The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-09


! IT, she said, and the first smile she had
given me broke round her mouth. II can
eat all that myself"
And why n0t?" | answered.
What will you d0?'
ION, there Is the bread and some lettuce"
| said. That is quite enough. Besides. !
| can 20 on 10 SuIly and lunch there"
Il would have gone on there and not
troubled your generosity, but l have only
tw0pence in my pocket" she said. ''snd
should have spent penny In crossing"
please don't say troubled my gener-
osiv," | said.
"No, do not mean TO-" she said quickly.
81 think l would have stopped anyhow, for
your lunch looked very tempting. and it is
a mile or more on 10 Surly. You see
crossed at Monkey Island, and have been
put out ia the field gathering peoples, hopin 9
/ to recross somewhere here and it got later
than l thought | have two miles to walk
on the other side"
You must allow me to ferry you over
afterward." l said.
Thank you"
As she ate up my lunch l had the oppor-
| tunity OF looking at her more closely. She
recalled TO my mind IennysOn's Maud,
with her fun underlip and 1.-THE least little
curved aquiliUe curve in a sensitive nose"
She was dressed III the plain blue skirt and
fnll white blouse tied in at the waist with
band OF broad ribbon. She was tall. and
her figure was as beautiful as her face, and
TIE stately set of her head and the gra ce-
funess Of her slender neck most admird-
bic. am certain she wore no stays.
/ could not understand at all who she might
be. Her hands beied the notion that she
was an artists model, as / was half inclined
TO think her at first, so fae and delicate
! were they. ! had expected 10 be disap-
pointed there, but l had been prejudiced
perhaps by the coarse garden gloves. The
conclusion that came TO was that, being a
lady in the most dignihed sense Of the
word, she had been able to perceive some
traits of a gentleman about myself, and,
! having no need Of me, had seen no reason
TO conceal the fact. And as that was a very
| comfortable conclusion 10 arrive at. ! made
/ no attempt t. construct another, but rested
! satisfied with the good fortune that had be-
/ fallen me aud the absence of Mrs. Grundy,
| sensible old person though l am willing 70
| admit her to be.
After awhile l opened the bottle of ginger
! beer and poured the contents into the ium-
| bier for her.
Il will not be responsible for It, u laughed.
she put back the lock of brown hair that
was still moist with the dew OF her fore
head with her left hand and took the tnm-
bier in her right. and answered. laughing,
too, as she glanced gratefully al me:
Il must risk it, l am too hot to consider
possible effects"
She drank it off daintily in two or three
little gulps, and relieved me by saying il
was almost IS good as my cold lamb She
seemed to have a most excellent appetite, as
indeed | had expected from her healthy ap-
pearance, and | watched her with the great
| est delight.
You like Mrs. Browning. then?" she
asked suddenly.
Indeed do" said I.
And Lady Geraldine's C0urtship' par
ticularly."
particularly. That Is a favorite with
most people. Il is so captivalingly senti-
mental and romantic that we can overlook
| the mprobability OF the story"
what mpTObability ?"
/ admit form opinions on grounds which
| seem insufficient when demanded Of me
| with such suddenness. | hesitated.
PERHAPS you consider Lord Walter 5
| Wife imprOb ble?" she went on.
had DO hesitation now.
Yes" Her eyes dwelt on mine mo-
ment.
(which is improbable-the lady or the
man?"
"The lady" / ans wered
have never seen such a dignity OF mer-
rimeHt as her eyes displayed at my answer.
You are hard upon him." she said, "and
| perhaps, by implication, still harder upon
| her. No. that's not fair. But you must be-
lieve IN Lord Walters wife in future, or, at
least, only disbeieye n the man."
could not quite follow her; she thought
too fast for me. but | remembered what she
said afierward, and thought over It. and
fancy that | have appreciated what she
meant At any rate | have certainly be-
lieved in the lady. Clever laughed when |
told him so once, not an unkind laugh,
Ciewer's laugh is never unkind.
She had finished her lunch, my lnnch.
and sat for a little while looking across the
fields | do not think she minded my look
ing at her. in fact, am inclined to believe
that it was out Of consideration for me and
as sort Of rec0mpense that she stayed to
allow of my doing 30.
But she turned her head toward me pres
emily and said:
81 think | must ask you TO take me over
now" So | fetched my hamper and packed
up my things, gathered up her peoples and
put them in the bows of the Tandan, and
then, with an effort which disposed me to
estimate the subsistence of the Thames
since / landed as at least foot, forced the
boat ont on TO the water aud drew it in
sideways.
My Lady Geraldine stepped in lightly and
sat down on the cushions. / decided that
the stroke seat was the right place for me
| after all.
81 think see road coming down to the
river" l said. pointing fifty wards down
stream to the right bank. Shall l land
you theTe?"
IF you please"
proceeded to scul her along very care
| fully. | was anxious not to make an exhi-
| bition Of myself, and my rowing is apt to
| splash sometimes. In five minutes 1 had
| put her ashore without disaster.
| bound up the sheaf of peoples with the
| string from my hamper, having first col
lected them out If the bows. 1t was during
| this collection that she remarked that l
need not be so very careful over one or
two, and a slight smile fiickered round her
| mouth as she said SO. | have those odd
| peoples still, though | am not sure whether
| / received express permission to keep them.
She put the bundle under her left arm.
and her right hand into her pocket, and
| produced penny.
| my fare" she said, holding it ont In the
palm OF her glove.
| l hesitated a moment did not see why
she should be particular about paying for
| her feriyng over in coin of the realm, con-
| sidering that she had made no such return
| for her lunch. However | recollected thai
| nv cold lamb was worth more than the
| twOpence she possessed, and was glad OF 1t,
too. / took the penny; L have that penny
also still.
las for the rest" she said. 81 can only
thank you, and the best way to thank you
| is to take your kindness as a matter oil
course, isn't II"
This was a way Of looking at the matter
which took my fancy; it was so entirely
| right and kind and w0manly. Why do not
more women treat us SOP l bowed my
assent l had nothing to say Perhaps
| looked rather downcast at parting. If die
| / looked what | felt. She consOled me witt
| another compliment.