Children of the rich -- Juvenile fiction; Friendship -- Juvenile fiction; Girls -- Juvenile fiction; Summer -- Juvenile fiction
Arthur quickened his cautious footsteps; came in his turn to the fork
in the trail. There was Silva ahead, her white skirt fluttering on
both sides of her vigorous walking, much as the white foam of the sea
flutters away from the prow of the ship. She kept straight on and
Arthur kept straight on. The moon dipped behind clouds and dove out of
them; flashed her great blaze on the earth and shadowed it again. On
and on they went, the stalker and the stalked. They were approaching
the Moraine. Big stones began to lift out of the underbrush on either
side. Some were like great tables, flat and smooth; comfortable and
comforting. Others were perturbing--like huge monsters that had thrust
themselves out of the earth, were resting on their front paws or their
haunches even. Layers of rust-colored leaves--the leaves that had
been for many years falling--lay between them. And now and then the
moonlight caught on the rocks with a black glisten and on the leaves
with a red gleam; for the dew was falling.
Arthur began to wonder what he should do. He somehow took it for
granted that Silva was going to the Moraine; mainly because there
seemed no other place for her to go; though for what purpose he could
not guess. If for any reason she stopped there, he must soon become
visible to her. Indeed there were only two courses for him to take:
retreat by the path over which he had come or through the wood on
either side. He could not make up his mind to turn back. If he took the
second course, he would undoubtedly get lost. He would have to wait for
daylight to find his way home and that, he recognized at once, would be
stretching inexcusably the generous liberty which Mr. Westabrook had
given him. He might call to Silva. But again something inside seemed
to warn him not to make his presence known. He continued to follow the
vigorous figure ahead.
As though she were approaching the end of her journey, Silva was
hurrying faster and faster. Arthur hurried too. Silva broke into what
was a half run. It would have been, Arthur felt, a complete run, if she
were not carrying the bottle of milk so carefully. Arthur seethed with
perplexity. Why was she speeding so? What could she possibly have to do
at this spot and at this hour? What could require such urgent haste?
Well, perhaps he would know in another moment.
And then suddenly strange things happened all at once.
Silva’s rapid progress had, as it apparently neared its object, become
less careful. At any rate, an overhanging briar caught her hair; pulled
her up sharply. In her first effort to extricate herself, Silva turned
completely about; caught sight of Arthur’s figure a little way down the
trail.
She started so convulsively that even Arthur could see it. Then with a
swift wrench of her slender hand she tore her hair away; turned and ran
like a deer in the direction of the Moraine.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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