New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-04
4 POTENT P1ILTER..
BY


When Fletcher entered the rude parlor OF the
hotel early next morning he found Rowland porting
over a medieval issue of The NEwIORK TRIBUNE
and cOuding the place with the smoke of cigarette
that he was converting with fierce, nervous puils
into ashes. The pine walls of the room were un-
papcred save by scattered company OF cuts from
the London illustrated papers dsmally surrounding
an occasional fccl of color III the form OF Christ
mas supplement issued by one OF the journals Two
caudy chromos maintained the idea of International
amity in their uumlStakable Anerlcanlsn. Inc
floor was fruitful with a thick underground OF
dail.tiy packed picnic baskets. Fletcher half
stumbled over one OF them n he came III.
Hello" cried Rowland locking up from ms
paper don't let yourself get caught IN the picnic
tran early. Even If there are no other contest
ants ! shall want you, y0u know, as an aidcde-
camp IA connection with several such schemes"
You may cast me for any part you IKE u l
stay" consented Fletcher. crossing the room and
placing himself from habit with his back TO tile
chIll emptiness of the iron stove. .
- IL You stay" gaspod the other with long mar
yelling pauses. He let the paper drop t. Bis knees
aud regarded him for moment win NIcnous
stare If you stay repeated be with ntenSer
emphasis lie looked kcenly at Fletcher, then
broke abruptly into laugh. PSllaW, Lei chcr,
haven't h.d my breakfast SOu ought t. time your
practical Jokes with more respect for your Nicilm
II was too transparent; but you have my pardon
for the touch of the old DAYS III II. Those were
pleasant times weren't they, old fellow p
Fletcher assentcd with smile. lie had not III,
tended 10 announce ms departure; th' MI'ua raI
dropped thOughtlessly from HIM. lie had diE"eq
the matter with himself so long that IL scented
natural that others should have reached Just ms
point in the consideration OF IL. but % ne hiu
meant 10 SAY that he designed goius tOWiaud .
way of receiving his beginning would have leh-
deTcd II difficult.
Cuiesceuce in hs miseraby unfortunate position Oh
the night before, against the hall necessity unueL
The conditions into which he had been thrust, 81
remaining at MalbaIe with thus glil, a. lie sun
termed her. II she hal been any other than k0W
lands sister he would not have hestdted; he W0uld
have gone Oack TO quebec OF luIhSu ms i'Oc
toward some other of these villages within TIE nOuf
If his discovery OF her presence; Smo was l"| ~
ALWAYS that first night M Quebec a silent nut
hateful figure IN his mental path. she wac N
creasngly odious TO him. Ii seemed t. MN that 1t
would bc intOleTable 10 meet her dilly. on IA"
familiar footing that would surely result from the
ISOLATION of the party-Of which he would naturally
lie onc-that would come about through the!r as
fincruis rfng nationality. Even When he hJd con
vinced himself that he must stay, though he was
aware that there cOuld Ice no solution OF ihIa matter
that dd not include a friendly dcmcanor on us
mart toward Rowland sister, he fought tu n u
Conclusion with labOrlOuS industry. lie knew thal
he = little magniied the question thqt Il ne couu
fnd pOss bic 10 drlft with late lOr the Dllel space
OF his stay at MabaIc; II he could DIlDg hnHeH 10
treat Miss Bailey he might any other summer a.
quaiutanCe Ot a fortnight. no great ANNOYANCE ~
linn would come of II: yet his deteuceS had been
stOutly erected. and It was not easy to overthrow
them cvcn temporarily For moment "A yague.
eb.ned tLought that he perhaps exaggerated her
pcttinoss had crossed his mind. but he had east IT
from hn before II had wholly formed h-eH a.
treasOngble 20 hls friend. There could be n"tl ~
more mean, It seemed TO him, short OF actual vi 'ns
than thus dallisnce with MAS strong passion.
Went wOYths nature must have made the MAJ .cI
terribly earnest for hun. How nlppant- nI1td y
fippauI be said 10 himself 10 silent raGe-ldd pteu
her treatment of II lie could not pardon hrr bnt
he could bear himself with measuIable cordaHty
toward her for the tme and she would not know
Rowland's speech suggested topic 10 when they
reverted from the night before. ana they llIReu
nieasanty until summoned 10 breakfast OF thcr ac-
tance-cf two years previous Iney seated them
selves IN the dinln groom at table set ior t'h III
one of the windows looking out upon the ~ Law
renee from which q buoyant INST wa curinE UP
through the rosy hight The ladies presently en-
tered Mrs. Fordham was radiant IN the inair"nIy
white cap that she sometimes affected. set de-
c0ruii.y on her yet untnged back mar. ana a. sue
seated herself she directed pleasant smile OF morn
ing greeting toward thc Young men, talking Joe
cefbsr oyoT their oatmeal The crushed brown
grain inevitable accompaniment OF breakfast li
every part Of Canada. rembled before them I'D
Vira-nia followed her aunt into the room. She
wore a dress of dark buc flannel that hung ia SIM
t,le folds about her figure. Her white throat was
loosely sw athcd IN hnc. transparent SUN; ll.leu
down and crossed over her breast IN lufiiau
fashion She ID ight have been Hawthorn" IhJ'p'
IN thus garh and her brother SAID 81 she gattN lJ
Row land IN amusement. aud Fletcher caught ih'
odd charm IN her face that not beauty, lh"ugh
IL would have boon difficult To say why not. Her
features were gracefully formed Her mouth WIS
delicate AMI with Its tirnness and us luiielueiit
but bright and sympathetic smile. perhaps gave IA
fue quality 90 her face. Her eyes weTr expressive
and OF mellow depth. generous forehead NE tei
into hatr OF q soft brown cuugiug about H'i neat
close tv Sted colt. No feature was formed other
wise than a. an artist would have wished o. but an
was strange tnCe. and the tascnatloh ta"t ldN 'i
It, vague aud ludctermiuatc quality, aIttt.G
Fletcher ~ she turned % toward hun now, IHlLHl
with - morning freshness. lie sad como i'ihA il
length IN answer to her smile and IA, C9utti att h
bocame general and dw,lt upon the pcopi' a'o"'
thcm.
AZ every table the people we're Arranging lor pie.
nics rows and Yachting rNrur-"i~. th"u~h the mt
Apemrd So hc the staple Amusement. ana ihr pi"In-
iuaric- were being earned forward Win ai fIc uu-
re@rrve and AR of utter goud-irluW"hp tIdi suu-
mcr boarler- take ou ga ouc another presence %.
F.otch,r did not quite understand how 20 l.p.
prnrd bat hen All had SIT for some noutrn- I.i-
lug togrthoi ~ the pafIof alter breakfast Doc 'n.'
euddcui, up from one of the torn aud soi.'d l'p
that ie hld casually taken FROM the Table. f1 tn4
himself alone with Miss bailey. III" vas -fin.lint
at the window opposite him watching Tine departure
at,ne doesn't ne,d To be- born Boz the -.auJ,rod
United states o. reach thr imnata, OF co. o.'it.
size unused aloud, ~ sEht of some. iinR " ii'h..
l,te her heard be, unconscious speech liHfu l't
vindnv liz pat-.r u~flcd without los m''I...
and she turned abruptly 20 TIE sound iirt iH'r
uantied with the CONFUSION "i one g'l' .'' '. ''
ab-url.fY. hu' che tuuiroll % h'f.'l Win lu i,I.
self command aud began 20 sl"th 90 E'.a 90
humorous protest Chat cutyl Suddenly ih "a Do ..'
Con-ciuu- laugh
Il dm Oyrrlcar you. i won mean tAet. 50 ,
Rsfirv .ud Fletcher wth gravity IS 800 900 1901.
". wifi paplon mr. ] could NOT have hrll.d I'd.
IaeI, =. rr,ci fle al. nf. q" Do adfcd II.swl.
surely 4rilc eptii stu. and thrrc waa too. w. itr
sisde Oft cordial response that he bad intended
uis STUPID to haze spoken mA Thought 'i 200"
Il tIlf WAYS STUPID as thc gr wa" lInur'y
va brilliant Pardon mc sh' lsad, not breeding
BIS qscst 1n. 49,,
Iu d nomont she thought the sJccch p tc ioI-
wArd iad nrrsou-ly hustled something further mat
WIS Goa iet lips An awkward sliru,c fell between
Tho two fauses boz COW cr,dtOn had kInd of pain
~ mscmatiou for Fletcher and this.uur seemed
motto fian usually SACRED aua ifittr1guhlc, Though
he ordinarily at casc. the speech which h, af
length made WIS hating and mopVorfune. Size
came to las rescue With ready tact
THIS IS q drliciousiB uucout ltoLA place she
sIId fafhff hastily.
a. is odd. Courcded Fletcher
n would have been pleasant to have cobe !
fHnih" she went on. NJ there were nome oi tho
teriing of novelty and experiment POI &C.. ouiy Co