The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-04-23

ing of rides suggests a funny adventure I
had a week ago which may amuse You.
Did Aunty write that we met Captain
Prentice just before we left New York?
You remember him, of course. I had a
desperate Irritation with him at West Point
the summer before / was married. I had
not seen him since, but we renewed our old
acquaintance, and it was he who told us
about this delightful place. just before
leaving us he told me that he should write
to one of his best friends, a Mr.. Forbes,
who lived on his ranch, ten miles from the
hotel, to call upon me when I arrived at the
Park. Naturally I felt a flutter of delight
at the thought of knowing one of those
mythical ranchmen of whom we hear in
New York, and especially as Captain
Prentice told me he wa, an Englishman
and a Thoroughly good fellow. I confidently
expected each day after We were ,domi-
ciled here to receive . card from Mr.. John
Forbes, butnone came. Finally, becoming
impatient, I asked one of my fellow-so-
j%ourners, an awfully pretty Philadelphia
girl, if she Lar ever heard of him. Now,
my dear, I do not intend you and Jim to
be allowed to prophesy my speedy retreat
for 1 am perfectly absorbed in Aunt Mary
and my boys: and, besides, I came here to
escape tie sex. But 1 digress.
She had heard of him; her brother had
| dined at his ranch when he was here, but
| Mr.. Forbes was not his host. He was in
1 12ulO dlu pal OlhCi q ILL w ohA
was in command. OF course this led to a
| discussion of the ranch, which myipretty
girl tells me her brother raved over, and
then to a mention of Mr.. Wyndham. His
name is Brantly-did you ever hear any
| thing more swell-and the brother afore-
mentioned described him as the best of
| good fellowship dashed his sisters hopes
| by the cheering information that he was
never Known of his own free will to speak
to a woman. Naturally after that l gave
49, II - 4zs-- n4~ols 49,
devoted myself to the boys and learning to
leap a f~our-barred fence.
This my own dear sister, Is q descriptive
prologue. AS the curtain rises on the
comedy itself, picture a country road
mountains as a back-and seated on a
stump a woman dressed in a riding-habit
and gazing anxiously in every direction.
A %stanhope suddenly comes into view by a
turn on the road, and the solitary woman
leaps to her feet, prepared to attract the
attention of the driver: The signal is
made. The horses are stopped, and a de-
cidedly good-looking young man, arrayed
in a white-flannel suit and East India hat,
leaps to theg ground.
Young Man (removing hat)-"I fancy I
can be of some service to you by your look
of distress as I was passing"
Forlorn Female Every hot and red)-
"You are very good to interpret my signal
correctly. 1 foolishly started from the
hotel for q ride alone this morning.
marked d~isapproval expressed in young
mans eye-tand getting off my horse to
gather some flowers, he broke away from
me and left me as you see, at least six
miles from home"
Y. M.-"Certainly a shabby trick to serve
you, but if you will allow mi the pleasure,
1 am going to the hotel and will be most
happy to have you occupy the other seat
F. F.-"You are extremely kind, and
gladly accept"
Thereupon the young man assists the F.
F. into the cart, his face bearing a decided
be frigidly polite-nothing more. Desulto-
ry conversation on a side-the weather
touched upon-the beauties of tho Park
mentioned-then a long silence. Young
man gazing into space. Young woman
casting about in her mind how to find out
her protectors name. A sudden inspira-
tion! 1t must bet is-Brantly Wynd-
ham. The woman's name is HARDWOOD, and
she has been called good looking, but no
glance of admiration comes from her host.
No time is to be lost! They are reaching
the hotel! It is now OF never! She turns
and says: 81 wish to thank you for sc
kindly bringing me out of my dilemma.
think l was getting quite hopeless-so far
away and alone" Culver in voice. Young
man turns, evidently fearing hysterics'
of New York, and I should like to know the
nance of my rescuer.s
There, it's sheer nonsense for me to try
and keep up this farce! l beg leave to
drop all dramatic form. 1t was Mr.. Wynd-
ham, and he is the best looking man l ever
saw. He pulled himself together after my
little fnesse had wrung from him his name
and told me "that his friend Forbes, who
was abroad, had written him about me-
1t seems Mr.. Forbes had sent Captain Prem
tees letter, which followed him to Europe,
back to his partner asking him to take his
place in what it asked. Mr.. Wyndham
said that, being no lady's man, he had hes.
itated to call upon me in his friends stead,
but twas grateful for, this meeting,' etc.
etc. ALI bosh, because l knew he was
raging inwardly. We reached the hotel
and l asked him to pay me the visit now
This he declined to do, but would, with
Mrs. Harwood's permission, 'drive ovel
soon to further an acquaintance so charm
ingly begun" So he bowed himself away
and 1 never expected to see him more, fol
he looked anything but happy over the
situation. But the fates have determined
to bring us together. I was sitting
on the verandat this afternoon waiting fol-
the mail when he appeared before me. Oh
course he stopped and tried to %prevaricatt
without looking conscious. she was just
about to send me his card; would 1 not &C.
cept a call here?" 1 think I made quite 6
good impression, for, gauging my man,
used nc little feminine arts to attract him
was calm, dignified and collected. W.
discussed the West-Chinese Cord on-ant
finally his beloved mother country. III
told me that he was a Scotchman, and tina
his family lived at Inverness. While W,
were chatting Aunt Mary Joined us, anC
Mr.. Wyndham staid on until the stage
came in, bringing a friend, whom it seem!
he was expecting-when he left US and il
a moment bowled off toward his ranch il
as swell a %stanhope as graces Bellevue av
enue.
Here, sister mine, ends the first chapter
of as pretty a tale as l can write you from
Arcadia, and most probably you in thu
whirl of your Newport season will have N,
time to interest yourself in it. I nave sue
ceeded in covering a number of sheets witt
my nonsense, and my watch points to tn
mystic hour of midnight. With love to Jim
whose chief perfection in my eyes is hi
good taste-so beautifully displayed in tn
"~sister" he chose for mean with a hop
of soon being cheered with one of you
letters, l am your own ALICE.
THE Same to the Same.l
MY DEAR EDITH: 1t was so sweet in yo
to pretend to find such an interest in m
rambling letter! [ show my grateful ap
probation by answering yours at once.
do not lik to think how soon this Lowell
summer will lave ended, and my journe
back to civilization commence! But 1 d
long to see you and tell you all 1 can nc
write. And so I really excited in YOU
breast a wild desire to see Mr.. Wyndham
You would detest him, l know; and b
would disapprove you from your Langtr
bang to your Louis Quinze heels, so yo
can imagine how little 1 should love to h
the means of bringing you to
gether. l v grown to know hil
quite well and like him better every tim
we meet. He is so genuine, so honest an
frank, that he is like a new element in IN
life. Ny set of men at home are so detesta
, BILE, worldly and blase. Yes, 1 like hin
and yet l never get over my surprise ths
I l know him, he is so little of a woman
man. After that day on the veranda-c
which l wrote you, did 1 not?-we mt
several times casually, when one day, t
my surprise he asked me to drive over til
scene of our first meeting with HMM h
Garland that jaunt completely broke th
ice. So 1 lave driven with him, and riddle
} Mr.. Forbes horse, and spent one delightfl
day on his anch. o, that day! 1 give
sigh of happiness every time 1 think of i