripping, hatching, breeding, care, and diseases of trout, never

r voice, "do you think all our

e replied gail

make everybody think

of foam you see on grass-stems in the fields. Hidden away inside is a ve

going t

-unt

il w

ou

o

l I s

es

nd I find each other inte

e with a woman-could find h

What o

. "I haven't any intention of falling in love with you, Duane, and you'll fi

hy

sides, it's a s

thr

t you threaten to do unless I immediately consider the

you care if y

horrid and-and unfair. Suppo

beha

uldn't agree to take a se

gree! I'll

e you w

't ima

ly-if you do misbehave. Just because I don't

en't threa

hand on his arm again, slip

o-just the dearest of playmates.

you; it's to

ke me for my intelligence in spite o

r your intelligence

stop,

nued blandly, "of pro

able. I am as int

it wouldn't attr

make you take me into account. I'm going to exercise a man'

t th

ry in his voice

to tell you that people-go

asked in pre

ntemptible; but what's the use of being attentive enou

rhaps you'll tell me who besid

ow, don

veral," he said co

sh of anger made her ch

I think we have become good enough comr

selves that sort of privi

ith their friends?"

s frank

him in the raw, make him wince in his exasperating complacency. Then, "I've

he darkness, c

thing," he whis