"
Mr. Muir laughed. "I've heard of managing women before, but you beat
them all. You have won, to-day, the right to manage for a while. I'll
join you soon; then supper; and, as you suggest, I'll put the Wall
Street matters somewhere and lock them up."
Thus their mountain sojourn began auspiciously. The supper was
excellent, and they were in a mood to enjoy it; they found the piazza
deliciously cool after the long hot day; and the faint initial pipings
of autumn insects only emphasized the peace and quiet of the evening.
The mountains brooded around them like great shadows, their outlines
gemmed with stars, and the very genius of repose seemed to settle down
upon the weary man and woman who were in the thick of their life's
battle.
They were among the earliest arrivals at the house, and had a wide
space to themselves. Indeed, they could have been scarcely more
secluded at their own summer residence. For those seeking rest, an
early flight to summer resorts brings a rich reward.
While her relatives dozed or merely revived sufficiently from time to
time to make some desultory remark, Madge thought deeply. At first she
had been disappointed at the postponement of Graydon's return, but
she grew reconciled as she dwelt upon it.
Pages:
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103