The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-09-26
sea from day to day. It is like life,
freiphted with aurnrieea /"


freighted with surprises"
he rose and folded his hands. A more
graceful man would have folded his arms,
but his hung limp at his side.
"I tremble to think what life may
have in store for me. prophet, said I,
thing of evil,'" declaimed Ada.
"Yes. Of discipline. Some natures
would seem to demand purgatorial fires
before they rise to their highest possi-
bilities."
"Thank you for your good opinion. "
"You we'll may. I have most ex-
cellent opinion of you. Have not paid
you the highest compliment mau can
pay a womanp"
You certainly are fully sensible of
the honor you have done me-" Nor is it
to be denied that there was a self-asser-
tion in Professor Luce's tone which
most women would have resented under
the circumstances. Dora now sauntered
toward the pair. She did not approve
of the intonations of voice. Professor
Luce said "Good morning" stiff1y, and
left.
"Ada, you treat him abominably," ,"
Dora said; "and You certainly encour-
dR6Q Q1m at one t1ule.
"I liked him at one time. How is
one to tell one will change ones mind p
"He is genius" Dora commented;
"every one says so. Papa says he will
make his mark. He discovered two new
stars last year. So of course he is eccen.
trio. But 1 rather like that; and you
did too when he first came to the college.
You are so contrary. You set yourself
against him now because he shows his
devotion too plainly. All the same, you
led him on.
"Well, I might have liked him."
They clambered down the dark, dusty
stairway and came out into the spacious
entrance hall of the State house.
"Why," Dora said. 'there's john"
Her husband was showing off the
architectural features Of the hall to O
stranger. He presented Mr.. Vane to
his wife and her sister. The two girls
wore fresh white dresses, Ada's with
a green bordering, and their blonde hair
and blue eyes were shaded by pictur-
esque palmetto hats. Mr.. Vane viewed
them with the spontaneous admiration
of the man and the artist.
"Mr. Vane brings me letter from
my friend Stevens, Dora," John said.
Then, to his sister-in-law; "Ada, MIR.
Vane is fresh from Rome, where he has
been painting for a year or so. You
can talk art to your hearts content"
"When 1 talk art it is to my hearts
discomfort" Philip Vane said, as they
walked away, he and Ada together.
Dora, of course, put her arm through
Johns. She had not seen him for three
hours, and fifty things had happened in
the interval she must tell him about.
"Because your ideal eludes you ?"
answered Ada to Philip.
''No; for more commonplace reason:
because 1 am lazy. work fast enough
when am once at it, but hate to get
to work. I am an inveterate procrasti-
uator."
"What pity |" Ada said, seriously.
II can't understand that. Ii were an
artist with gift, should be breath less
until had reached my goal. There is
always the possible Immortality"
Philip was impressed. Ada was moth
ing if not in earnest. In this instance a
breath of her enthusiasm passed into
her susceptible companion. He looked
eagerly into the depths of her steady,
clear blue eyes with his liquid dark ones.
"There is oxygen in your voice and in
your Words" he said. He passed his
hand over his brow. "You have put
backbone into me-"
She laughed. She was accustomed to
act as kind of mental tonic. But the
stimulus took effect with unwonted sud-
denness upon this new patient. How
unconventional he was
Ada followed in the wake of Dora and
John down one of the queer little dark
alleys, of which there were many in Port
Royal, and which served as shortcuts
from street to street.
"Where are we2" laughed Philip.
"Ah I see "-as they emerged at the
other end. $50 stran ge new world that
hath such people in it |" Cthis with a
half.deprecating, lingering infection
and little SMILEY. Your quaint little
city is tangle of labyrinths, in which
You play the part of Ariadne to my The
seus."
His companion slightly started and
blushed, and gave low, odd laugh.
"What is it ?" he began but she put
him off with gesture, and he contin.
ued: "But what skies you have And
what an atmosphere When woke up
this morning I thought had sailed into
Paradise during the night"
"Sailed ?"
"Yes. My friend Sinclair brought
me here on his yacht. There she lies
now. I am to pitch my tent on shore,
while he cruises in and out of the har-
Dor for while. l want to make some
sketches of your old houses.
Ada had deserted the college, and her
own housekeeping for her father there,
and was spending few days with Dora.
They all had dinner in the middle of the
warm, sunny May afternoon then they
ransacked the garden beds for violets.
Violet Bank was famous for these. They
bloomed early and fingered late. Dora
picked great bunch, and divided them
between Philip and Ada. Philip held
his thoughtfully, and smelled them ten
derly. He had a habit Of theorizing
about people /; he was thinking now that
Dora was full of unselfsh womanly
traits. There was something even in
her way of doing little things which
pleased him, rested him.
Dora said: "Violets are my favorite
flowers. We have such quantities OF
them herep
And Philip answered: "It would
seen to be their native soil. They al
ways suggest to me, with their subtle,
penetrating perfume, the most precious
thing in ife-sympathy."
There were more in this than the mere
words but IL escaned Dora Ada how.