Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-08-10
A DESERT ISLE

IL was ten o'clock Of July morning
and the larger fraction of humanity had
been some hours earning its daily bread.
The idlers bad been just aisen from the
breakfast table To this latter class be-
longed the young man who leaned lazily
over the piazza railing and looked alb
sently out on Lake Winnipaka. Beside
him, in huge chair, sat little woman
rocking to and fro, with an untiring
movement, and with deft fingers plying
in and out among bright silks and crew.
els. She was idle, too, in her waman's
laborious way, but there was lack of
repose in her Incidence that made il rest
full to turn again to her brother, who
stood with statuesque action, looking on
the still wafer below JpY
~what are you going to de to-day ?"
the little woman asked.
Nothing" !
{ aThere'sl d great deal going on, and
very nice sort of people, too. Do you
see that pretty girl ddwnythers at the
= fsThe' one with red Pp, : I
asseKss; don't you think she's pretty ?"
II hadn't thought of it."
well, she Systematically. Wouldn't
you like to meet her? could easily
manage it."
-i I'm not particular. Is she worth
while?"
Ben, you eXasperate me. Do you
take an interest in anything?" ~
81 Idon't do anything else in Wall
street. I'm off duty now. l believe in
resting in philosophical sort of way
well, suppose you are tired, poor
fellowl l know how you feel. l am
tired myself, most Of the time."
"Tired! / look like it, laughed the
young man. "Ill tell you how it is, l
! simply want my liberty. 1t doesn't pay
this dancing attendance on half doz-
en- girls whom you never see again"
80, well, don't then"
Ben Adams at twenty-one had per-
formed his social duties with great zest
Four years later he was still heart-whole
and beginning to take purely fraternal
interest in blushing debutantes. He
danced less and went to the opera alone
or with his friend Rutland, confirmed
bachelor of twenty-eight. With entire
resignation young Adams acted as ush.
or at many fashionable weddings, and
without sigh saw Katharine, Kate and
Kitty led down the aisle by other men
And.so he approached his thirties, and
within a year of them leaned idly over
the piazza railing at Lake Ninnipaks
and declared to his sister that Robinson
Crusoe was the luckiest fellow of his &C.
qaintance. "Give me desert isle for .
summer sojourn What would refresh
man like going back to savagery ?"
81 don't think it would be enough et
a change to benefit some Iknow," laugh
ed his sister. '"Well, Ben, all 1 can say
], is, you are very different from what yog
used to be-" ~ ID 1e.5ueg7
s,7s-rlno the mean while, the boat below
pushed. off, and Adams followed it with
with his eyes chiefly because il would
have been more trouble tooslook another
way. The young lady in the stern was
Miss Josephine Vail. and the boy at the
oars was her twelve-year old brother
Josephine was young lady of views
supported by more or less logic and b,
what some plainly thought better, an
extremely pretty face. Her enemies
but she had would have said thai
while she despised conventionalities, M
one was more annoyed when obliged t.
disregard them; that while she resented
the protecting limitations of her sex, sht
was quite willing to accept the atten
tions based on the theory of their exist
ence. Her father had said one day:
Nothing would take the kinks out OF
our Josephine like settling down with Q
good husband" The young lady took Il
II, h;oh dr.doear and went aW4y meekfy
10 wonder il it we're true. On this par