The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-23
THE LANDSCAPE PAINTER.
From the sketch.

house all alone. and are rather bored. and
a handsome young man comes 10 your
rescue in wood. when your poor little
dog has caught its foot in cruel trap.
how can you possibly pass him the very
next day as II he We're a stranger? And
he was so kind 10 the dog He bound up
its poor little bleeding foot in his hand
kerchief. and carried it in his arms TO the
lodge gate. Then he said:
do you often walk in the wood?"
She was feeling too grateful 20 him to
resent his fmpertinence as she should
have done. So she only said Sometimes"
and thanked him again with all her heart
in her pretty eyes.
He looked up to where. through the
trees, the big red house showed its twist
ed old-fashioned chimneys, and said:
My name is Lavender. You are Miss
Nerinder, l suppose?"
She looked at him quickly
Il am Miss Verinder's humble compan-
ion. My name is Smith"
we are comrades in servitude.Y he said.
Il am Lord Halibuts secretary. You walk
in the woods sometimes Then II isn't
goodby. DO they let you come out often"
Il am my own mistress at present"
she said. a lot Of people Will be coming
down on the 25th for the heiress' coming
of age. They give a grand entertainment
to the tenants Lord Halbut is TO be
there. What is he like?"
OH said the young man indifferently,
hes not a bad isort Of fellow. There's
some talk of their families wishing him
to marry the helress. The estates go very
well together. But 4ie'sHneVer even seen
her; he's been so muchdbroad. you know"
Il don't believe the heiress win have
him." the girl answered sharply. and turn
ed away with her poor little dog in her
arms.
Now, 1t is quite clear that she ought
not to have walked in the woOd-at least.
not so soon as the next day; or II she
walked there the next day, she ought not
to have chosen the very hour when poor
Troll had met his misfortune. But to the
bored much may be pardoned and as for
Lord IIalbuts secretary, he had a right,
one may suppose, to amuse himself. And
that meeting was not the last How
could it have been? And when you meet
a person every day without nhaperons or
other tiresome people, you soon make
friends. Before the week was out Mr..
Lavender had heard how Miss Smith was
left an orphan, and had 10 earn her liv-
der's part in life must always be that Of a
subordinate.
rs she kind to your" he asked one even
ing, as they sat on a messed tree trunk,
and watched the red sun set across the val
ley, where the corn grew.
"Oh, yes, she's kind enough" the girl
said; lat least, I am sure she means TO
be- 81.
she's is revdltingly clever. hear. Beat
the Senior Wranslar at. Cambridge, or
something"
"She did But that's not criminal; and
Lord Halibut is, at least, her partner In
iniquity. He took a first-class in Greats.
didn't he? Oh how do hate clever menu
you have my sympathy. l abhor clev-
er women!'
They both laughed. And the days went
on; and July melted into August and Au-
gust grew in grace. till the time came
near for the coming OF age of Miss YER
inder; and If, during these days, there
had been a hand pressure 80 slight as
not to be worth resenting, or a look so
nearly tender as to make mans heart
beat high with hope; If he had treasured
the forget-me-nots she gathered by the
woodlawn pond and pressed them in the
volume of Browning from which he had
read to her in the woods; and If she kept
a certain handkerchief, stained with poor
little Trolls blood, in a locked sandal
wood box, and took II out and laid IL
against her face for all its bloodstain.
when no one els6 was by-all that con-
cerned only the companion and the sec
rotary, and no one else in all the wide
world. tnit .tte
%Deidsis1ts 1oa
1t was bright noontide, and they walked
through the woods; and presently they
came to the wishing-tree, with its two
trunks growing from one root.
IF we pass through the wishing-tree,"
she said, land wish as we go, the fairies
will give us the wish of our hearts"
So they went through, hand in hand,
because the way was rough. As she
passed out Of 1t, a bramble caught her
dress, and she stopped TO disentangle It,
but the folds of her gown were electric,
and his hands trenbled. 5tQs
How tiresome il isl she said II be-
Iieve that bramble will never let me go"
Can you blame it?" he asked, looking
up at her; and she turned her face away.
They walked on. "A whole month" he
said, and seeing you every day! When
did such good fortune ever before come
to a poor secretary"
"Or to a humble companion2 No.
don't mean that. But it, has been
pleasant" faf ~
They walked in silence to the little gate
that divided the woods from the grounds.
Here they stopped, and she said, looking
at him for a moment half shyly, half proud
". Come in; should like you to see the
garden. All the smart people are coming
tomorrow, to Keep the heiress's birthday"
lie hesitated and she laughed. "Oh, we
needn't go in sight of the house. The
grounds are big enough
He flushed and stammered in wordless
denial of the thought she had read in him
that his being seen with the companion
might compromise her, and together rhey
walked under the arching trees to the old
lawn where the sundiai stands.
This is where the tenants dance, be-
neve." she said; and all the grand people
dance with the cottagertQlks, which seems
to me rather silly for I am sure each set
would rather with themselves. Lord Hall
but is coming. VIII you be here?'
II shall certainly come if Lord Halibut
does. May ! dance with'you?"
She laughed. Il don't think you know
what dancing on turf is like. Besides, prob
ably our steps don't suitI'7if1
Let US try now he said.
He laid his arm on her waist. The next
moment her hand was on his arm and they
were whirling down the lawn toward the
sundial
What foolish people we arer' she said
breathlessly and half moved to pause. But
his arm held her closer and they waltzed
L. 81