Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-07-17
CHAPTER XVII.
A FURTHER DISCOVERY.


forward in the general race of the world
should add new interest and fascination,
in his eyes, to the society of the American
father and daughter who had wandered
into these distant wilds. And perhaps,
after all, he had been merely wasting his
time 9-and throwing away his life That
solitary, contented, healthy and happy ex-
istence was mistake-an idle dream--an
anachronism evenS The common way of
the world was right and that, as he
heard of it in the echoes brought by these
strangers from without, was all a pushing
and striving and making the most of op-
portunities, until the end was reached
independence and ease and wealth the
power of choosing this or that continent
for residence the radiant happiness and
glow of success And then it all seemed
so easy and practicable when he heard
. these two talking about their friends and
the fortunes they had made; and it
seemed still more easy-and a far more de-
srable and beautiful thing-when it was
Miss Carry herself who was speaking she
seated alone in the stern of the boat, her
eyes-that had kind of surface darkness
and softness, like blackberries wet with
rain-helping out her speech, and betray
ing an open friendliness, and even confer
ring charm on her descriptions of that
far off pork-producing city of the
west. Mr.. Hodson as he sat upright in his
easy chair before the fire, spoke slowly and
thusiasm; Miss Carry, in the stern of the
coble, her face all lit up with the blowing
winds and the sunlight, talked with far
greater vivacity, and was obviously deep
ly interested in the future of her cOmpan
ion. And it had come to this now, that
as she sat opposite him, he quite natural
ly and habitually regarded her eyes, as
experimenting her meaning: he no longer
rather shrank from the directness OF her
look; he no longer wished that she would
sit the other way, and attend to the tops
of the salmon rods. As for their speech
together, the exceeding fraukness of it
and lack of conventionalty arose from
one or two causes. but no doubt partly
from this-that during their various ad-
ventures on the loch there was no time
for the observance of studied forms. 1t
was = do this and " do that, " ON his part
sometimes with even a sharp word of
monition; and with her it was - Will that
do, Ronald?" or again, when she was
standing up in fell encounter with her
unseen enemy, both hands engaged with
the rod; " Ronald, tie my cap down, or
the wind will blow it away. No, no, the
other strings underneath"
And indeed, on the morning after the
evening on which they had been urging
him to make career for himself there
was not much chance of any calm discus
sion on that subject. The proceedings of
the day opened in remarkably lively
manner. For one thing, the wind had
backed still further during the night, a d
was now blowing briskly from the north;
bringing with it from time TO time smart
snow showers that blackened the heavens
and earth for few minutes and then
sped on, leaving the peaks and shoulders
and even the lower spurs of the hills all a
cleaning white in the wintry sunlight.
Salmon-tishing in a snow-storm-w
declare said she, as she stood on the
shore of the lake, watching him putting
the rods together.
The very best time" said he. in his
positive way for he had assumed a kind
of authority over her whereas with
Meenie he was always reserved and dis
tant and timdly gentle. None better.
| would Just like to find a foot of snow on
the ground right down to the edge of the
loch; and the nakes falling so thick We
couldna see dozen yards ahead of ye."
" Do you know where | should be them"
she retorted. II should be warming my
toes in front of Mrs. Murray's peat fire. "
" Not one BIT said he Just as positive
ly. If We heard the salmon were taking.
ye'd be down here fast enough, I'm think
ing. And I'm no sure but that this Will
make good day, too, just as it is.
would like fine to get fish before the
others come down."
For there was no doubt certain harm
less rivalry had sprung up between the
two boats-at least b. tween the two crews
the professional gillies looking on Ron
aid as something of an amateur. and he,
on his side. pretty confident that his
knowledge of enticng lures, and also of
the shadows and banks and rocks OF the
loch, would eventually place Miss liodson
ahead of her father AT present they
were equal.
- don't think it is fair" said she.
We should wait for them: my father
had not so many letters to write, surely"
" Wen try for the fish first, and settle
that after said he, as he put the rods in
the stern of the boat, and arranged every
thing for her comfort.
And presently it seemed as if this early
start of theirs was to- be rewarded, for
scarcely were both lines out and Miss
Carry was Just setting herself down for "A
little quiet talk, and was pulling the collar
of her ulster higher over her ears for the
wind was somewhat cold, when a sudden
tugging and straning OF one of the rods,
followed by a sharp scream of the reel,
upset all these little plans. She made
dash at the rod, and raised it quickly I;
Ronald got hold of the other one, and
gayly he laughed as he Ieeled in the
line.
Quick work ''he cried at would be
just glorious, now, if we had fish to
show them when they come down p
" wish the beast wouldn't come so
near the boat" said she, working at the
reel with all the power of her wrist, and
even then scarcely able to keep a proper
strain ON the salmon, that seemed to be
coming closer and closer, with neither
spring nor rush nor sulking
Wellput away from him directly"
Ronald said for he was still engaged in
getting in the line of the second rod
Pull away, johnnie lad; pull away,
man ~
And then, as quickly as he could, he put
the rod down, and got hold of his oar
again. But what was this dreadful thing
that happened-all in one wild and frantic