The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-01-27
A GIRLS FANCY.
Br HOWARD :. sHRrvSER.


moving gently along without ripple to
make pretense Of barring its progress.
Browniields is q delightful place, but il
it were not for the visitors with whom,
the Peters fill their house in the sum-
MGR lonely enough to be called wild.
With the Peters and their friends, and
with the groups Of workmen that Mr..
Peters FORCES have gathered in the val
Icy, We have little to do; but will turn
again to look at the fishcr-boy, the sole
occupant Of the skill.
Jimmie Gordon is ambitious, and for
the son Of an Irish workmanship fore.
man ut one of the shops--is well edu-
Gated and refined. Mr.. More, CITY
clergymen who spent some of his vaca.
tions at Brownfields, was struck with his
quick native shrewdness, and. taking al,
interest in him, loaned him books,
talked with him, helped him orally while
IN the mountains, and afterward by cor
respon,lence; and Jimmie's own intelli-
gence and earnest application have done
the rest: SO that when we meet him IA
Mr.. Peters fisherman, lie not only in.
tends, with true American sanguine-
ness, to rise. but is far better equipped
for the battle he has enlisted in than
many even who start on o good deal
higher plane. Meanwhile he attends
strictly to business, and to-day, when we
find him on the lake, has finished his
fishing for the day, and is idly sculling
about. thinking Of that better fortune
that he has resolved shall be his in time.
and wondering in what shape the fates
will bring it to him.
Miss Eta Iarton does not III the least
look like Fate rs she comes down the
hill-path with her cousin. George Lar
ton, and their mutual friend, Harry FL
LIS: IN fact, We are very much inclined to
agree with George when he thinks Of
her to-day as much more Of Grace; but
If she is not Fate herself she is GER
tainly notable instrument Of their will.
They are all three stopping with large
party ut Montrose, the nearest apology
fer town. and this full four miles away.
Miss Larton, however. ''goes in" for
walking rs the proper thing in the noun
tains. aud rather against the will Of her
escorts. has covered the whole four miles
Oh foot, and is still fresh aud ready for
adventures when she enters the little
Brownstields valley. Rather dark, Of
medium height, and III sturdy good
health, shall he the whole Of her per-
sonal description; and for her estate in
life it will be enough to say that she is
the only daughter of the richest man in
Cleveland, and so of course spoiled, but
withal, very fascinating, rs Cousin
George can testify. She is given to
whims, and just now the fancy that
strikes her is to have a row on the clear
little lake that is SO invitinglv laid out
below, SO that the one duty of her obedi-
cnt companions is to find tho WAYS and
means: not altogether an easy task. see-
ing that all the boats are carefully locked
up. except the one that Jimmie and his
fish use with not the best effects as to
cleanliness. Still. rs it is the only one,
It must be had, and Jimmie. in response
to Larton's request. Immediately rows mp
md takes the party, Miss Eta in the
stern and i'll full view Of the handsome
boatman.
Is there such a thing as love at first
sight? Surely; and before the trip
around the lake is finished, Eta is COM
pletelv conquered by the blue ewes of
this Irish fisher-lad. On his part he felt
the natural attraction toward lovely
girl that any man would; but never ex.
pecting to see her again any more than
other chance visitors who have happened
to row over the lake. he hardly thinks Of
her Us more to him than beautiful pic
ture. II for second anything further
had entered his mind, he would instantly
have dismissed it rs m absurd crying
for the moon. But Eta is not used to
giving up her whims SO easily. No
sooner had she discovered that she liked
his looks than she made up her mind to
see more of him: aud when Jimmie,
after explaining all the surroundings of
the lake, lands them, and somehow inn
presses on them the conviction that he
is not the sort ct person to fee, she takes
her cousin aside, and persuades him
little against his will to try and make q
return for his politeness by asking him
70 the hop at the Montrose hotel the
next week.
And now opens the new era In our
hcro's life. He is quite good-looking
enough and ''nice" enough not to seem
ont Of place in . frock-coat; and by
careful use Of his own and brothers best
clothes, he is able to appear at the hotel
quite correctly attired for country hop,
and so far from finding Etta's infatna.
alton vanished as suddenly as it was
born, she seems worse than before.
Going to meet him rs he enters the
room, with an eager, bright smile, she
quickly exclaims:
.'lben you haven't failed ns?"
why, no: surely I wouldn't miss
such chance rs this" Aud then, sud.
denly rejecting that it would be best to
modify this, lie adds, land Of seeing
yon."
A quick flush Of pleasure comes 10 her
face ut this first sign of admiration from
him, and all her habitual coquettery
comes TO abet the curious folly that has
taken such hold on her.
''Ne," said Jimmie, II enjoyed my
row too much the other day not to come
to this hop. Do you know that have
lived by that lake all my life, and never
knew how beautiful it was before last
Friday?'
'.Then this is really your home? We
were wondering whether you belonged
here. or We're only visitor"
At this palpahle attempt to pump him
he was silent for moment; bnt think
ing it best to seem candid, he answered:
Eyes, I was born and raised here. "
Then, smilingly, I'm only . country
boy, you know. You may be sure,
though, not too much OF an one to thank
you for your kindness to me-"
Little as he vet understands the full ex.
tent of his influence over her, and think.
ing that she only takes some such inter.
est in him as Mr. More has, he vet feels
that lie must not shock this rich young
lady with the full truth about himself
that he is only poor workman's son;
and. to avoid more inquiries, ut once asks
for the dance just commencing. When
the couple follow this up by another,
md still another, the Larton party bcgi,
to talk: but all look on it as Irritation
in which Eta is amusing herself at this
country boy's expense; and Mrs. Larton
nm easy going woman, not especially re-
luctant to see Etta-who is only step.
daughter = get herself into scrapes,
makes no attempt to interfere.
George Larton alone gains it'll,