The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-05-15


those delicious afternoons, when stretched
myself out on the brown rocks with Bran
by my side, looking out on the bright,
quickly moving sea, or along the sun
burned coast to where lay Newport, mysti-
cal and suggestive, shimmering in the
hazy horizonl In spite of all Bran's at
fractions l longed at times to sail over to
that magic harbor and see for myself if
there were really yachts and drags and
magnificent heroes and gorgeous times, as
there were reported to be. AT Narragan-
sett there were two things to do-ssrock,
in the afternoon with Mr.. Boullter Cpl
azza" in the evening with Bran. The
beach, the studio, the lighthouse, the hops,
were as nothing in comparisons All, how
remember how we used to start out in
the cool sea breezel While we trudged
along the dusty road thought only of the
envy caused in every feminine breast by
my easy possession of this tall and graceful
creature swinging along beside me, with
his bronzed complexion and golden curls,
his beautiful coats and careless carriage,
but when we had passed the black and
dusty pier and had begun to tread the
crisp grasses and huckleberries I saw the
sweep of the horizon before me, and
thought only of Bran and romancel
At last his two weeks were up. pre-
pared myself for the parting and made up
my mind to draw the curtain upon the last
bit of poetry in my life-but, to my sur
prise, he did not go. At first I was in
clined to be little angry, and fapcied that
he would interfere with my designs on Mr.,
Charter, but on second thoughts I was
very glad he was still on the ground. For,
I reflected, if I make dead set at Mr..
Charter he will dodge me, but as he has
never taken the trouble to consider that
the Zeal private attitude of most girls
toward him must be that of indifference
he will be confused if I can make him
think that am repelling his advances If,
then, first make him believe that he Is
cutting out Mr.. Boullter and then am
cavalier with him he will be piqued, and it
will be easy enough for me to lead on. But
I must watch my chances carefully-in
vain is the net spread in the sight of any
birdI
My reasoning was quite just, and the
only flaw in my scheme was that Mr. Boull-
ter might see through it; but I comforted
myself by thinking that he would not take
the trouble to polder deeply over the rea-
sons which led me to smile on Mr.. Charter,
and that having had two weeks of me he
4atlAtaC4l was PlOhdOly pICpul lllS3 w NOI6ulH
some other divinity before my very eyes.
Before going any further must recount
an affair that ma1e me somewhat dissatis-
fed with myself In making a choice
among the young men of my acquaintance
had thought fos a moment of Mr.. Hall,
but had decided that his character was too
lofty and severe for me to be able to make
much of an impression on him. I had
come to regard him with mixture of awe,
liking and impotence. His conversation
was at times NOR, profoundly interesting
to me than that of any other man knew,
and other times . bored me horribly. He
was grave with out being at all gloomy,
and his manner and address always excited
nay greatest respect and admiration.
Possessed Of II large fortune, he had de-
voted himself 10 study, and had already
written law book that Lad been highly
praised. knew well thar at some future
day he would be very distinguished man,
and faint hqtter agitated my heart at the
Thought of being his wife; but did not
think myself at all up to his standard, and
possibly may also have shuddered at the
prospect of being too good. At any rate,
never attributed the decorous attentions
he paid me to anything but his feelings
concerning my father, about whom he
spoke to me several times; and though I
frequently got into very earnest discus
sions with him, and on more than one oc-
easion hnpelessly lost myself in the endeay-
or to comprehend his explanations of
modern theories and the philosophy of
history and such deep subjects II remem-
Der that he talked to me one whole even
ing about Hypatia, which had just been
reading, and though was desperately in