The morning call., 1894-11-25
A MANX IDYL.
In Which Girl Plays Hero-Young Mr.. Lacy, How
ever, Found an Obstacle


that he admitted. Beautiful, just suffi-
GENTLY retiring, booKisnly clever and full
of sympathy for his literary am
billions, she seemed just the woman
to make him happy though married.
But-but-but-well, 1t is impossible
continually in the BACKGROUND of Richards
thoughts. Although the memory OF her
was connected with the one miserable
incident of a brilliant career, he liked to
call up her picture as she moved rapldly
about his yacht, engaged in saving IL and
him, Dolly and Dolly's mamma from
watery grave.
One day he had sailed the Kestrel to
Peel. Tide and wind initiated against
him In getting her back before nlghtIail,
and he determined to walk home to Fort
Erin, ten miles over the mountains. ana
return for the yacht on the morrow. Inc
route from Peel, provided one avoids
the carriage roads, is as wild and
weird as a person could wish. After
leaving the quaint old town and the quaint
ole towns new, vast hotel one begins
TO climb almost Immediately, and all the
way the cloud-wrapped top of South Bar
rule appears and disappears II ke reVoiV-
Ing light. 1t was late in the afternoon
when Richard start and he found the
NIL paths, at u o time congested with tralnc,
now quite deserted.
Four miles from Peel one of those drift
Man is famous suddenly Obliterated the
landscape, and when it happily cleared
away, after about a quar- er OF an hnur,
Richard was we'll lost. He sat down on
| powder to study a small pocket map, Dut
to no purpose. Then he jumped up. for
he heard a man whistling. Presen he
whistler appeared in sight, but she was
WOman-a woman in a serge trOck and
| Tam O. Shanter hat and carrying bag.
She was walking rapidly and when she
caught sight of Richard she suddenly
ceased making music and inVOluntarily
slackened her steps. Richard emitted an
ejaculation of surprise, which 1t is I'M
necessary to repeat here.
Now. the experienced reader will have
guessed that this woman in the blue serge
and the Tam o. Shanter was just Fenella
herself. Everything points to it, aud such
indeed was the fact.
Richard greeted her, blushing furiously.
Fortunately he was spared the necessity
of confessing that for the second time she
found him in fix. He said boldly that ne
was walking to Port Erin.
But this is not quite The nearest way to
Port Erin" she said; "you should have
turned off toward Daily, about nalf mile
back"
"Yes. l know" was the mendacous re-
ply. But wanted long walk"
Miss Marston RETAINED from referring
to the yacht no doubt out Of delicacy, he
thought. But she was willing 10 chatter
about the scenery and the people. and
Richard said that more delightful chatter
he had never heard. Dolly could not talk
| like that. Aud Dolly could not walk like
that. 1t took Richard all his time to keep
by her side.
81 have never properly thanked you,
Miss Marston, for your invaluable assist
| auce last year. Let me do so now. And
you may be interested to know that since
then l have acquired little more mari
! time skiIP'
"Oh! To girl used to the sea all her
life it was really nothing, Mr.. Lacy"
'You know my n me, them" he blurted
| out, for he remembered that bis aunt had
introduced only herself to Fenella last
year.
| just asked one of the fishermen. l wanted
to fipd out"
What delightful ingenuousness, he
unused. What absolute freedom from con-
ventionalIty! Now, if she only knew as
much as Dolly. Poor Dolly was very con-
ventiOnal, in spite of certain advanced
views.
"By the way. Mr.. Lacy" she went on,
81 have often thought about you and l
wondered whether you were any relation
to the short story writer of the same
name"
81 ana sort of distant connection"
said Richard. But surely you don't ad-
mire that fellows work ?"
Indeed, | do. Did you see that tale of
his IN the last yellow BOokY thought
! it was equal TO De Maupassant's best"
Tbs yellow Book p De Maupassant
| He was no: much moved at hearing him.
self compared to Do Maupassant. The
thing had occurred before, but that the
comparison should be made by girl such
as he had taken FeDella to be was GER
| tainly surprising.
He confessed to being Richard Lacy, the
short story writer. She laughed with naive
! pleasure. They began to talk books with
great gusto. What did she think of Henry
James, of Flaubert, of Prosper Merimee?
And what did he think of George Egerton
with "vi~ws." Richard was enchanted.
Poor Dollyl She was a nice girl. but Fem
ella-Fenella was revela ion. How lucky
he had not gone to Normandvl
THAT house. there" Fenella said. after
long argument upon w. d. Howells.
pointing to an old farm-like structure
which stood near tiny hamlet in the val
ley below them, us where 1 have lived
nearly all my life. 1t has fine library
my fathers. He is the local Hittery'
gentw
"Reallyv said Richard. land that, I
suppose" pointing to an active figure in
clerical attire. which was rapidly coming
toward them up the steep path. sis the
local curate."
Fenella seemed amused. 'Yes," she
laughed, that is the local curate."
The local curate approached and care
lessly raised his hat.
''Mr. Lacy" said Fenella. dryly. may 1
Introduce you to my husband? Charlie,
this is the Mr.. Lacy 1 met last year-you
remember-just before our marriage"
Richard was up very early the next
morning taking a last look at quiet, unob-
trusiye Port Erin and its tiny harbor.
Hour by hour of the wakeful night his
ruff1ed heart had gone out TO Dolly in Nor
mandy for solace. Twelve hours ago he
was espising her. and now the very
thought of her was like soft pillow. He
had finally decided that he loved her.
Presently he was at the village pOstoffice
writing out telegram.
'Whars this ?" said the postmaster, who
was also a grocer, pointing to word IN
the address. Richard informed bin.
"What?"
''F-e-r-a-m-p."
And in forty-eight hours he was there
New York Commercial Advertiser.
----
1t Is the common belief that the peach
tree is necessarily of short life, but there