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

Il was the middle of the second week after
Henley" This Is how my friend Clewer
would TX the date, l am sure. I am not a
3CaIng man myself, 50 perhaps ought to
explain how I came to be in solitary pos
session Of a randan that Wednesday in the
after part Of July. Clever wanted Il down
at Datehet Gu the Saturday following, and
was too busy to fetch it down himself
Would I 90 10 Henley and fetch it for him ?
] bad nothing TO dO-so Clever said. l
might take all the week over It If l chose,
SO long as I reached Datchet by the follow
ing Friday night I decided that I ought
70 be able to manage tie distance In
somewhat less than that, and in fact l
reached Monkey Island by the middle Of
he second day of my b!istering journey.
TIE sun had blazed upon me foE a day
and q half, and l had thoroughly enjoyed
myself, and had not broken anything as yet
OF scTaped the varnish off the randan very
much either, which l considered to my
credit. taking Into account the fact that l
bad been absolutely unguded in every sort
Of way. and had not yet made up my mind
whether / ought to sit On the stroke seat or
the middle one. It lad not occurred 10 NE
TO ask Clever about this previously, and l
did not Ike 20 ask any one else,
Monkey Island aid not attract me. II had
an of-dayish and lonesome look, and
though 1 Ike solitude. solitude in places
which are usually througed is oppressive.
l thought l should prefer going on bit
and eating my own cold lamb and salad
out Of my own hanper But / bought some
bread and a couple Of bottles Of ginger
beer. snd paid for the bottles for reasons
which were uuanswerable.
Lover down, however, the banks became
comuarativeiy uninteresting. On the tow
b G de u "a V f7al
beyond, dusty and uninyitInE, and on the
other more fields, apparently private prop
eTty, which l was unwilling to desecrate l
elected the tOwpath side after some DELHI
GRAFTON, for Ike the sun. even In the mid
die Of q blazing JAY day. ! have noticed
that this liking i common 70 LondOBers. l
landed my hamper with great precautiOn,
drew the raDdan half out OF water with all
the care ard cOnscientlOuSness which my
mex erieuce and the respect which l bore
toward It and Clever demanded, and then
spread a napkin on the grass and nut my
lamb on a plate In the middle and the salad
Oh another at the side. with the bread and 2
glass and knife and fork at pTOpOrtiOnate
distances. Then l put all the paper back
into the hamper-I dislike paper around al
a picnic-dpped my handkerchief into the
water and wrapped II round one Of the
giager-beer bottles 10 keep it cool, and re-
garded everything with calm satisfaction.
As | said am fond Of solitude and sun,
and | was having as much of both as Is pos
sibe 10 a man on the River Thames. So
sat down aud said what / hope was an ap-
pr0priate grace, remembering what Ella has
written on the subject, and paused TO give a
look round before l began. | never ate any
of that lunch.
For on the towpath. coming toward me.
my eyes caught a vision OF a blue skirt sur
mounted by an enormous sneaf OF red pup
pies, clasl ed in front by two coaTsely glOved
hands over the peoples | had glimpse.
of broad brimmed straw hat, but they hid
the face beneath, ana their possessOr had
almost passed me before her eyes met mine.
do not know whether l ever want TO see
that face again. Clever says | do, and, as
Ii was tie most remarkably beautiful face
/ have ever seen, l suppose he is right; bat
| could argue TO the contrary. Tile face
was hot and flushed, and as she turned it
toward me l noticed two little lines Of per-
sniration trickling down from her temples
to her cheeks. The beads had also gath
cred on her upper lip. which was pTettily
parted from the lower by the strain Of her
awkward burden.
She did not see MY admiration for a mo-
ment, and then her eyes flashed down upon
n ne. calm and gray and unfathOmsble,
and mine dropped on to the cold lamb
directly and then rose again to her dusty
shoes was sitting On the grass just be-
low the t0wp8th.
8 She Fpassed me and went on for ten or
fifteen yards and then paused. She seemed
to be delbeTaung. Then she came back
and threw the bundle Of peoples down
beside me as l rose. My hat was in the
boat, 20 all / could do was to stand by. She
did not speak at once, but regarded my
lunch and then myself. The combination
apparently pleased her; at all events / do
not think her satisfaction was attributable
10 t6e cold lamb alone; and Clever allows
that l am not vain man, especially when
in the ueighDOThOOd of the river.
If am so hot aud hungry" she said quiet
F. ~. without a trace of affectation or confu-
sion. What will do?"
l am usually struck speeches. on emer-
gencies, but something about this girl in
spiTed me with unwonted confidence. In
spite OF her dsarray she seemed so self
possessed and unem barrassed that L could
not feel otherwise myself.
gu need not remain hungry very long"
/ replied. Everything I've got Is at your
service" This was comprehensive, but
strictly true | can swear.
What strange place you have chOsenP'
she said, disregardIng my offer.
We'll. peThaps 1t is, said |; but hardly
unfortunate" ! added, with a readiness
that amazed myself, and looked up at her
face again to find the great gray eyes fixed
upon ne intently, reading me through
She did not smile; She bowed slightly and
sedately in acknowledgment.
Thank you" she said. There Is little
shade the other side Of the bank in the field.
Will you carry it over there for me?"
Certainly"
The change took about three minutes.
during which she sat on the edge of the
Tandan and famed herself with her hand