McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-08-21
A VANISHING EFFECT.


Two persons-a man and girl
were walking slowly down a pictur-
esque and precipitious path beside a
mountain tarr, that was set like a
glisierin@ purple gem deep in ridge
OF emerald wood, and among peaks, all
gold in the summer sunshine.
The girl was a trim, Sedate and
pretty young creature, with the calm
features OF Madonna, large and med
itative dark eyes, and dark hair that
was smoothly knoited beneath grace
full alpine nat. Her neat figure was
clothed in some seiviceably gray fabric
and her small feet were strongly shod.
She carried, loo, a flnciful staff, and a
leathern strap crossed one pretty Shout
der, and supported a leathern bag at
her slim waist. Altogether there was
something about her that suggested the
scrupulous and the independent, and
perhaps also tie p: i'm and the opinion
ated.
Her companion was tall and blonde,
and muscular, with dreamy brown eyes
and womanish chin. His luxurious
moustache was fastidiously waxed and
periumed, and he wore exceedingly
modish garments, and he had the in
defnably iIreproachable presence of a
parsonage whom society delighted to
favor.
As the two slowly descended, chat
ting in desultory and harmonious
fashion, the young man abruptly stop
ped, with an expression of sudden and
intense interest in those dreamy eyes,
which were fixed toward little hollow
beneath them.
''Who is she, Annie? do you know?-
that lady on the bank below us?'' he
asked the girl beside him.
She glanced in the direction indicat-
ed, but she perceived only an empty
green hollow, blank wall of rustling
leaves, and a solitary wild bird perch
ed in songless silence on huge bare
boulder.
..Why, Al, I see nobody at ALL" she
said.
''You did not see her because she has
gone. She vanished" he murmured,
with regret that was almost GRO
tesque, like vision, or a figure in a
mirage. shall wonder presently do
beautiful genii inhabit these unscaled
peaks and unexplored forests, or if
there be some enchanting naiad of the
tarn to allure and elude the sight,
Annie drew her madonna brows to-
gether in pretty frown of distaste at
his little rhapsody; she was much too
prim and practical to encourage any
proclivities for exaggerated sentiment
or enthusiasm of fancy.
ssAnd should wonder presently if
your wits have gone wandering" she
said in her clear and placid tones. II
am really inclined to doubt that you
saw anybody" /
'sAh! but I did, indeed. And there
she is again." he returned; lifting his
large soft hand with an admonitory
gesture toward a sunny gap in the
shadowy frs, ''Do you not see her
now? She has come-and again gone"
he concluded, so disappointedly that
the girl frowned again, and with the
least perceptible scorn.
II saw only an ordinary mortal
dressed rather elegantly in vanishing
effects of blue and yellow" she said,
in her quiet and uncompromising way.
81 fear you will be obliged to en-
Tighten me-" he remarked pleasantly.
II do not conceive what you mean by
vanishing effects in the clothes one
wears"
81 mean," she instructed him, the
frown changing to smile, "that the
fabric itself is shot and shaded with
different colors that brighten or fade
away in different lights. And" she
said, playfully, ''your mysterious ram
bier among the frs yonder seems not
unlike the colors she wears-she ap-
pears only to vanish and then appear
again. But I honestly believe, AL,
that her vanishing effects have be-
witched YOU"
He checked her playful raillery with
another gesture of his soft and shapely
hand. --. -. -......
'sThere she is again. he said, in a
sort of ecstatic whisper, ''did you ever
behold any human thing so fair?''
And she was fair indeed - this
strange stroller-with her perfect face,
her eyes of dazzling blue, her stately
and slender shape. Her golden hair
glittered and cleaned beneath an i'm
mense white hat as she stood there,
half in the shadow, half in the sun
shine; and in the shade and the light
her marvellous dress shimmered with
curiously heeting tints of azure and
amber, of jasper red and peacock
green. As yet she was not aware of
their proqinquity, and as she paused,
gazing down into the deep, glistening
lake, she slowly warbled:
81 would be a mermaid fair;
] would sing to myself the whole of the day;
With comb of pearl would comb my hair;
And still as 1 combed / would sing and say,
What is it loves me? who loves not me?"
AS she sung, Alfred Luray regarded
her with look so intent, so absorbed
and SO admiring, that the girl beside
him sighed unconsciously.
"Come, Al, let us CO." she said
coldly. 81 dare say we shall meet
her at the hotel, or somewhere about
Garnwold village. And I suppose I