The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1874-11-27
,ANsTlee'S -Tllulkset J.


- z
, Think the loveliest sight l ever saw,
save one-and that will tell you about
presently-was in our garden party.
i Though we lived on the sea shore,
our grounds had southerly exposure,
and in June they were region Of
roses-roses and honeysucklcs and
azaleas, all in their bloom and bril-.
lance, accented by 4 dark background
Of hemlocks; and here, on Anstice's
eighteenth birthday, We had our garden
party.
Ansticc was SO pretty hersclf-with
her long hair, that was not quite yellow
enough for gold, nor quite dark enough
for chestnut, and was full of short glist-
ening ripples, and her soft eyes, and her
color like that of the roses themselves
Il was looking at her from my place
for had been SO ill that was not one
Of the party, and they had only drawn
my chair to the window above; and 1
remember thinking that Anstico was so
pretty herself that, As Ralph said, she
could make sunshine in shady place.
When he said it, Stuart Maynardier
turned with quick look that said he
resented the liberty Ralph took in max
ing the quotation at all for ever since
Ralph had come into the neighborhood
Stuart had assumed sort Of propric~
tary right in Anstice that was amusing
to us who knew how she detested him,
ind had obserued how eagerly she list.
ened whenever Ralph was speaking, and
how she had pressed and kept the Aow-
er he CHANGED to give her.
Ralph was quite alone in the world,
though he came Of good stock, as DR..
Sterling used to say; and he was in
our part Of the country with an inven-
ton of his own-a marine torpedo, I
believe, which was to be tested by the
gunboats anchored off the cape; and
if the government accepted it, it would
make him such rapid wealth that he
could afford thenceforth to do nothing
nothing but pursue his studies in
science. So far from Ralph's doing
| nothing he was the soul OF industry,
and Of that inexhaustiblc and almost
holy curiosity in the matters of the
universe that belongs to the true sons
Of science. DR.. Sterling had introduc.
ed him at our house, and he had proved
an invaluable companion; and
don't know whether Anstice really
cared more for him than mamma, or or
any of the rest of US did, though l
sappose hers was different sort Of
caring: for one spring twilight l saw
them in the garden, slowly sauntering
down walk to the terraces of the vlo-
let beds, and his arm was about her
then, and they stopped to put their
faces into a pink almond bough,sand
their faces were so close together they
kissed each other, and had no doubt
that they had done it before. and l had
| no doubt, either. that Stuart Maynar-
der had seen the same, for he was com.
ing in under the grape arbor at that
moment, and he suddenly turned on his
heel and went softly out. So it was to
all intents and purposes an engagement
between Ralph and Anstice; but, as
they told mamma, they had a senti.
mental feeling about his work, and
didn't want the engagement announced
till the day his torpedo was tested and
named success.
Well, that was to be, as it happened,
on the morning of Anstice's birthday,
and so it had been decided that our
garden party should take place in the
afternoon. But when the day before
arrived, owing to some illness of the
commander Of the chosen gunboat, the
test was postponed a day. However,
it was too late to put off the garden
party, and the guests began to come as
early as noon--gentlemen and ladies,
and lovely girls in all manner of bright
dresses, like animated flowers them.
selves, as they foated about under the
blue sky among the opening flowers
and in the sunshine. The strawberries
and cream were set out under the mar
quee, and the target was up on the lawn
for the archery; for one Of Anstice' s
delights was in the archery just then
beginning to be popular, and she had
coaxed mamma over to what mamma
| ut first thought very unladylike, and
she had imported a bow a little taller
than herself, a magnificent thing made
Of some polished and half Transparent
material, and boxes of bow strings from
India in rolls and coils, and arrows of
all devices known; and she had become
a fine markswoman, and her example
had been followed till archery parties
were all the fashion about US.
Ralph had been detained, and had
not arrived when it was time for the
archery that afternoon, and Stuart had
been busying himself with the bows
for one and another; and having given
Anstice hers, he ran down to make sure
that the target on the fence that bound
ed the grounds there on the edge of
the hill was all right. In that moment
he must have seen who was coming {;
for, as he ran back, he cried out !:
"Quick, Miss Anstice! They wait
for you to lead off! Quick - And
Anstice, standing in position, drew her
bowstring, and just as I was feebly
crying out from my window, where I
could see it all, the arrow was flying,
and Ralph's head was appearing above
the fence at the target-Ralph, una
ware that the archery had begun, and,
saving time, as usual, by bounding
over hedge in his agile way. Thst
instant she saw what she was doing,
tco late to help it. The arrow had
left the string. But probably that
desperation in which she unconsciouslv
tossed her bow upward DETECTED it
from its course, for though it flew it
flew far on one side. and struck Stuart,
and he fell at the same moment that
Anstice threw herself on the ground,
hiding her face. Half of the thronc in
the garden. in less time than you could
tell it, were clustering around Ansticc,
and half of them round Stuart, and
Ralph had dropped instantaneously
from his dangerous perch, and was