Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-01-14
WAS ne A WOMAN Halter :?

-
some time; but remem Der, old fellow, [
am not down here for anything but a
holiday, and that implies fishing, row.
ing, tramping-not helping some girl
over the rocks; dancing, tennis and
daudling, even with your pretty cousin.
You know I left hirtations when 7 left
college"
Having thus delivered himself, Rob-
ert Warren waited for bis friend, Jack
Manning, to assure him for the twen-
tieth time that his cousin Lucia was a
girl of common sense; not a coquette,
but cultivated, Intelligent
Robert interrupted.
"Neither do I care to talk philoso-
ply, poetry, or the origin Of species
with an intellectual Boston maid"
Jack turned away to smile while Rob-
ert went on:
81 know them all. Girls can be
classed in two dlyisions-one all for
men, the other for something else, be-
cause they cannot get men,
"That's enough" interrupted Jack.
'Iucia will have plenty of attention
without demanding any of you" And
| the two young men strolled OFT the
veranda.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the OBJ
| ject Of these remarks was sitting behind
the closed blind Of window directly
! behind the young men, so she could not
help hearing what her cousin and his
friend had said.
Roberts sentiments were not new to
her; 80, instead of being annoyed, she
only smiled and her eyes shone with
sudden mischief.
Jack had talked with her about
Robert Warren since thew were chums
together at Harvard. She knew more
OF his record as an athlete and 81 society
man there than as scholar, though
since that his honOrs at German uni
versity were enough to satisfy any de-
mands, and his first year of practicing
Jaw was most brilliant.
She knew that since his graduation
from Harvard he had inherited for
tune that he had never dreamed would
be his, and that before this he had been
| more deeply in love with girl than he
would acknowledges she had thrown
/ him over for rich fellow and had al
ways regretted it.
| Lucia knew that Robert was hand
some (she had seen his picture) and
now she heard his deep, low, rich
|
! plotted for by many q matchmaking
mamma, as we'll as by willing daughters.
! This only made him draw more surely
| from society and devote himself to his
| law, his rod and his gun.
| Now it was August, and he had come to
spend month with his old chum, who
was with various relatives at one of the
large hotels On one ofthe loyeliest of the
Maine islands.
When Robert came in to dinner with
Jack, an hour later. he was surprised to
see that Lucia was SO young and SO
really beautiful.
He had made up his mind that he
should meet a tall, dark, self-possessed
society woman Of about a., while the
girl he now met was very fair, petite,
with fluffy yellow hair, child-like blue
eyes, dim pied cheeks and mischiev-
Gus, smiling mouth. She appeared
about IS; in fact she was %.
Robert felt little piqued that she did
not seem to notice him in the least, aft
er her cordial little bow, and II am
am very glad to meet you," but chatted
away in her merry way to a young TEL
low sitting next her.
Most young women would have
looked at himself, Robert reflected;
yet he tried to make himself think he
was very glad that this one would give
him so little trouble.
That night there was hop at the no.
tel, and as he came in from the piazza
he met Lucia as she came down stairs
with her mother and this same young
man whom he had seen at dinner, and
who had been presented to him as Mr..
Perkins.
Lucia was radiant. Her cheeks were
finished and her eyes were shining.
She was very simply dressed in white
tulle that hoated around her like a
cloud. She carried pink roses and Rob-
ert was aware of their faint perfume as
she passed him.
He turned to look after her. How
gracefully she walked. How charming
her neck rose from her shoulders and
how sunny was the beautiful hair.
Robert turned and walked back to
the corner of the piazza that he bad
Just left, and watched the dance. The
large dining-room had been cleared fer
the dance and few couples were cir
cling over the shining floor to the Hausic
of one of Strauss waltZes. The music
brought back memories of that last class
day dance, when he was WaltZing with
the girl that he thought he loved, but
who, thank fortune, he was we'll rid of
and who was now trying to win him
back.
He saw Lucia as she hoated by in
young Perkins arms. How different
was her face from the other ones
Bah. His life was not to be concerned
with any more pretty faces, no matter
how innocent and true they looked.
His dancing days were over, too. So he
flung away his cigar and went to his
room.
The next week was spent as he
wished. in rowing, fishing and canoeing.
Whenever he was at the hotel he saw
Lucia surrounded by admirers; but It
was Perkins who seemed to be favored
bv her smiles. She was cordial to Rob-
ert, but never seemed to take the
slightest interest in him.
One evening Robert walked to the
cliff about sunset for the beautiful sea
view. As he went take seat behind q