The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-12-20
A CLEAR CASE,
The Romance of a Lake Voyage,

1t was nearing sunset on the fOurtl
day, and the steamer was ploWine
along through Erie-that most deceit
ful, most dangerous lake of all the
chain--clearly intending to reach Buf
talo by next day noon.
The passengers had been having
their little fun, for they had all become
pretty. well acquainted in those seventy
sweet, blue hours, velvet beneath, satin
above, sunrise to sunset, with never q
cloud or drop OF rain, or seasick soul,
save one dear woman, who early re-
tired to her state room and partook, q
discretion, of nux vomica, third po.
tency.
Some one had bottled a written ac.
count OF the trip; some one else hai
mounted the capstan, made a bright If
rhapsodical speech, and hurled the bot
tie into the waters, the ceremony being
attended with much hand-cl&pping and
laughter This concluded, q most eX-
cellent humor peryaded the company;
even the six stately representatives OF
tvs most exclusive families social pill
lars of IL western metropolis conceded
the claims of the occasion.
OF this party of six, two were elderly
ladies, sisters, Mrs. Wolfe and Mrs.
Close; the remaining four, the two
daughters Of each, young ladies. whose
ages might safely be reckoned within
the limits OF Z to p. .t.5
Papa Close had put them all aboard
the steamer in their own dear, dirty
Western river at o'clock the Tuesday
evening previous. 1t was now Friday,
and Papa Wolfe would meet them at
the dock in Buffalo on the morrow
Dec volante SO they could be consid-
cred exactly as unprotected females.
Besides was not the jolly skipper their
most obedient," with AL his Hiber-
nian absurditicS?
They had started out with an excess
sive frigidity towards each and every
one else aboard, but this had thawed,
and they were now disposed to patron
ize-after kindly fashion. The young
ladies were standing, arms lovingly en-
twined, in groups OF tWos; three OF them
were dressed alike and closely resem-
bled each other; the fourth was an odd
lamb, her countenance being more
piquantly expressive than that of sister
or cousins, light, sparkling, mischiey-
Gus, where theirs was tolerant and
heavy with the weight of propriety and
''good FORM Her eyes were heavily
lashed; her nose tipped saucily;, her
mouth was carnation leaf, and the
sugarspoon hat that she wore, like the
others, had hardly secured her from
sunburns and freckles.
She carried a yellow, foot-square
satchel of alligator skin, with herna
in Il -
her names at least, and that by which
she was best known
s'HELIOT e."
She wore blue-flannel yachting
suit: her hair was the sweetest brown
with veins of red gold shining through
out. She lacked the self-conseious eN-
preston of Isabella Close or Agnes
Wolfe, the ladies at her left, Just back
of Delicia Close, a, thin edition, whose
embrace bored her little.
Nearly all the passengers were on
deck in groups of thrces and fours.
The excellent mammals, Close and
Wolfe, sat not far away, middle agsi
and well dressed, with an occasional
fine diamond rs letter of credit. Up
and down the narrow passage between
sauntered the steward of the vessel, n
remarkably good-looking, yet at times
melancholy, young man, with q cigar
Vin his mouth that might have been an
immortelle for its apparent everlast-
ingness.
At times he seemed to gaze medita-
lively upon either Delicia Close or He
iotrope Wolfe, an unprejudiced observer
on oath might hesitate in saying which.
Mrs Wolfe could have said, though, for
Helie was only too often in mischief OF
the kind. a.-.t
Besides-but this takes me back to
the night that they started. That night
the moon was just rising, as yellow as
gold and as smooth as platter, when
the good-byes were sp ken, the last
kisses exchanged, and Papa Close, with
others equally forlorn, went ashore,
rejecting that during his family's siN
weeks sojourn AT the seaside he. might
give undivided attention to his newest
racehorse.
n. B. 1t was the middle of August;
but they had all been doing the Dells
OF the Northwest save Miss Hello
trope, who had spent two months with
a school friend not far from her OWE
city.
The propeller was growing hoarsely
as it moved down the river, through
open bridges and the tangle of ship
ping, out under the star of the harbol
light. into the caressing arms of the
lake; and the Wolfe-Close party having
concluded the inspection of their state
rooms, shifted doubtfully ut the six
inch looking glasses, and wondered il
there We're mosquitoes or-arythin2
else that bites on board, appeared Oh
deck to witness the mOOnrise.
They all found seats together except
Helie, who, with her usual perversIty
wandered off to the other side anc
stood gloomily by herself.
She stood so but a few moments, how
ever, when gentleman, who had sud
denly emerged from the cabin, ap
preached. She stared a second, ther
thrust out her hand with joyful cry
of recognition: spill! Phil Lawson!
He caught both hands and squeezed
them hard nobody was looking a
them; everybody was interested IN th'
moon.
eyes, here I am," he laughed
'Aren't you surprised. y
lawfully! But awfully glad. How
did you know we were comlngF fo'
did know, didn't you? Are you. go,in9
clear roundP Why it is simply sple7n
did. But l have a scoldlng ready
What did YOU mean by such a melan
choly letter as that last oneP'' q.
She poured this out in breathles
way as audacious as the proximity o
her face. =
EYES," he said, 81 am gong an : VI ~
way" :" then paused, hesi'atlng 10
| some reason.
Helie glanced across the deck an an
suggested that they stroll to the ster1
OF the boat as she had much TO say. =