The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-08-29

Manchester laughed to himself at
the way the elements dared to triie
with her grace. A little refrain burst
out in his head
81 should call her-I should name her,
Hamadryad Of the-Caouchouc!
1t was inglorious a, to rhyme OF
measure, but utilitarian as TO quality,
as befitted commercial man.
Now he put forth his muscle. He
left off walking-he strobe. She was
tapping along the beach in advance
with streaming blue veil out for a
penuon. But she did keep her feet ad-
mirably. Dina couldn't have done
better if she had been forced into pet
ticoats.
Still he gained upon her sensibly.
He found superabundant zest in some
thing. Ozonei Lung expansion Or
was it the tantalizing, never-twice.
alike woman who eluded while she led
the woman with "less commen sense
than any he had ever known!"
Test there was at any rate, that
brought ruddy color to his face clear
ed away the discomfort of the morning
from his spirits.
He had quite overtaken her before
she knew of the pursuit.
'Let me carry that umbrella" he
said, without preface.
eff you please-it holds several
pounds Of water and l am tired Of it. y
81 did not start till the rain was
over" an accent of self-righteous com.
plaisance on the personal pronoun.
81 was out just in time for the final
dash" and she delivered over to him
her water-soaked burden.
He shook it out, refolded it, twisted
it into as close compass as possible,
buttoned it, and then used it as cane.
"Is this the way to Board-of- Trade
Glen 2 she asked with mischevious
glance.
"Quite the opposite-entirely oppo-
site. But-shall we 60 there p halt
ing and half eager TO carry out his first
purpose.
go, no. think l prefer the open
beach. 1t would be like a stroll under
a street sprinkler to walk in the woods
now
"How is the headache, Miss Shep-
?" moving along gravely after
this rebuff.
A sudden expression swept over her
face that looked to him like guilt. He
directly felt suspicion, half angry,
half helpless, that he had been put off
all day from seeing her by mere
hackneyed plea "a sort of feminine
professional escape.
Before she could answer, he added :
90, it has served its purpose, probably,
and died, like any other ephemera'
TO have him grabbed usually amused
Miss Shepherd to have him ironical
froze her into Indifference but this
direct assumption that she had been
shamming gave her an unwonted
sense of pain.
The truth was, she had walked in
the morning with the headache, and
had sent him a message to that effect
when he desired to see her at an un-
reasonably early hour. But it passed
off, and she had quite forgotten that ii
ever had been.
"Do you think headache part of
my stock in trade ?" she asked with
high color.
"Oh, no; forgive me; of course l
don't. If did think that it would be
to class you with all other women in
that particular. And in no other par
ticular are you like any other woman"
That was making amends with a
vengeance. Silence followed III e
speech.
'1sn't this too much effort for you,
Miss Shepherd-this battle with the
wind'' after a pause.
"Oh, no; like it,
"But if you were to take my arm /
am sure il would steady you until we
get in the lee of that wood, then it will
be easier"
81 do very we'll alone, thank you"
"Hm.m!'
SIS this favorite promenade, Miss
Sheppard ? should think it might be
fine exercise to walk here when the
sand is deep and dry. 1t must come
over ones shoe tops, and is as unsta-
BILE as-a womans temper"
sis that your strongest simile, Mr..
Manchester I"
81 do not think of anything at pres
ent that could strengthen it,
81 do walk here frequently. Now
and then / meet stray Indian woman.
You have noticed the grace of these
squaws? 1t comes from their prefer
ence for the sand as a promenade. But
they generally carry basket of fish or
a pappoose on their shoulders to effect
a proper balance"
''They are hideous. They don't
walk-they plow.'
'Try the beach some dry day your.
self, MIR. Manchester, and see how easy
it is to be graceful.
at is is easy now, at least" be said,
significantly glancing at her, really
brimming over with compliment and
anxious TO get below the tart crust of
her mood into the lurking places of
ner sWeeter humor.
She ignored him.
She halted now, tracing the faint
regions in the sand, where each out
going wave left the record of its jour
ney.
"They are all aspiring" she said.
"But one washes out the trace OF the
other with just as little mercy as men
show to the work of their fellow-men. "
"If the shore lines were always the
same this fresh, buoyant lake would be
a stagnant pool. We should all die of
1t. Better the stirring and rubbing
out than the standing still. Aren't the
new wave marks as graceful as the
old?"
"Perhaps,"
This half-satirical sparring was one
of their customs. She seemed special
ly to delight in it. He was always
glancing off into personalities-her
peSonality-but she liked to reflect,
and TO say perverse things.
Just then a longer-reaching swash
came boldly up and crawled all about