The Red Cloud chief., 1889-12-06

O or turned = deaf ear 10 her luncheon
bel.
A week later finds me making ready fol
the return voyage.
CHAPTER XIII.
We have been having an outing. Gladys
and /. We hare taken that little rur
up the Thames for which we were booked
some time.
GLADYS, having some friends in London,
and wishing TO see them also. We spent g
couple of DAYS there. From there we start
ed for the delightful country trip. II would
have been more TO my liking to have gone
in midsummer, but tie summer was past,
the opportunity had gone by. and the upper
Thames had been left until now.
No matter; we found ourselves at the
Great Western Paddington station q fine
morning, with l-unch-hamper in hand
GLADYS remembers the lunch item, nnothine
else, en- route for Taplow.
Away we roll OUT OF the big city AND
across the quiet peacefulness Of a beauti-
full stretch OF country. The fields. however,
We're unfortunately rather brown and bare,
II being too late in the season for field Gals
les or bright and blooming hedge rows. /;
seemed to me a kind OF solemn, quiet lonell.
ness pervaded the landscape. and / ceased
10 look from II! compartment and hut my
eyes TO the outside g!inpses Of the real
world. bUsy-ng myself in delvinC into the
impossible OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, ideal
world Of my Own.
An hours ride brought US 10 our destina-
ton by rail.
From MaiGenhead we were TO 20 by boat
TO Mariowe. There a friend meets Us, and
We go winding away across the country
again to Oxford-reuowned old Oxford
and from there 10 q little nook In the hills
miles further on; Gladys old home, you
know.
! do not know that ! nave time to tell you
OF ali the beautiful landscapes, wooded
parks, soft, hay meadow stretches, still
green and inviting. and the thousand other
lovely visions which will be green in mem
DRY for many q long day. But l wish to say
that our ride on the Thames from Maiden
head TO Ma-lowe was one round Of delight
fuI surprises and enjoyable diversion. There
are many picturesque scenes OF the banks
of this Old, much-sung, m~uch-painted river.
With its numerous LOCKS. weirs, lovely old
mills and ~hospitable inns, with its pic,ur-
eseue scenery Of wooded heights and hand
SOAAS S~o :
churches and country seats. .'olG Father
Thames" is remembered as a very genial
friend.
No wonder the artist raves: no wonder
the poet strikes his sweetest. grandesc num-
bers along his BANKS. No wonder, l say, no
wonder,
Oxford being on the flow OF the Thames
also, / regretted very much that we had
49,. Ia, -T--a - l1.- .. Sr.ba.. 49,. ,a,a-
SHY knows no compromise with inclination.
and Gladys must go by another route.
DAYS and days II would have taken US.
GLADYS said, 10 have gone Up the river to
Oxford. and of course il would. wnen we
windinCs Of the stream
Wei. l am sure l missed a great deal Of
beauty and loneliness, but il can not be
helped now. nor could il have been.
GLADYS old home nes,les IN a bright little
nook among the hills. and a beautiful little
country residence it is, situated on the
banks of the Thames. but not the great
river We left behind US at Mar.owe, or Ok
ford. for instance.
No: q quiet. silvery, Unpretentious flow
Just below the garden, where We stood and
watched birds OF migration pass over
heads in the gray of the evening light,
while the brisk breeze went By and sighed
itself to death among the hills.
The house Itself is also iv~y-wreathed-
every thing IS ivy-wreatheG. or ivy
crowned. il seems 10 me. in merrie old
E~ngland-as well as the more pretentious
~neiChooring residences; slow-eaveG, many
gabieG affair. with solid masonry and heavy
wooden shutters. a little. wooded park
and an ancGuated-lookins sUmuer-house q,
the back. where Gladys and I found rich
purple clusters hanging invitingiy along
the rattecs of a broken-dowu treIlis belong
ing thereto.
In the front q pretty, weu-kept garden.
where. doubtless, in summer the display Of
o.d-fashioued lower was something no.el
for An American TO behold. But IN the rem
nant Of its former glory / Dol but little
satisfaction, although the display Of great
ciumps of thrifty n,arigolds and crimson
beds OF late geraniums made it q warm.
rich-lookiag picture.
But the best part of the visit there to re
member, to my mind. was the warm vel
come we received from the m4tronly-look-
Ing English lady il charge
$50 glad to have you come" she saiG,
smoothing out her apron OF blue and white
checked linen and handing US each a chair
while she talked
In five minutes time I felt perfectly sat
home al Spring Brook, SC named from a
clear, gushing fountain bubbiing down over
mossy powders near the house.
Hi ham 50 wery busy hin the kitchen,
ladies'. ha16 Il you wouldn't mind TOTO
sit with NE there, WY. Hi could visit
with you to much better hacvansage." she
said. after q little, with q bride Of her head
and a SOFT Of a~pologzing smile.
Certainly we would sit with her there,
and forthwith we sat and enjoyed her 50
while she baked And finished to q
her bread and q coupse of spring