Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-10-26
on 4 DESERT ISLE.

1t was 10 o'clock of July morning. and
the largest fraction Of humanity had been
some hours earning its daily bread. The
iders had just risen from the breakfast ia
BILE. To this latter class belonged the young
man who leaned lazily over the piazza rail
ing, and looked absently out on Lake Winni-
paka. Beside him, in "A huge chair, sat q lit
tie woman, rocking to and fro, with an un.
firing movement aud with deft fingers ply
ing in and out among bright silk and crewels.
She was idle, too, in her woman's laborious
way, but there was a lack of repose in her
incidence that made it restful to turn again
to her brother, who stood with statuesque in
action, looking into the still water below.
What are you going to do to day = 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 landing.
The one with red y
Yes don't you think she S pretty =
II hadn't thought Of it,"
"Well, she is-remarkaby Wouldn't you
like to meet her l could easily manage it,
I'm not particular. Is she worth while p
Ben you exasperate me- Do you take an
interest in anything p
II don't do anything else in Wall street ;
III Ou hulg nOWs btAAtNo III IchAluk III u
philosophical sort of a way"
"Well, l suppose you are tired, poor fell
low | know how you feel l am tired my
self most of the time
Tired look like it, laughed the young
man. ''Ill tell you how it is simply want
my liberty. 1t doesn't pay-this dancing at
teDtion on half a dozen girls whom you new
er see again"
ooh, well, don't then
Ben Adams at 81 had performed his social
! duties with great zest. Four years later he
was still heart-whoe, and beginning to take a
| purely fraternal interest in blushing debut.
antes He danced less and went to the op.
era alone, or with his friend Rutland, con
| frmed bachelor of %. With entire resigna-
ton young Adams acted as usher at many
fashionable weddings, and without a sigh
saw Catharine, Kate and Kitty led down the
| aisle by other men. And so he approached
| his thirties, aud within year OF them lean
ed idly over the piazza railing at Lake Winni-
paka, and declared to his sister that Robin
son Crusoe was the luckiest man of his ac-
| quaintance. Give me a desert isle for a sum-
mer sojourr. What would refresh man
like going back to savagery
| Il don't think it would be enough of a
| change to benefit some know, laughed his
| sister. "Well, Ben all l can say is, you are
very different from what you used to be-"
| In the meanwhile, the boat below pushed
| of aud Adams followed it with his eyes,
| chiefly because it would have been more
| trouble to look another way. The young la.
dy il the stern was Miss Josephine Vail and
the boy at the oars was her 12.years-old
brother.
Josephine was young lady of views, sup.
| ported by more or less logic and by what
some thought an extremely pretty face. Her
| aparniaa-huf she had -UOulH haya cai N
that while she despised eonventionalites, nc
one was more annoyed when obliged to disre
| gard them and while she resented the pro
tecting limitations of her sex, she was quite
willing to accept the attentions based on the
theory of their existence Her father said
one day, Nothing would take the kinks out
of our Josephine like settling down with q
good husband" The young lady took it in
high dudgeon, and went away meekly &c
wonder if it was true On this particular
July morning Josephine accepted her broth
er Toms services as oarsman, not because
she was not perfectly well able to row her
self, but because it would keep Tom out o.
mischief.
Don't rock the boat, Tom. 1t dom
frighten me, but l 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'r,
off, I'll tell you where we're going"
Where you're going Why, you're going
TO take me out for a row."
mot much. I'm going two miles about t
see some fellows who are camping out"
And going to take me? 1 think YOUR
mistaken, sir. Give me those oars"
mo, you don't. Leave 'em alone, and 81
still"
Tom, turn this boat instantly, or I'll"
"What'n you do? Come now you 81
still, or M"
Tom, there's the Desert Isle just ahead
Don't run into it, Be careful you're goin
straight toward it"
I'VE might land there" he said bandly.
"To be sure We might" said his sister
glad of anything to divert him from the frs
scheme.
IAN right, just as you say"
Tom turned his boat toward the great roc
which lifted its broad back out of the watei
1t was htly called the Desert Isle, for its fe'
square feet of surface supported not so niue
as a blade of grass or a bit of moss,
Hop out said Tom 1--WE got to see
the boat, l guess you can climb up to th
: top easy enough"
''Of course can, said Josephine; las if
needed your help, you little monkey"
In moment she stood at the top of rocl
and in another moment derisive laugh can
7 from below.
/. "Good-by, 10; I hope you'n enjoy you
? self, I'll see you later"
Q Plato says, "a boy is the most vicious
s all wild beasts. Plato and Miss Vail were
r one opinion on that point. She looked abo
Q her and took in the situation. She was mo
Q arch of about 25 feet of rough gray rock
+ the sides of which descend abruptly to Il
g water. Perched high on this massive pede
; tal her figure stood out against the sky
Q bold relief. A book and a parasol were b
y only accessories, for by some happy inspiT
+ tion she had olung to these. The sun "
high in the heavens, but its hot rays we
J. mercifully tempered by a soft breeze on I
a lake.
l. Josephine seated herself, raised her pai
Is sol and opened her book. She faced t
n probability that at least two hours of noe
% day solitude were before her The phi
70 sophica course of action was to make
If best of it. But what situation TO be d
It covered in She remembered with satisfI
10 ton that large party had gone on pici
o. to-day, and the dowagers left behind w
a not given to boating at high noon, She tri
ri to think how she should laugh II of if a
" one should see her, but under the most che
ne full aspect she seemed to herself a ridiculC
N | spectacle To be ridiculous in o good car