The Delta independent., 1896-05-06

tlEGed tI1u.s far encOui ages the Wi'Iser
to ak favor of the reader. The
story now enters period that
Mr.. Yates would describe rs stirring.
To compare small things with G-eai,
its course might be likencd to that cf
the noble river near which its scene j
situated. The Niagara flows placialy
along fer miles and then sud-
denly plunges down succession OF
turbulent rapids to the llal CO
tastrophe. If the writer were q
novelist, instead of n simple re-
porter OF certain events, there woC:l
he no need OF asking the indGlgeEcc of
the reader. II tie writer wcrs dealing
with creatures of his own imagination
instead of with fixed facts, these cvea-
lures coall sc made to do this or tlut
as best su.tel his purposes. Sach, how
ever, is net the ease; and the e-;siting
events that must be narrated claim
precedence over the placid haTne;li1gs
w.iich, with little help frcn tl,s r-ifi-
er's imagination, may be talea as read
The reader is therefore TO know the:
four written chapters which rh5Eld
have intS-vcrod between this and ti.e
enc preceding hare been sacrificed.
l,-t . fcw lines are necessary to snow
tie state of things at the end of tle
fourth vanished chapter. When peo-
pie are thrown together, especially
when people are young, the mutual
relationship existing between tham
rarely reriains stationary. 1t c.rifts
towards like or dislike, and cases have
bccn known where it progressed into
love CT hatred.
Stillsoa 2cnmark and Margaret How
ard became, at least, very firm friends.
Each of them would have been ready
to admit this much. In the four chap
ter3 which. by an unfortunate corlpi-
nation of circumstances, are lost TO the
world, it would have been seen hos;
these two had ct least good foa-dn
ton on which to build up an ccGuaiat-
arce in the fact that Margarct's brother
was a student in the un;vcrSity Of
which the professor was 4 we;shy
member. They had also subject. OF
difference which, If it leads not 70
heated argument but is soberly dis
cusscd, lends itself even more to the
building of friendship than subjects OF
argument. Margaret held that il was
wrong in the university TO close it
doors to women. Renriarl, had hitherto
given the subject but little thongiit,
yet he developed an opinion contrary
to that OF Margaret and was too Ecr
est man or too little OF diplomatist
to conceal il. On one occasion Yates
had been present, and he threw him
self, with the energy that distinguished
him, into the woman siic Of the qucs-
tion, cordially agreeing with Margaret,
citing instances and holding those who
were against the admission Of women
up to ridicule, taunting them with
fear Of feminine competition. Mar-
garet became silent as the champion OF
her cause waxed the more eloquent;
but whether she liked Richard Yates
the better for his championship, who
that is not versed in the ways of women
can say? AS the hope of winning her
regard was the sole basis of Yates un-
compromising views on the subject, it
is likely that he was successful, for his
experiences with the Sex were large
and varied. Margaret was certainly
attracted towards Rcnmark, whose
deep scholarship even his excessive self
depreciation could not entirely conceal,
and he in-turn had naturally school
masters enthusiasm over a pupil who
SO earnestly desired advancement in
knowledge. Had he described his feel
ings to Yates, who was an expert in
many matters, he would perhaps have
learned that he was in love; but Rem
mark was n reticent man. not much
given either to introspcction or to be-
ing lavish with his condolences. As to
Margaret, who can plummet the depth
of a young girls regard until she her
self gives some indication? All that
reporter has to record is th4t she was
kinder to Yates than she had been ut
the beginning.
Miss Kitty Bartlett would not have
denied that she had sincere liking for
the conccited young man from New
York. Remark fell into the error of
thinking Miss Kitty q frivolous young
person, whereas she was merely girl
who had an inexhaustible fund of
high spirits and one who took a most
deplorable pleasure in shocking a Sc
rious man. Even Yates made a slight
mistake regarding her on one occasion,
when they were taking an evening
walk together, with that freedom from
chaperonage which is the birthright
of every American girl, whether she be-
longs to a farmhouse or to the palace Of
u millionaire.
In describing the incident afterwards
to Remark (for Yates had nothing of
his comrades reserve in these matters)
he said:
''She left diagram Of her four fin
gers on my check that felt like one Of
those raised maps Of Switzerland. I
have before now felt the tap of a lady's
fun in admonition, but never in my
life have met gentle rcproof that
felt SO much like q censure from the
paw of our friend Tom Saycrs."
Remark said, with some severity,
that he hoped Yates would not forget
that he was, in . measure, guest Of
his neighbors