The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-03-04

1
| He, a confirmed and avowed bache-
| Tor from choice, the Aunfeeling target
| for more than one pair of almost ire
sistibe eyes-why. he-ha, ha and
tut tutLhadn't he seen beautiful
women by the score? OF course he
had, but then such a woman at such
time and such place! After sll. was
she a woman indeed or a mere damsel
/ of a mature appearance? Any how
whatever or whoever she was, she was
simply charming, not only in form ana
features, but in manner and carriage
land disposition as well. if the latter
might be argued from premises so as
surfing
By this time she had crept down
! close beside the edge of the lake and
tossed aside her hat, revealing a head
almost ideal in its contour and SUI
perbly crowned with a wealth of rich
drown ctlrls. The long silken ringlets
iof ribbon at the back and wantonly
PLAYED about her queenly shoulders
''She is scarcely more than a child, =
he said to himself but what picture
lshe makes in her unstudied yet mod
lest attitude upon the rim of my little
lake O, for a kodak, that | might Sc
Icure them both at onceI'
Lon had long since withdrawn to a
place beside the big rock where he
could watch this new object of his
lcuriosity and interest unobserved by
lher; but noticing that she had brought
with her to the spot a small rife, he
leXpected momentarily to see a dog APP
pear upon the scene and to be forced
thereby to reveal himself.
No dog, however, came to dispute
the rights of the squatter sovereign
land the situation grew more and more
interesting.
Was it right? Was it right? whisper
ed the monitor within. 1t was not good
form. Was it right for him to lie in
Iwait, as it We're. for his victim and
Istealthily observe the maneuvers OF
woman? He concluded it was not, with
out the aid of a syllogism, but since
neither was doing anything for which
the other could be ashamed, he saw
no reason for precipitating crisis; and
he argued it was useless to startle and
more than probably anger the young
lady by suddenly stepping forth from
his place of concealment.
Curiosity. that other species of hun
ger, was uppermost now and so ne
fingered scarcely knowing what to do
The girls face was bent almost low
ingly toward the tiny lake and kind
of sweet sad smile played upon hel
lips-lips made for kissing, Lon Hemp
lstead involuntarily thought, but knew
from their patrician curve that Their
owner would not willingly grant such
Ia boon save to some near and very
dear one.
1 Bachelor as he was, confirmed, as he
thought he was in his views on matri-
mony and surfeited as he was with the
smiles and kisses of other women, fol
La moment it became his highest ambi-
ton to touch with his own those soft
pink lips.
He was half constrained to capture
the daring damsel then and there and
make her pay the ransom of a long
Isweet, reluctant kiss for her release.
How gently she tossed a pretty peb-
BILE into the water and then in SORT
of semi-conscious, half-mechanical way
and fade away on the bosom of the
lake.
Then she drew forth a letter from
the folds of her simple gown, which
had evidently been read many times
before; and, bending forward carefully
read it again. For long time she die
not look up; but carelessly held the
letter in one hand while with the other
she seemed uncopsciously at work pull
ing the white heads of shamrock thai
grew about her.
Tenderly, with her head still bowed
she drew from beneath the lace yoke
of her plain white muslin dress a small
wistfully upon its contents and ther
raising it to her lips she kissed it pas
sionately and quietly replaced it.
Raising her face Lon could easily see
that her large violet eyes were batheo
in tears.
What could it all mean? So young
and beautiful, and yet, as it seemed
living with a painful secret gnawing
lat her consciousness.
Was it case. of blighted affection
So 1t seemed. What else could it be
unless love affair? But who coulo
be a renegade to such beauty and limo
cence? Surely-but then maybe he was
dead and she had come to this lonely
spot to hold festival of tears in his
memory.
, This seemed the more plausible solu-
ton and somehow Lon was glad il
was, though why. he hardly knew
The truth is, if the truth must be
told so soon, he was in love, but didn't
recognize the symptoms of this mys-
ferrous malady. Love at first sight he
had always laughed to scorn. and any
love of torrid and demonstrative ma
ture he had looked upon as the vain
chimera of a disordered, unripe head.
But he was in love in spite of him
self, and it is part of my triumph
and vindication to be allowed to tell it
1t was the old, old story. but OF
. That is why he did not know as yet
he. was in love. So when the object
that had awakened new and strange
emotions in his breast, gently arose
, and, taking the small rifle in her hand
quietly glided away with an air SUI
Iperbly simple and distingue, it was
idle curiosity, he told himself, that leo
him to resolve to know the owner oil
that face at any cost.
And when she turned and kissed hel
finger tips in parting toward the little
, lake, he thought it the GROWING act
!, of womanly delicacy and childish mai
Ivete.
So soon does sentiment run riot il
, , the healthy mind OF a man of the
world boastingly such, when the
: heart is at the helm. Such is love
and with some rhetorical touches fol
lcomplexion's sake, some rather impos
sible attitudes and iuxtapositions fol
J the sake of sustained interest, an6
with many homilies, treatises and es
says of various kinds for God know.
what, except for excuse or apology
such is love even in the books Bur
he had long since tired of the stupid
nonsense of books holding theil
silly gush and sniveling platitudes OF
what the world is pleased to call the
supreme passion in true bachelor con
tempt.
He couldn't remember then, even i
: he tried, anything he had ever reat
bearing in any way on his case
: She was gone The lake was still
| beautiful, but somehow it seemed t,
have lost a part of its attractiveness-
he could scarce tell how or what-ant
again he resolved to go.
This time he went, half-conscioiI.
that something to which he had here
tnfOre hap11 a st ra n cror boH como -, 4,