The Sunday morning news., 1891-11-29

N~~@'~'A- 49, N~~D t~~~'D-
For nine months of the year Lake
Sophia INDUCED in beauty sleep. Some
times, indeed, one of her summer visi-
tors would linger on into the early au-
tunn to catch from nature that drop OF
sentimental melancholy which crowns
the cup of happiness, and sometimes
sentimental sportsman would build
bonfire on its banks in winter with
view to teaching the guileless fish how
treacherous are the ways of men, but in
general the wild things of the woods
and waters had it all their own way
from September to June, while the de-
serted summer hotel stood like three
storied homily, in green and white paint,
on the vanity of human pursuits. But
when the ephemeral northern summer
flashed itself upon the lake it brought
gay parasols to astonish the roses, and
the hotel, now that at last it had an au-
dience, forgot to preach and betook it
self to entertaining.
Maurice Carne had managed to make
away pleasantly with few weeks there
one January. SO il default of anything
better to do he let himself drift back the
following August.
"Presto, changer he thought to him
self as he tried, on the evening of his
arrival, to renew his acquaintance with
the locality. s.Like her namesake, in
the old wears story, she only needed
new set of ribbons to turn her into
coquette."
Instead of the white solitudes, with
their secrets of rest, the groups common
to olakeside resorts were wandering about.
trying to do their duty by the sunset.
Here were children laden with flowers
already faded; young women brought
up on sentiment and young men trying
it for two weeks vacation time; busi-
ness men talking stocks and markets as
a relaxation from the unaccustomed
strain Of enjoying themselves; anxious
mothers secretly longing for the rest OF
home, with here and there some serene
soul enough at leisure from itself to re-
ceive the blessing of nature.
Carne wandered along bypath, not
ing all with careless eye till his uncon-
cern was suddenly scattered by the
familiar appearance of one Of the ap-
preaching figures. By his melancholy
visage it should be Mark Liddell, but by
his environment any one but he, recluse
that he was Could he be trying to en-
Joy himself after the fashion of ordinary
mortals? If so, the experiment could
hardly have been called successful, for
detection spoke from every fold of his
limp seersuclzer, and his hat dropped
over his eyes in an openly disconsolate
manner.
Carne caught his hand.
"Mark, old fellow, how did it happen?
How did you, of all people, come to lose
your way into this placer"
LidGell looked up with the air of one
too deeply sunk in woe to feel surprise.
'sOh, ! was here before these folks
came. didn't realize the dangers OF
the situation until it was too late and
they We're upon me. can blame no one
but myself"
''And you have been doing that very
effectually, ] should judge. Do you
know, when first saw you, | was wild
enough to fancy for a moment that you
had at last concluded to take some good
advice about coming out among human
beings and studying your raw material
before working it up into your books?
/ suppose was all at sea, eh?"
'.You certainly were if you thought
that would ever willingly or Willingly
put myself into a corner of the globe
where half hundred Of them could
crowd around me at once. They fairly
suffocate me.
81 hope you won't let the fact that
happen to belong to the human race
place any awkward restraint on the free
expression of your feelings. just go on
rs though | were not here" murmured
Carne reassuringly.
You are different. You are not so
aggressively alive as these jerky people,
.'Hum! You intend that as compli-
ment, so will try to be grateful, though
privately remembering the place to which
certain good intentions are preverbially
consigned. But some one is coming this
way--or some two, rather. Let me gen
tly suggest that we withdraw from the
enemy and seek solitary spot where
you can breath your woes and berate
humanity at u safe distance
But Liddell, with a sort of horified
fascination, was watching the self alb
sorbed loungers who approached, and
shook off the arm of his friend.
''They look like lovers, don't they?
he asked, with bated breath. "And
they will have to pass us. Go ON talk
Ing; say something, anything. and don't
mind if I don't listen. must hear what
they are saying, don't you understand?
His snnken eye was glowing with sup.
pressed excitement.
But the wary young people were water.
ing place graduates. with reserve stock
of subjects warranted strictly imper
Ional, to supply necessary breaks in con
Versafion.
'Do you admire Herbert Spencer
lsked she, as they came within earshot.
spencer? He is the evolution theory
nan. isn't he?'
rs he or Isn't hep she asked mock.
agly. ~
tOh, well, you know j don't pretend tc
eep up with you ON those things. II
MT fair for you to try to trip me.
They were out Of range by this time,