The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-10-26

Z,
pair Of
"Eyes Of deep, soft, lucent hue,
Eyes too expressive to be blue,
100 lovely TO be gray"
met his with the direct gaze of child,
while sweet voice pleaded:
oh, please let me show youp'
As Trafton turned, slight redden-
ing. which would have been an unde-
niable blush in a fairer man, over
spread his face, and he met the gaze of
the pretty stranger with look of re-
cognition and pleasure which was in
stantly suppressed. She did not notice
this look, however, for her fingers were
tingling for the skipping-stones as an
artists may tingle for pencil and brush
when he sees them used by unskillful
hands. Trafton making no reply to
her request, she again pleaded:
ooh, do let me show your
He yielded his place at once to the
ncognita in ivory-and-green, and, after
ruthlessly demolishing Trafton's care
fully-built mountain, she CLEANED from
the scattered stones q few that met
with her approval, and proceeded to
"show" " him. How pretty she looked
as she stopped poised on the bank, TAX
ing careful aiml With her fringe of
hair blown by the winds into count
less curly tendrils, her lashes resting
heavily on her checks like black satin
on peach blossoms, and resolute little
dimples deepening at the corners of
her mouth, Trafton thought he had
never seen anything more satisfactory
to look upon.
In another instant the stone was
thrown. a deft turn of the wrist
sent it spinning over the river, touching
its surface and bounding onward four
separate times. Incognita breathed a
quick, satisfied sigh at the successful
accomplishment of her feat, and said,
eXcitedly, "There ! Johnny himself
couldn't have done better l' Then she
suddenly seemed to awaken to the
enormity Of her conduct in thus
thrusting herself into the society of an
unknown gentleman, taking forcible
| possession of his retreat, and insisting
upon teaching him to skip stones, will
he, mill he. Sudden scarlet eclipsed
cheek peach blossoms, and she began
to stammer apologies.
"What will you think of me?" she
began. "Indeed 1 am not bold and
improper, although 1 know that l
must have seemed so this afternoon.
You may ask any one at Fort Raynor
if am" And then, recollecting that
she was speaking to some one who had
probably never seen Fort Raynor, she
added, hastily, "Or L will give you the
address of my minister and my Bible
class teacher, and you may write and
ask them"
Trafton looked at her with smiling
dark eyes as she stood, in wild anxiety,
to clear herself from all suspicion of
being an improper person. Then, as
she concluded, he said, reassuringly
"There is no necessity for writing
l am fully convinced that you are the
very pink and pinnacle Of propriety
Why, any young lady who had spark
of the missionary spirit in her compO,
sition would feel it an imperative duty
to hasten to the instruction of a be.
nighted heather, who was struggling
unaided and alone, to make some pro.
gress in the noble art Of skipping
stones"
"You really were doing very badly
said the pratty missionary, candidly.
"Still, if you really insist upon it,
continued Trafton, looking at her quiz
zically, "when 1 return to Fort Ray,
nor 1 will question your pastor anG
teacher with regard to you, Mis-.
Travisw
The tables of surprise were com
pletcly turned upon Loye. She re
peated, blankly, fort Raynor! Mis-.
Travis! then recovering hersel
slightly, said: 81 know that it is not
polite to stare at you so, and repea
your words as if 1 was a parrot; bu
you have completely petrified me
Please turn me to flesh and blood a
quickly as possible, by explaining
what you meant by exploding thes,
names upon me like two Fourth O
July frecrackers."
Every well, Miss Galatea. l liv
at Fort Raynor. l am Donald Traf
ton, of the firm of Trafton & Det
wilcr, hardware merchants. [ hav
seen you in church, and learned you
name, although have never chanceC
to meet you anywhere until to-day"
"We have only liyedin Fort Rayno
for two months" explained Loye, ''anC
we have been busy settling, an,
mothers health is poor, so that I'y
been almost nowhere as yet, eXcep
to church and the confectioner's," sh
added, with a whimsical ,refectiveness
Sometimes, when feel as if L wer
absolutely rolling in gold-that is
have dime to spare treat mySel
to some chocolates. Now, if you hat
only chosen to sell candy instead o
stoves and nails, this double surpris
might have been avoided. But yol
would have learned what temper
have if you had sold me stale choco
late"
"Never would have been guilty Of
such baseness p returned Trafton, fer
1ently. "But have L dissolved tn
stony spell which bound you?"
Yes, 1 believe So" said Loye, Civ
ing herself a playful little shake. "Bu
l am turned to flesh only to fly, for it.
quarter past five" she announced
glancing at her watch and returning i
to her girdle of dark-green velvet
} Then, before Trafton could carry ou
, his intention of looking at his time
piece, and declaring that hers was alb
surdly fast, she had hidden him good