Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-04-17
FIFTY CENTS A TICKET. .

She was spreading towels and
table-cloths on the crisp, short grass
to bleach, when he saw her 6rst-s
slim, Dians-like young creature, with
large, limpid eyes, a brown skin MOI
entirely innocent of freckles and Q
mass of ietty shining hair, which had
broken loose from its coarse horn
comb and fell in black ripples
down her back. There was little
brook twining its transparent sparkles
around the gnarled roots of an ancient
tree, and "a back. ground of black green
laurel, which with the sun bathsd
meadow in front, made sort of rus.
tic picture that struck Paul Gessner's
artistic fancy as he crossed the wooden
bridge.
i should like to sketch her., he
thought to himself. i wonder, now,
what she would say to itP
But before he could get his pencil
and mail board out the young Diana
had poised her empty basket lightly on
her head and was gone.
'Pm sorry for that, soberly pom
dered Gessner. She had brllliant
Charlotte Corday sort of face that
would have stood the test of perpetua-
tion on paper!'
And then Mr.. Gessner went into the
inn and set himself to work to elabor-
ate the notes of his lecture on The
Literature of Queen Anne's Time,
which was to be delivered the next
evening at the village hall.
There were plenty of people at the
inn. Brookbridge was wild. sylvan
sort of place, which attracted people
IN the summer season. Every farm.
house and cottage in the vicinity was
crowded, and a lecture was something
to stir the stagnation of their every
day life. Moreover, Paul Gessner had
a reputation of scholarly polish
and graceful wit which had reached
even to Brookbridge. In our
New England villages the cooks are
often aesthetic, and the hired men
critics, and everybody was talking OF
the lecture.
Cant I go? said Natty Purple.
'Oh, wish I could got
The towels and table.cloths were all
blesched whittier than snow, between
the daisied grass and the July sun
shine, and Natty was sprinkllng and
folding them now, with quick, defi
fingers, in an Obscure corner OF the
kitchen.
you go, indeedr said Miss Carry
Podham, who condescened, to wait al
table during the crowded season
you've too much to do in the kitchen,
and besides the tickets are fifty cents
eachl'
Natty Purple sighed dolorously
Fifty cents!' she repeated. ooh,
then of course its out of the question:
For Natty's slender wages were all
of them expended in the support of a
good -for-nothing old grandsire who,
when he was not drinking a great
deal too much whisky, was suffering
unheard-of agonies with the rheuma.
tism. She never wore anything but
calico, and drudged away in the inn
kitchen like modern Cinderella,
without any Of the eclat which, in an.
cient story, appertained to that young
person.
But later in the evening the head
stable man looked into the kitchen
where Cinderella was darning q
we'll worn table-napkin and Mrs.
Podham was preparing brook trout
for breakfast for the morrow's early
travellers.
Where's Jim2 said the head stable
man.
Gone OUT said Mrs. Podham
curtly.
4 want someone to row one Of the
boarders out on the lake, said the
stableman.
Hes picture painter, guess. He
wants moonlight effects, he says, with
q chuckle.)
I'D q deal ruther hev feather -pil.
low effects myself. Then where is
Dick2
Dick never's on hand when he's
wanted Mrs. Podham replied. i
haven't seen him since supper
Then he'll lose q so cent iob,' said
the stableman. We'll, I s'pose / car
hunt up some one somewhere.
Fifty centsl' cried Matte Purple,
springing to her feet. I'll go, Thomas
I'm handy with the oars, and I'm just
perishing for breath of cool air frop,
the water.
Them napkins isn't mended,
croaked Mrs. Podham, disouraging.
I'll finish EN- when / come back,
said Natty coaxingly. do let me go,
just oncel'
So that when Mr.. Gessner came out
to the edge Of the lake with his pictur,
esque Spanish cloak thrown across one
shoulder, and his sketching apparatus
under his arm, Matte Purple sat in the
boat ready to row him whether he
would GO.
tHellol' said Paul. why, you're a
girlp