Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-07-07
A DESERT ISLE.

been some hours earning its daily bread.
The idlers had but Just risen from the
breakfast table. To this latter class be.
longed the young man who leaned lazi-
ly over the piazza railing and looked alb
sently out on Lake Winnipaka. Beside
him, in huge chair, sat a 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 woman's
laborious way, but there was lack of
repose in her Incidence that made it
restful to turn again to her brother. who
stood with statuesque inaction, looking
into the still water below.
"Wbat are you going to do to-dayP"
the little woman asked.
"Nothing."
There's a great deal going on, and
very nice sort of people, too. Do you
see that pretty girl down there at the
landingP''
The one with redP'
"Yes; don't you think she's prettyP"
al hadn't thought of it."
"Well. she Systematically. Wouldn't
you like to meet herp / could easily
manage it."
Pm not particular. Is she worth
whilepn
ben, you exasperate ME. Do you
take an interest in anythingP"
~ don't do anything else in Wall
street. I'm off duty now. believe in
resting in philosophical sort of way"
"Well, suppose you are tired, poor
fellow! | know how you feel. l am
tired myself, most of the time"
Tired! l look like it." laughed the
young man. "rll tell you how it is, /
simply want my liberty. 1t doesn' t
pay-this dancing attendance on half a
dozen girls whom you never see again" +"
40, well, don't, then"
Ben Adams at twentyyone had per-
formed his social duties with great zest.
Four years later he was still heart
whole, and beginning to take purely
fraternaI interest in biushing debutantes.
He danced less and went to the opera
firmed bachelor of twenty-eight. With
entire resignation young Adams acted
as usher at many fashionable weddings,
and without sigh saw Katharine, Kate
and Kitty led down the aisle by other
men. And SO he approached his thir-
ties, and within a year of them leaned
idly over the piazza railing at Lake
Winnipaka and declared to his sister
that Robinson Crusoe was the luckiest
fellow of his acquaintance. "Give me
a desert isle for summer sojourn.
What would refresh a man like going
back to savageryp"
~ don't think it would be enough of
change to benefit some / know"
laughed his sister. "Well Ben, all !
can say is, you are very different from
what you used to be"
In the meanwhile, the boat below
pushed off, and Adams followed it with
his eyes chiefly because it would have
been more trouble to look another way.
The young lady in the stern was Miss
Josephine Vail, and the boy at the oars
was her twelve-year- brother. Jo-
sephine was young lady of views, sup
ported by more or less logic and by
what some plainly thought better, an
extremely pretty face. Her enemies
but she had none-would have said that
while she despised conventionalities, NO
one was more annoyed when obliged to
disregard them; that while she resented
the protecting limitations of her sex, she
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 a
good husband The young lady took
It in high dudgeon, and went away
meekly to wonder If it were true. On
this particular July morning Josephine
accepted her brother Toms services as
oarsman, not because she was not per.
fectly well able to row herself, but be.
cause it would keep Tom out of mis-
chief.
Don't rock the boat, Tom. II
doesn't frighten me, but can't read.'
There was pause.
"Row near the bank in the shade
Tom"
Another, longer pause.
"Say, sis," said Tom, at length
"now we're off I'll tell you where we re
"Where you're goingp Why, your,
going to take me out for row -
"Not much. I'm going two miles uI
above to see some fellows who arr
camping out"
"And going to take mep / thinl
you're mistaken, sir. Give me thos'
oars"
and sit still
-, Tom, turn this boat instantly o
Tu-
"What'll you doP Come, now; yo'
sit still or pll--
A thought seemed to strike Tom.
Come, keep cool, 10. Wen 60 VI
piece further, anyway. / won't taxi
you up to the camp II you don't want Il
60 You don't want to 90 back ye
awhile, do your
Tom, there's the Desert Isle jus
ahead. Don't run into it. Be careful
your going straight toward It,"
"We might land there" said Tom
blsudIy