The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-10-09

lOQE 30 ~ /
.The cynicism of the one meeting no
response from the breezy cheeriness of
the other they finished the rest of their
morning walk without further words.
On entering the wide halls of the
they encountered was Johnny. He
greeted Cragmore: "Hello."
"Hello," answered Cragmore, reach
ing him q hand.
"Fanny said 1 wasn't to ask you to
wish you would"
''In due time-perhaps," said Crag-
moro.
A blooming, dark-eyed matron
seated at a table in the reading-room
called out: s.My son. come here"
.When is due timc'p" persisted
Johnny.
johnny, my dear boy" remon-
strated the matron, hurrying forward.
Mamma, this is the gentleman who
invited me to go boating this morning"
said the ingenious little wretch.
She bowed with winning frankness to
them both.
81 had a full account of 1t, and I'm
afraid Johnny was troublesome" she
said. laying a caressing hand on the
boys close cropped head, as if to ask
their indulgence.
Johnny needs some training, mad
anne, before he should be trusted out
alone"
"You were very kind to crafty him
this morning. He came back full of
Information about bow and STERN
and .rudder.'n
81 shall be glad to give him further
lessons" said Cragmore, as she led the
boy away.
sin heaven name, Cragmore, why
will o commit yourself to such a task
just for the sake of a moments polite
nessP" groaned Ellington.
I'm sure Idon't know" he laughed.
That mornings encounter was but
one of a series. The Roscoes liked out
door life heartily. They had not left
the city's heat and smoke to drone
or shut themselves in. Within judi
cious limits they made friends. and it
was not many days before Ellington
and Cragmore were included in their
like parties, picnics and excursions.
Besides, they managed t o discover a
link of distant cousinship, which
bridged all conventional scruples.
Cragmore was the o~mnivorously use-
full element in all their outings. He
was the end of the law to Johnny; Miss
Fannie preferred his escort to any other
when she went sketching; he could
pack a hamper, draw a cork, boil cof-
fee over a twig fire, and could be bitten
by mosquitoes without swearing. No
wonder he was in demand.
Ellington relaxed in a marked degree,
and but for the inveteratc Johnny would
have found a spice of something quite
like zest in this bar5arism. But the
boy was his abhorrence; he went so far
as to say an accidental drowning in that
family would be a boon. His shrill
treble was sure to put Ellington to rout
whenever an interview with the lovely
sister was at its most piquant phase.
Cragmore watched what he deemed
the ~infatuation of his friend with sup
pressed amusement, but wisely refrained
from rallying him upon it. Weeks went
by-idle weeks of luxurious hardship,
of pleasure brought by rough labor, Of
sailing, rowing, fishing, tenting, and
horseback riding. Miss Roscoe's face
was almost a hazel nut color: Ellington
found unexpected muscles in his trained
body, and something of the Granger or
frontiersman se.med to incrust his we'll
greaved figure; Cragmore grew negli-
egent about shaving, aud his shapely
hands looked knucklel and hard as
granite; indeed. they had all lapsed back
the ebb ola wavet toward the aboriginal.
But at length, almost imperceptibly,
the season waned. The evenings grew
chill; more blankets for Their beds at
night, heavier wraps for the day. The
shores of the lovely inland lakes blazed
with color. A smoky haze tempered
the sun. The crickets piped of frost.
The summer was gone. The city's rest
less finger beckoned them back to
Change. to desk. to opera, theater,
ball, and rout.
Zone more picnic -one more hot cof-
fee in the woods" begged Ellington,
who had SO hatei picnics.
Mrs. Roscoe made ready.
"Whcre shall it be?"
"As far from everything and every
body as possible. In the Wilderness
"Wean have q tug take u half way
up to the Jordan, leave us, and come
for us at night" decided Mrs. Roscoe.
It was done, The day was the per-
lection of smoky hush and warmth.
They steamed across the emerald wa
ter. Venus on hes shell, with the Adri-
attic sea-foam at her PROV, in the in.
fancy of the world, of Love, of Poetry,
could not have splashed up whittier
drops, or cut a clear wake in more
translucent water. Fanny had her
sketohing materials. "0ne final bit of
north woods for my room in winter"
she said"
Ellington sighed In his heart; be was
pcnsive and reflective, and while Fanny
watched the scenery he studied her
profile. He had been given to signing
about many things for several weeks,
and more than once had expressed q
tender philosophy of life, instead of his
old-time pessinistic creeds. Cragmore,
while bursting with amusement at it,
had not dared to seem to see.
Cragmore, as usual, vas assigned to
the commissary-he and Mrs. Roscoe.
Johnny, also as usual, was everywhere
and at all times in the way, playing
tricks on Ellington, tormenting Fanny,
but ever comforting his royal approval
on Cragmore.
For their camping-ground they found
a steep, shelving shore, with hemlock,
and cedar, and pines, and other resin
Gus smelling woods growing on the alb
rupt bank, back to the plateau above,
They unloaded from the tug all theil
appliances, boats, rugs, dishes, ham
; pers and hammocks, and the little bum
Bile bee of a boat buzzed away. And il
was the beginning of the last day.
Ellington became but the shadow O
the young goddess. He directed hel
choice of view for the picture. He car
ried her impedimenta. If she walked
: he walked; if she rested. he rested
! Johnny was also a shadow, if anything
: : can be said to be a shadow that literally
| surrounds its object. He had nevet
been more strenuous or exacting, anC
had never quite so desperately irritatet
Ellington. But Fanny was patient ant
> indulgent, and did not seem to mind
but rather to like, the
$ "'Fan, see that tree!" cried Johnny
set bends way over the water. Nav