Page:The leopard's spots - a romance of the white man's burden-1865-1900 (IA leopardsspotsrom00dixo).pdf/239



O his dying day Gaston will never forget that ride to her home with Sallie Worth by his side. It was a perfect May day. The leaves on the trees were just grown and flashed in their green satin under the Southern sun, and every flower seemed in full bloom.

A great joy filled his heart with a sense of divine restfulness. He was unusually silent. And then she said something that made him open his eyes in new wonder.

"Don't drive so fast Ben, and go around the longest way, I'm enjoying this." She paused and a mischievous look came into her eyes as she saw his expression. "I've got the lion here by my side. I want to show all the girls in town that I'm the only one here to-day. It isn't often I've a great man tied down fast like this."

"Why did you spoil the first part of that pretty speech with the last?" he said with a frown.

"It was only your vanity that made me pause."

"Could you read me like that?"

"Of course, all men are vain, much vainer than women." Again there was a long silence.

They had reached the outskirts of the city now and were driving slowly through the deep shadows of a great forest.

"What beautiful trees!" he exclaimed.

"They are fine. Do you love big trees?"