Mrs. Bob: A Novel — page 23: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE OLD STORY REVERSED. 15 ing ina manner that proves her knowledge of the forest. Darkness falls fast now, under the shelter of the trees, and the dead leaves rustle in the rising wind, for the early frosts have long since nipped the forest foliage. 7 As they advance along their way, Bob notices that his companion acts uneasily—several times she stops, and he begins to imagine she, too, has lost her way, until he notices that she seems to listen on each occasion. It is not Bob’s nature to remain long quiet—he is too accustomed to the racket and roar of human voices not to make some noise himself on occasion, and presently he seeks to draw the young girl into conversation. His first venture is hardly a success, for, after answering his question, she lapses into silence again. ‘‘Have you ever heard the ocean beating upon the shore ?”’ he persists. ‘‘Never,’’ she replies, once more coming to a halt, and apparently puzzling over the direction they should take. ‘‘What makes you ask such a strange question ?”? | ‘Well, you see, the wind is rising fast, and makes such a noise ahead of us that it reminded me of the breakers. AndI declare, we’re going to have some moonlight, after all—I had an idea that it didn’t rise until much later.’’ The girl turns upon him with something like contempt in her manner. ‘What you hear is, in truth, the wind, and it is GOMIiGcsooks (c©) iin