The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-11-24
A CLEAR CASE.
The Romance of a Lake Voyage,

1A4S -S''.'~s'-S| " - $1,000 u -
1t was nearing sunset on tho fourth
dav, and the steamer was blowing
along through Eric-that most deceit
full, most dangerous lake Of all the
chain-clearly intending to reach But
falo 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 10 sunset, with never a
cloud or drop of rain, or Sea5ch soul,
save one dear woman, who early re-
tired to her state room and partook, u
discretion, of nuE yomica, third po-
tcncy.
Some one had bottled Il written ac-
count of the trip; some one else had
mounted the capStln, made 4 bright II
rhapsodical speech, and hurled the bot
tie into the waters. the ceremony being
attended with much hand-elapping and
laughter This concluded, II most cX-
cclIcnt humor peryaded the company;
even the six stately representatives Of
two most exclusive lamiliea-sociai pill
lars of Il western metropolis conceded
the claims Of the occasion.
OF this party Of six. two wore elderly
ladies', sisters Mrs. Wolfe and Mrs.
Close; the remaining four, the TWO
daughters Of each, young ladies, whose
ages might safely be recko1ad within
the limits of II 90 -.
Papa Close tW pu, ih,r nj! aboard
The steamer in ,ncr own dear. dirty
Western river ut 8 O'Clock the Tuesday
evening previous. II was now Friday,
and Papa Wolfe would meet them at
the dock in Buffalo on the morrow
Dec volante. SO they could be cons!d-
cred exactly Il, unprotected females.
Besides was moi the Jolly skipper their
most obedicnt, with all his iiber-
MAN absurdilies?
They had started Uut with an cNccs-
siyc frigidity towards each and every
one else aboard, but this had thawcd,
and they were now disposed to patron
iac-after II kindly fashion. The young
ladies were standing, arms lovingly en-
twincd. in groups OF twos; three a. them
were dressed alike and closely resent
blcd each other; the fourth WAS IN odd
lamb, her countcnancc being more
piquantly expressive than that of sister
or cousins, light, sparkling, mischiey-
Gus, where theirs was tolerant and
heavy with the weight of propricty and
good form" Her eyes were heavily
dashed; her nose tipped sauc,ly; her
mouth was Il carna,iOn Leaf, and the
sugarspoon hat that she wore, Ike the
others, had hardly secured her from
sunburns and frecklcs.
She carried yellow, loot-,quaro
satchcl OF alligator skin, with her name
silycr-lcttcrcd on the out,jdc-onc OF
her names at least, and thai by which
she was best .,nJwn-..
"HELIOTROpE.
She wore Il buc-lannc! yachting
suit: her hair was the sweetest brown
with veins of red gold shining through
out. She lacked the scli-cons"ious eX-
preston of Isabella Close or Agnes
Wolfe, the ladies ut her left. Just back
of Dclcia Close, u thin edition, whose
embrace bored her little.
Nearly all the passengers were on
deck in groups of threc5 and iours
The excellent mammas, Close and
Wolfe, sat not far away, middle aged
and well dressed, with an occasional
fine diamond rs letter Of credit, Up
and down the narrow passage between
the cabin and the rail Of the propeller
sauntcred the steward of the vessel, n
remarkably good-looking, yet at times
melancholy, young man, with a cigar
in his mouth that might have been an
immortelle for its apparent cycrIaS.-
ingness.
AT times he seemed to gaze mcdita-
lively upon either Delicia Close or He
liotrope Wolfe, an unprecedented observer
on oath might hesitate in saying which.
Mrs. Wolfe could have said, though, for
Hello was only too often in mischief of
the kind.
Besides-but this takes me back to
the night that they started. That night
the moon was just rising. rs yellow rs
gold and rs smooth "a u platter, when
the good-bycs were spoken, the last
kisses exchanged, and Papa Close, with
others equally forlorn, went ashore,
rejecting that during his familys six
weeks sojourn ut the seaside he might
give undivided attention to his newest
racehorsc.
n. Il. 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 !
Il school friend not far from her own
city.
The propeller was growing hoarscly |
as it moved down the river, through |
open bridges and the tanglc of ship
ping, out under the star of the harbor |
light, into the caressing arms of the
lake; and the Wolfe-Close party having
concluded the inspection of their state
rooms, shifted doubtfully at the six
inch looking glasses. and wondered if |
there were mosquitoes or-arything |
else that bites on board, appeared on |
dee. 70 witness the moonrise.
They all found seats together except |
Hello. who. with her usual perversity, |
wan ri oil to the other side and |
stood niif by herself. !