The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-10-12

Mabel, and they never seemed half SO
! fair and sweet as she.
But then / did not see many other
girls. My bashfulness, instead of
diminishing, seemed rather to increase
upon me as the years went by I
avoided society, and was so much of
recluse from ladies that my mother was
quite worried lest I should become d
confirmed old bachelor. Perhaps one
reason why retained my diffidence
was that my pursuits were among books,
and not among people. / had made
the science of geology my study, and at
twenty-seYen found myself in COM
Portable position as assistant professor
in one of our estcolleges, the salary of
which, with my own income added, /
making me so far at ease that Iresolved
to devote my summer vacation to a tour
in Europe.
Equipped with. bag and hammer,
August found me making a pedestrian
tour of Switzerland, with q special view
to the study of it's glacial system and
lithology. / avoided the we1l-traveled
ways, thus escaping the society of all
other tourists, and was therefore ut
terly amazed when one evening, as /
drew near the little house which was
my temporary abiding place, tall
form strobe toward me out of the dark
ness and a hearty voice cried out.
/ Jim! Jim Hi1lt' x1s
i "What is itP'' replied, with half
NERVOUS start. st
| "Ah! thought it was my old friend.
Have you forgotten Tom ByrneP''
i Of course not, for had met him oc-
casionally since we were boys, and
was heartily glad to see MY former
comrade, always one Of the best Of com
panions.
II saw your name on the book at the
inn, he exclaimed; s'was sure it must
beyou. At any rate thought I would
! start out to meet you"
g''But how came you herep' I in
quired, sin this out Of the way corner
Of the world?" s
because it is out of the way. Mabel
and are making a trip in search of the
picturesque. You know she is quite an
artist!''
So Mabel was with him. NY heart
gave curious thump, and for a mo-
ment | could hardly make sensible
reply.
Eyes = he went on; ''sne is so devoted
to her art that it seems to quite absorb
her life. She has not thought of mar
riage, and does not care in the least for
the ordinary run of society. She will
be glad to see you, though he added, 4
consolingly, ''as you are a man of
science"
| We walked back together to the little
inn, and presently was shaking hands
with beautiful and stately woman,
| whose bright, dark eyes flashed with the
strange intensity and fire that had
never seen in any other eyes but those
Of Mabel Byrne. sasa.
| She greeted me- very cordially, and
after we three had taken an evening
meal together there followed delight
full evening in thealittle parlor that Tom
and his sister had secured. J
| For once in my life felt myself quite
at ease in a lady's society In the first
place there was Tom to keep me in
colntenance by a predominance Of nv
own sex in the company, then Mabel
did not expect me to talk of airy moth
ings, that light foam Of the social whirl-
! pool which | never yet had been able
to skim. She spoke first of my scientific
pursuits; she showed so much knowl-
edge of the subject that really found
myself talking with earnestness and
enthusiasm of the formation of the
country, and especially Of the glacial
system and the curious marks of its ac-
ton borne by the specimens l had col
| lected,
I She, in her turn, contributed to the
evenings interest by telling me of her
work, and showing me her sketches,
which were really of very high order
of artistic merit. There was no school,
girl weakness in her handling of the
brush, but force and poetic thought
that had won her already honorable rec
ognition in the world OF art
. And you have never heard ofs.Ma-
bells paintings until now?" asked Tom. \
| "No," | confessed "You know I
have been quite absorbed in my special
studies.
| Eyes, and you have not seen Mabel
for ever so long, have your
mo-" | replied, mot since that'sum-
mer ten years ago, when | was at my
grandmother ~
| "Jolly times we had, too" said Tom.
redectively. Remember that party at
Mrs. Edwards? ?"
A sudden rush of blood to my face
utterly confused me- stammered a
reply, and Tom, to my relief, went on
with some rambling "reminiscences. 1t
was some seconds before. [ dared to
look at Mabel. Surely she was blush
ing, too.
The next morning we all went on q
trip up the slopes of the mountain.
Mabel in short, gray suit, alpine hat
and stout boots; Tom carrying her
drawing materials. Thus we made
this any many another delightful expe-
dition. e
Life took on new colors for me.
There was radiance and glory about
it that had never dreamed of before.
Every day found fresh reason for adj
miring my beautiful companion, and
our walks through the deep valleys and |
UP the rough mountain sides We're to |
me like enchanted journeys through a
realm of fairies. In this loveliest coun- |
try in the world, with this most
glorious woman by my side, I was, in
deed, as one TRANSPORTED by the light |
of the grand passion that took possession
of my SOUL
AT first knew not what had befallen /
me. thought only that my pleasure
in MabeFs society sprang from SINH
larity of tastes and pursuits and the
charm of her conversation; but gradu-
ally woke to the overwhelming fact
that loved her with the one great love
OF my life, that seemed to me now to
date from the days of long ago, to have
been always with me, and to stretch
out into the future to make it transcend |
emily glorious, or long despair.
And yet as soon as I had learned nv /
own secret, my former bashfulness came /
back upon me with tenfold intensity.
and | found myself often embarrassed |.
in her presence, while at the thought of
telling her my hearts story. though my
brain was smitten through with dazzling
delight at the dream of successful WOO /
ing, yet ! was SO overwhelmed that ut
falanra yvolIld nc wac c,1ras he q !, ~, Isl