The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-09-26
WAY, COUNTY, Pa, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1873

years. LII bTutu, tuhb Whb III oNcutlul
epoch in his art life. The pictures he
painted then laid the foundation OF his
future success,
Ada's secret ideal had always been q
man whose life should be dedicated to
the Interpretation of beauty, to whom a
sunset should be OF infinitely greater i'm
portance than logarithm or title deed.
The men of Port Royal all gravitated
either toward the law, like John, or
toward science and letters, like her
father and Professor Luce. Ada made
no secret of her pleasure in her new
acquaintance. Dora liked him too.
John, to be sure, insisted that he was a
| bit effeminate. But he was a 1.-the,
active, strongly built young fellow, with
q manly air, in spite of his faultless fea-
lures and golden hair and mustache.
This blonde delicacy contrasted peculiar
| ly with q skin so dark that it might be
called olive, and splendid dark eyes.
Moreover, his tailor had done as much
for him as Professor Luce's had failed
to do for that gentleman. So a month
went by. Philip and Ada went rowing
almost every afternoon in her little boat,
exploring sunsets and woods, and bring
ing home stacks of laurel. The woods
were bowers OF laurel then.
"I should like to transfer some of
this loveliness to canvas" Philip said,
breaking off bough that hung down
into the water "but I despair. It is
maddening that one has nothing more
ethereal than mud to work with"
"Mud Oh, you mean your paints. "
He laughed. 81 mean my paints.
How literal you are |" Then, as her
face changed: "I like it; I applaud it.
You never let me wander long off the
track; you are my friendly Ariadne, as I
told you the first time saw you. What
is it? You smiled in that same odd way
then"
.'I was only thinking No, I won't
tell you."
He was all curiosity now, teasing, in
sisting.
"If I must, then: It's something I've
always been ashamed of, childishly,
since had nothing to do with it. But
wasn't it aggravating of my sponsors in
baptism to give me such an outlandish
name as Ariadne ?"
"Really p
"Really !"
He laughed. They both laughed.
$50 you are undoubtedly she. The
condolences have it. 1t is charming |
Ariadne |! It has such an unusual sound
that one might call you that and not feel
that one was taking a liberty with your
Christian name. Do you know wish I
might-sometimes
"Very we'll, you may"
Occasionally after that he did so. And
the name, hitherto detested, became
music to her ears.
"I wish you wo.ld paint this laurel"
she said, "this particular bough. Call
it sunset study. It looks as though il
had been dipped intoa rose-colored sun
SET"
81 should have TO engage in sharp
tussle with my Minotaur of laziness if /
were to paint that before it fades"
She sat in the stern of the boat hold
ing the laurel. 81 wish You would, "
she said, seriously. She was making
his doing so a sort of test in her own
mind. He saw through her, and COL
ored, but not from annoyance. He was
always pleased to inspire woman's
interest. "I'll do my best" he said,
"since you ask it," In reply to which
she looked up to him with shining,
happy eyes. The earth was transfgured
for her. That was no longer Port Royal
in the distance this no longer the pla-
cid stream she had known all her life ;
it was land of romance the same
land, let us say, in which the tabled
Cretan maiden strayed with her beauti-
full Greek and listened to his heeting
VOWS.
"It is all of a piece" Vane laughed,
presently. "You-Ariadne this island
you live on the laurel. Quantities of
laurel grew on Naxos."
"But Ariadne lived on Crete"
"At Naxos afterward. Don't you
remember2 It was there she parted
from Theseus."
"I had forgotten that she had parted
from Theseus."
"Oh, certainly. She was not for the
false Athenian youth, but for Bacchus
bright-a god in place of mortal.
1t suited Ada to compare Philip just
here to this latter parsonage although,
drolly enough, Philip hailed from the
modern Athens, as it happened. Row
ing home, he sang an exquisite Venetian
gondola song that filed her eyes with
tears.
She held out the laurel branch at
parting. "You have no time to lose, u
she said. "You had better take it"
"No. You keep it for me. I'll come
aud sketch it tomorrow morning, if you
will give it and me house-room. Shall
we say ten o'clock ?"
But the next morning Philip met a
friend, who beguiled him into taking a
stroll about town. The clock struck
noon, and he remembered his engage.
ment, and hurried to the college. He
found Ada's bright face clouded for the
first time. 81 beg ten thousand par.
dons," he began, his own countenance
kindled with eagerness, in the way Ads
found so irresistible. Have you thrown
away the thread, Ariadne 2"
Her brow cleared. "No. OF course
it was business letters. 1t always il
with business men. Those horrid busi
ness letters |" .
"You know all about them, dom
you ?" he rejoined, neither affirming MOI
denying. Then he made few marks
with his pencil. Then Dora came in ane
said:
"The students are to have a bant
here on the campus tonight, and th'
town are invited to stroll about in tn
moonlight. Ada, want you and Mr.
Vane to dine with John and me, ant
then we can all come back together"
Agreed. On their way to Viole
Bank stylish woman, unknown to ou
s;stara walking. however, with a Por