November, 191 9
THE LANDSWOMAN
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THE GIRL WHO LIVED IN THE WOODS
By MARJOBIE BENTON COOKE, Author of" BambJ," etc.
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eR \PTr.RfXXIV. -rontimud.
T'l rHl :\ j;he l5J.W' \ one'::. tnoc M sh~> cam~ t~ward hPr dow·n the
t'l' 11!\ti: ""h~n ~hc felt \nne's arm about her, tt w:.s too much, the
rt>l et wa'3 too intPn.~, nnd _~:~he solJI.~ecl htr happy hrart out on
tM othf'!r wom 1111·., hren.<.t.
"~din., you u<'ar wld:ed ~'Cilia. ! " .Anne half laughed, half
lried.
. .
" \nne i\nn(' I" solil,.d Ct'c1 1 U\
" Tiles/ mt- 1 I h:we so m~oy Jn('s•a~<~ that I can't bt'gln to
d"liVI'r ttv•m. Robby and R ichard and Omar cla~l;oured to
corae · but sa.xton was firm, he <-...Lid W<' were e nough.
" Wh•'re j,q he 1 " Ct'cilin a"kt>d.
·• Down in the motor·car. I mnde him let me come> up alone.
'fv d •ar, my dear, Wll <:.hail bl' so ~lad to ~rt you Jx1ok homo n.ga~~·"
" It --~em5 l1ke ht>~Wf'n to go lr.\ck-t..o have you want me.
"Bobby h.li sp 'nt every minute sinoe ~axton t~lrphon<"d us
, tsterd.ay d Pcomting your room; aucl I told him bE'for t' I left
that I waa ~ure thrre would not br space l eft for you unlet~i! he
i!tllpptd."
c cilia's fare quivered n.nd she clung to Annl''s h and. ilghting
k'1ck h~'r tnar~. Scnrlotti carno in at this mmute w1th a large
hunrh of 110WP!'l'.
·• Th•mqht I'd seu you safely off," ~he said, pr('sentiog tlte
m:-~mmoth bouqu~>t.
"Sc.lrlotti, how lo>'l'lv I" oricd Cecilia. "WhAt have I done
th:\t cwryhody should· be so good to me ? Xo one will ewr
know, .\nn .. , whnt Scarlotti hM been to m<', wh3t l'he has done
for me, the days I have been shut up in this place."
•· Son~~>nse f J ust dropped in every day to <~.ay • Jir llo I ' to
M old pal. I don't ~ll that much, do you, ){rs. Ba.rrett ? "
' Ye~, I eall that a ~ood deal."
fhl' nUl""& ~me i n to say good-bye, and as Ct'ciha thanked
th~"m 11hr gave c.n<·h of the m one o r ::>cartotti's flowers. They
tln..\lly got h~>r downstafrq and into the mol.or·<'ar, whero Sa:~."ton
W off tow<~d the country.
C\'cilia lay back on tht'! cu.ebions and watchrd things speed l' Y
h•·r
" l "- it r rall,} me ? " she n~ked onet>.
" It 16 just enough of you to begin. work on,". laughed Saxton.
" "' hrn Jou have h!\d a ft>W of BrJdget O'Rnen's good meals
th~>re wll tw- mor<' of you."
" I don't need ml'a~. Just being bll.<'k and seeing the trees
llw.l the watn and the 11ky and you rul- that i<~ all I need."
" 'The Jud~~:r snid to·dav before he left
"
" B"forc he l~"ft? •· Ct>ci1ia echoed him.
" Dldn't you t.foll h<'r, Anne ? The doctor ordered him t.o
rrcnch I.lck hut.:mwr for a res t and tM bath'!. He went down
to·day."
"Oh."
"Ue wantA'd Sa-don t~ go wit-h him, but the selfish brute
rdu..'IE'd. lii' says he hM to kl'cp guard over you at the Lodge."
·• 1 "-'On't run awar. agn.in."
C'A'ctlia tried t~ Sl)'uie at. Ulelr banter, but her fa.oo was stiff. It
hnd mn.dl' a ditrt•ren<:e, tMn, with t.he Judge. HI? never would
h:~.ve lrft the vcrv day of hor return unless he wanted to put otf
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