Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-09-19
IN HOLIDAY HUMOR.

like enough to consent"-As Yos Liks n
ISIS my hat straight, Marian9"
81 should tilt 1t rather more forward II wore
you. That hats little too strong minded "a,
my taste Olivia"
"And the bow of my sash, is that straieh,
toog"
"You have grown very particular all of a sud.
den;" and Marian, pausing in the midst of he1
| own toilette fastened direct, rather meaning
gaze eyes on her sisters face. Oliyia's gray
eyes encountered the gaze steadily, almost de
family, but a faint blush sprang to her pale
| cheek.
| 81 don't know what you mean, Marian. she
said.
| 30, I wasn't meaning anything at all! But
| der if Mr.. sydney Tresidder likes cream-colored
| gowns and terra-cotta Liberty sashes?'
Olivia laughed in spite Of herself, bending a
| rather flushed face over her many. buttoned
be- be ready lad" at this rate. The steamer is almost
And a certain young man in tweed knick-
erbockers and straw hat has been walking
and down the Pension garden den for the last
| hberately adjusting each chestnut curl on her
| white forehead.
"You are very silly" said Olivia, but again
| she blushed and smiled as she spoke.
"Mr. Sydney Tresidder would be trifie fat
tered If he knew what roses the mere mention
| OF bis name could call into bloom" answered
Marian, still intent on the curls. Frailty, thy
name Is Liyy! But three months dead!'
|
| in Paper buildings who cannot afford to take
holidays In Switzerland?"
For a moment there was silence. Olivia
by the open window ..The-the person in Pa
per buildings has given up caring-if he ever
cared, She said and there was an odd sound in
She leaned on the window ledge when she
mad spoken, growing very intent on the pros
pect outside And, indeed, it was fair enough.
| Before her lay the lake, that fairest lake of
| the Four Cantons, wide, blue, sparkling in the
morning sunlight; directly opposite, Pilatus
| reared his hoary head and beyond, in the dim
distance, lowered the Yungfrau from among a
virgin company OF sister peaks.
| ats going to be awfully hot" said Marian
| very vOlubly, as she tied on her hat. 81 wish
| we'd gone somewhere up the mountains like
sensible people No persons in their senses
would think of establishing themselves on the
! shore of the lake in such weather. And an ex-
petition into Lucerns! the hottest place in the
| world except this
"How many of US are goinge" asked Olivia,
turning round again, and showing a rather
| grave face.
80, there will be the Tiesidders, of course
Nelly and Fanny and your Mr.. Sydney" Ma
| rian answered." and Mr.. Collett Chat makes
| four, and Tom Leigh and Miss Meldrum. She
Is the chaperon. mamma says, but We are not 30
| let her know it,"
n Poor Miss Meldrum p said Olivia softly.
The Pension SOnnenthal was assembled in a
body on the shore of the lake when the two girls
came down the wooden steps: Olivia tall and
Messrs. Liberty's and the hat that was a little
strong-minded;" Marian, brght-eyed, light
footed, faultlessy got up as was her wont.
I'VE thought you were never coming, Miss
LongcrOft," cried blue-eyed young man in
nanneis, stepping out from the little group of
Poop towards which the girls were making
Ing and laughter, and cOngratulatory remarks
on the weather. Tom Leigh of the blue ewes
and hannelS fitted about among the ladies
with knots of Alpenveilchen and Alpenrosen
Miss Meldrum, in a highly starched gown and
shady hat, smiled upon the little company,
TO which, all unwilling, she was to play pro-
priety. Miss Meldrums smiles were by no
means perennial; sometimes, indeed, she was a
little moody, little sour perhaps, virginity
at forty is apt alas! to be- but to-day she smiled
A tall young man. brOwn-eyed, brown-skinned,
wearing tweed knickerbockers and straw hat,
stood by Olivia LOngcrOft'S side with an air of
supreme contentment on his good-lOOking face.
And | may here take occasion to remark that
not only the lawn of Pension SOnnenthal, but
on the steamer, when they had taken their
places later on, the brown tweed suit and straw
hat contrved somehow or other to obtain
close proximity to the cream-coored gown and
terra Gotta sash.
Here We go! cried Tom Leigh, as the steamer
made off from the landing place.
The young people were in high spirits; they
scampered from one end OF the boat to the other;
they bought fruit of the dull eyed peaSants;they
made great many jokes about nothing at all.
Caroline Meidrum, establishing herself as
though by instinct one of the corner
corners and third plaeeso IookeS q" or,
rather gIumly at the antics of her
companions. The sun danced and sparkled on
and green against the bright blue sky; couple
OF Italians were playing violins, thrilling out
pretty shapeless songs in their bird-like voices
as they played. Olivia LOngcrOft lay back in
the chair which sydney Tresidder had brought
her, and smiled up at him with a face from
which all traces OF its early gravity had COM
pletely vanished.
"Isn't ii lovelyr she said.
"fes, L think so; perhaps it's ali rather too
much like "a lithograph, but I'm not very criti-
cal to-day, and the brown tweed suit stretched
Itself along the canvas chair, SO that the straw
bat was on level with the cream colored
gown.
1T spoils everything to criticise it, think"
said Olivia, looking down at the brown ewes
lifted towards her.
This from a modern young lady who has
been to Girton. The Millennium approaches!
not forget for today that we are pampered
children OF an effete civilization. We will
play that Mr.. Ruskin is myth and Mr.. Pater
a nightmare
And We will admire everything, even to
that good ladyS apparel" answered Olivia
ant woman hard by, and thence to the eyes
again.
Tresidder looked across at the woman and
excruciating plaid, and velvet bodice adorned
with eolored beads huge umbrella and flap
ping nat with rose coiored streamers completed
this tasteful costume.
The boat pulled and padded its way along the
winnings OF the lake, till by and by the houses
OF Lucerne-Lucerne the city of the lamps Eu-
cerne the home of perpetual holiday-could be
Qiscerned cleaning white against the pinecfad
mus: anu very soon our merry band of
deck OF the steamer for the no less sunny streets
OF the festive little town. They wandered up
and down the parade; they stood TO watch the
people arriving at the SchweiZerhOf; they ling
cred ON the old bridges and inspected the CAV
little shops. Tresidder whose unOttrusive
maintenance of desired proximity was mar
vel OF skill) expended small fortune on the
lurchass Of wooden bears and Thorwaldsen
lions. Inc young man was in the widest
SPIRITS; his sisters regarded him with some
alarm and protested against his extravaganza
Miss MeldrumS smiles had subsidized by now:
nd firaH -.
luncheon. She wondered what was the fun of
IL all that the young people should be so
nightly pleased. 1t seemed dull and stupid
enough.
They lunched in a shady garden affordine a
distant glimpse OF the lake; there were coffee
of scarlet mountain Strawberries. Tresidder sat
opposite Olivia, smiling aimlessly throughout
the meal am aware that in books when two
young people are interested in one another
they are given TO exchange glances long and in.
tense, or swift and fraught with tragic mean
.aught me that recurrent and meaningless
smile, far OFT indeed from the immortal smile to
Tito and ROmOla, is, under the circumstances q
lAr more frequent phenomenon. 1t is q sad
thing 10 nave TO record OF ones hero but must
confess that Sydney Tresidder persistently
con. He grinned vaguely when he handed
Miss L0ngcroft her portion Of osnelette; he
smiled fatUously when he asked her for the salt,
over olivia face, too, the ripples and sparkles
played ceaseiessly. For these silly smiles are
SO remarkably catching. even when you are
twenty-five and nave been to GirtOn.
Is there some joke between you two?" cried
Miss Meldrum sharply.
Poor Caroline, into the muddy depths of
whose small eyes nobody had ever cared to