Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-07-03
IN THE VOICE OF THE sToRY-TELLER.

IN THE VOICE OF THE sTORY-TELLER.
The glossy green lawn-slopes at Laurel
wood are momently rippled where the
soft winds sweep them. The westering
sun throws slant light from purplish-
blue heaven. 1t is a rarity of afternoons
the freshness of early May mingled
with all midsummer's leafy bounteous-
ness. Mr.. Heath has recently cantered
down his carriage-drive on an alert, slen-
der-legged, shining bay, and Miss Bar
tholomew, on similarly handsome horse
flesh, has cantered at his side Into an
open carriage at the door very Beau
Brummel Of footmen is courteously usher
ing Mrs. Heath and Mr.. Louis Burnette.
On the piazza stand Miss Martel and Mr..
Dalgrish, ready for their walk.
"You two pedestrians must be sure and
not keep dinner waiting" gently COM
mands Mrs. Heath, while her footman
closes the carrage-door with banging de
cision Then she divides the tendcrest Of
indulgent smiles in amiable halves be-
tween her guests on the piazza. II sup
pose you're beatitied to get rid of Mr..
Brunette and me- Don't bring her home
quite worn out' Ito Mr.. Dalgrish). "And
pray keep your destinations mercifully
WlllllH DOuuuS NlO MISS MdItclD. AltCI
that Mrs. Heath daintily kisses adieu with
little lavender-g loved hand, Mr. Burnette
impressively displaces his lustrOus hat,
and the carriage rolls away in all its i'm
portant majesty.
"Have you any idea about the direc-
ton of our walk?" Miss Martel wants to
know, while she and her companion loi-
teringly leave the piazza.
0Not fha 6raaminSt ~ no tells hor with
pronounced shoulder-shrug suppose
we make it
Across the hills and far away
Beyond their utmost purple rims"
"That would be a very pretty thing to
do, I've no doubt" she laughs; but the
last line of your quotation carries with 1t
dsdain of the dinner-hour that / can't
bring myself to share"
"You don't look at all like a slave to
your appetite"
"Perhaps not. But there's nothing
ethereal about me- hope" with right
anxious intonaton). II do so detest girls
who don't look as if they ate their three
meals day and enjoyed them"
"Then be consoed. You somehow show
your prosperity, though not prominently,
in both face and figure"
"My prosperity" She has turned her
deep, large eyes upon him rather wonder
ingly He has just attempted to light
match for his cigar in this brisk wind
that is abroad, and with nose plunged into
luminous cavern made by both hands,
finds the feat barely possible. When next
he speaks he has changed the subject alto
gether
ais it not perfect day, and is not this a
perfect country? AS rule | am not Civ
en- to noticing landscapes, either real or
on canvas, but to-day demands notice.
prefer human nature to common nature,
you know
"That is because you've been brought
up among bad worldly surroundings"
she reproves preachingly, pursuing her
mouth a little. Human nature is all
brambles and scraggy dead trees and
muddy footpaths, with only here and there
burst of green living beauty. But com
mon nature"
please don't talk like girl in book"
he interrupts with meek impertinence
II should like to testyour contempt for one
kind of nature and your love for another
by having you cast on solitary island for
little while.'
1T would be charmingw she vocifer
ates "Say for about six months, with
plenty to eat, drink, wear, and read, all
saved from the wreck! have an intense
taste for Oceania, out of all the geography.
Think how delicious to go cruising in
your private vessel amongst those
Summer isles OF Eden, lying in arkpurpie spheres
of sea,
as the rhapsodical young man of Locks
ley HALL calls them, and all the while to
feel yourself about nextdOor-but- to
the sweet probability of becoming Rob-
inson Crusoe."
"Or else food for sharks; / can't say
which consequence would be the least
disgusting"
"Pshaw! you ought to be fond of roam
ing round the world, you are So"
Erich" is the word that she finds trem-
bling on her tongues verge, but to pro-
nounce it seems bold familiarity.
$50 whatg" he questions, with fair
amount Of curiosity in voice and eyes.
"Ah," she cries out, for kind OF an
swer, talking of brambles, here is
horrid one that has fastened itself tn my
skirt! Please help me to get rid OF the
monster, Mr.. Dalgrish."
He gives valiant assistance; and while
he is giving it she rattles off more than
one headlong remark with view to make
him forget his recent question. And she
succeeds; for presently they are walking
along again, and he is very tractably lis
tening to her opinion on the last popular
novel.
Il don't like the girl bit" she objects,
with decision. 'The idea of her being in
love with Whatshis-name for nearly a
year and not knowing it! Women always
know in such cases, unless they are sheer
nonenities.''
"Are you sure of that?" he murmurs,
with lips so near her cheek that she can
feel his breath family touch it.
At first she smiles for answer a slow,
provocative smile, gradually turning the
grayish luster of her eyes till they dwell
steadily on his for o moment, then veil
themselves and drop toward the roses on
her breast.
ssThose are charming roses. Let me
see: you have one, two, three, four. Can
not You spare me one-the smallest-for
bostonnisrs9 1t isn't 80 much to ash, con-
sidering this poor empty button-hole or
mine.n
Again her eyes meet his own; again the