The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1890-12-12
FIFTY CENTS A TICKET


bleach when he saw her firstSa slim.
Jaana-iike young creature, with large.
nmpld eyes, brown skin not entirely
innocent of freckles and mass of ietty
shining hair. which had broken loose
nom Its coarse horn comb and fell in
xak-black ripples down her back.
There was a little brook twinine its
transparent sparkles around the
gnarled roots of an ancient tree. and n
background of blaek-oreen laurel.
which with the sun-bathed meadow in
front. made sort of rustic picture
that struck Paul Gessner's artistic fancy
as he crossed the wooden bridge.
should ike to sketch her. he
tnougnt TO himself. Il wonder, now,
what she would say to itr'
But before he could get his pencil
and mill-boards out the Young Diana
had poised her empty basket liebtly an
her head and was gone
I'm sorry for that, . sobefly nom
dered Gessner. She had a brilliant
Charlotte Corday sort of a face that
would have stood the test of perpetua-
tion on paper!'a
And then Mr.. Gessner Went into the
inn and set himself at work to eIabor-
ate the notes of his lecture on aThe
Literature of Queen Anne's Time. .
which was to be delivered the next eye-
ming at the village hall
There were plenty of people at the
inn. Brookbridge was a wild, sylvan
sort Of place, which attracted people in
the summer season. Every farmhouse
and cottage IN the vicinity was crowd
ed. and a lecture was something TO
stir the stagnation of their everyday
life. Moreover, Paul Gessner had a
reputation for scholarly polish and
graceful wit which had reached even
to Brookbridge. In our New Enorland
villages the cooks are often aesthetic.
and the hired men critics, and eyery-
-bedy was talking Of the lecture.
Can't go?1 said Nattv Purple.
oh, / wish / could gors
1he towels and table-cloths were all
bleaehed winter than snow. between
the daisIed grass and the july sun-
shine, and Natty was sprinkling aud
folding them now. with quick. deft
fingers, in an obscure corner of the
Kitchen
You GO indeed.' said Miss Carry |
Podhan. who condeseended. to wait at
table during the crowded season.
You've TOO much TO do in the kitchen.
and besides the tickets are fifty cents |
each!
Natty Purple sighed C1olorously.
FIFTY centsin she repeated. .sOh. /
then OF course its out of the auestionr' |
For Natty 5 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 un-
neard-of agonies with the rheumatism.
She never wore anything but calico.
ft1-1irI s1 -.
like modern Cinderella, without anv
of the eelat which. in ancient story. an
pertained to that young person.
But later IN the evening the head
Statesman looked into the kitchen.
where Cinderella was darning a we'll
worn table-napkin and Mrs. Podham
was preparing brook trout for a break
last Tor the morrow 5 early travellers.
Where's Jim?' said the head stable
man.
Gone out said Mrs. Podham,
eurtly
Il want some one to row one of the
boarders out on the lake. . said the
stableman
Hes pieter-painter. I guess. He
wants moonlight effects. he says with
chuekle.)
I'D a deal ruther hev feather-pil-
low effects myself. Then where is
Dick?'
Dick neyer's on hand when he's
wanted" Mrs. Podham replied. II
haven't seen him since supper
Then he'll lose a so cent lob" said
the stableman. "Well, I s'pose I can
hunt up some 0ae somewhere
Fifty cents!" cried Natty Purple.
springing to her feet. IN go, Thomasi
I'm handy with the oars, and I'm lust
perishing for breath of cool air from
the water
Them napkins isn't mended.m n
croaked Mrs. Podham, discourae1ne.
III finish 'em when I come back
said Natty. coaxingly. DO let me go,
just once!''
So that when Mr.. Gessner came out
to the edge of the lake with his pietur-
esque Spanish cloak thrown across one
shoulder, and his sketehing apparatus
Ilader his arm, Matte Purple sat in the
boat ready to row him whether he
Hello" said Paul. .why. you're
. girll''
Yes. I'm a girl, . apologeticalIyc con.
fessed Natty. But I'm a good hand
to row, and know all about the lake.
can take you straight to Echo Cove, /,
where the water-lilies grow thickest,
and past the Old Indian rock, and
Agreed" said Paul, good-humor-
idly. But was there no man about !
he place to undertake this disagreeable
oDP'' {
oh, it isn't disagreeable,'' said I
Natty, earnestly. Il like to row! And,
besides, ! do SO much want to earn so
,entsi''
DO youP" said Paul. as the little
eoat. propelled by Natty's sBillful
akes, vanished into the deep shadow
oyerhanging birches that fringed
ely tides. May venture to ask
said Natty. Its no
snt to go to the lecture to-
uiled to himself in the
sat there like )
-ill be very in
Satty. "of
~ heardP 4
,ture on q
me-
and v