Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1886-01-06
SOL."---A PROBLEM.
CHAPTER ILLUMINATION.


line notion, the world over, that the
female intellect is incapable of solving
a problem, save of the simplest order.
The question in Mr.. Haines Leaven-
worth mind, on a certain lovely Sum-
mer afternoon. was as to the possibility
of Miss Ida Northrup's solving the
problem of existence without himself
as chief factor.
1t was very evident that the young
lady had made up her mind on that
point. With partly sympathetic,
partly inexorable. facial expression,
she industrious]y drew the threads of
an openwork linen "tidy," as size
rocked lightly back and forth, on the
porch of an old-fashioned farmhouse
whose owners did not object to city
boarders as source of revenue.
Mr.. Haines Leavenworth stood by
wooden pillar, in the act of taking
leave "a very long, drawnout process.
in this instancc). and pulled nervously
at the clusters of honeysnckle. while
his eyes rested with bewildered, re-
proachful expression on the smoothly
braided brown hair, dark gray eyes,
and symmetrical features of the lady
before him.
IL trust you will never have &C.
casion to regret your decision," he
stammered, growing red and pale by
turns, and suddenly becoming con-
scious' that he had said hopelessly
idiotic thing.
Miss Nor,hrup's handsome eyebrows
showed an infinitesimal degree of ele-
walton as she dextrously tied some
knots in tho fringe of her tidy. Haines
Leavenworth was rich. His father was
a Judge, his mothers grandmother had
been Knickerbocker; what more
could any sensible girl require?
If Miss Northrup chose to put that
Interpretation on his confused words,
it was useless to explain. He pressed
his hat down over his crimsoned fore
head, put out his cold, trembling hand.
an with the faint touch of the lady's
rosy tingcr-tips to bear him impalpable
companionsh'p on 1.-THE arid pathway
of his FUTURE as he insisted on calling
it, he passed ont, of Eden.
Miss Nor,hrup watched his retreat
ing figure with curious emotions. She
felt sorry for ''the arid pathway of his
futures as far as it went, feeling NOR
tally sure that some new divinity would
in time cause it to rejoice and blossom.
For a possible judicial father-in-law.
and KnickerbOcker mamma, she suf
fered no tleeting pangs of regret. As
to money, she had enough for her own
moderate desires. Still he had been
an agreeable, tlavoring element in her
summer; he had relieved loneliness.
and brought the latest magazines It"
the intellectually barren farmhouse.
had given her pleasant moonlight rides
on the lovely little river; in short. he
had behaved like q perfect gentleman.
But he had touched no deep chord,
aroused no passion, Was she to blame
that he had misconst,ued her gratitude.
her natural pleasure in his refined,
courteous ways.
Oh, dear! 1t was all vexing. per-
picking muddle! Miss Ida breathed
i little half-guilty sigh, folded her
work, and went into the house, leaving
the light rocking-chair to sway back
and forth of its own sweet will. until
the natural forces (gravitation, retard-
ed velocity, and whatever others were
involved) should bring tito a state of
rest.
| CHAPTER II.-SUBSTITUTION.
Miss Northrup tied on her wide shade
hat, and sauntered along the country
road, sketching book in hand, in the
direction opposite to that which her re-
jected sutton had taken. She was not
entirely satisfied with herself. and
wanted to do little ''siucere' work as
an offset. An artist-friend had once
told her good-naturedly that her
sketches showed s'power. He did
not tell her that the power was too
thick in some places and too thin in
others. She seated herself on the mos
sy roots of an old tree (artists usually
do seat themselves on the roots of old
trees when they do sketch in the coun-
try). and cast about her for q subject
worthy of her pencil. A ruinous old
cabin, not fit for adwelling. caught her
fancy, and she had succeeded in trac-
ing its outlines with fair degree of
accuracy, when childish scream
startled her, and q beautiful little child,
about four years old. IA, ont of the
doorway. and almost into Miss North
rup's arms. Her pretty blue eyes wer.
red with weeping. her silken. corn col
lored cnrls tangled, and her face stained
with dirt and tears. a ragged gingham