Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-04-08
CHAPTER ii.

his sight. by woman, too! Who
would have thought it,
Who would have thought it, indeed!
Sir Philip Bruce-Errington, Baronet, the
wealthy and desirable parti for VIII )m
many match making mothers had stood
knee-deep in the chilly though sparkling
waters of society, ardently plying rod
vnd inc with patient persistence, vainly
hoping to secure him as a husband for
one of their highly proper and passion
less daughters, She, the admired, long
sought-af eligible was suddenly
rebuffed, fiouted--by whom? A stray
princess or a peasant. He vaguely Won
dered as he lit a cigar and strolled up
and down on the shore, meditating, with
puzzled, almost annoyed expression on
his handsome features. He was not
accustomed to Sights of any kind, how
ever trifling; his position being COM
handing and enviable enough to attract
f1attery and friendship from all people.
Pile. He was the only son of baronet
as renowned for eccentricity as for
wealth He had been the spoilt darling
of his mother; and now both his
parents being dead, he was alone in
the world, heir to his fathers revenues
and entire master of his own actions.
And as part Of the penalty he had to
pay for being rich and goodlooking
to boot, he was so much run after by
women that he found it hard to under
stand the naughty Indifference with
which he had just been treated by one
of the most fair, if not the fairest of
her sex. He was piqued, and his pride
was wounded.
I'm sure my question was harmless
enough" he unused, half Grossly. "She
might have answered it"
He glanced out impatiently over the
Fjord. There was no sign of his re-
turning yacht as yet
What lime those fellows are" he
said to himself. IF the pilot were not
on board, l should begin to think they
had run the Eulalie aground"
He finished his cigar and threw the
end of it into the water: then he stood
moodily watching the ripples as they
rolled softly UP and caressed the shin
inc brown shore at his feet thinking
all the while of that strange girl, so
wonderfully lovely in face and form,
so graceful and proud of bearing, with
her great blue eyes and masses of
dusky gold hair
His meeting with her was sort Of
adventure in its way-the first of the
kind he had had for some time. He
was subject to fits of WEAKNESS or
caprice, and it was in one of these that
he had suddenly left London in the
height Of the reason. and had started
for Norway on yachting cruise with
three chosen companions, one of whom
George LorimNr, once an Oxford fell
low-student. was now his "chum"-the
Pythias to his Damon, the "fidus Ach-
ates" Of his closest confidence. Through
the unexpected Weakening up of energy
in the latter young gentleman, who was
usually Of a most sleepy and indolent
disposition, he happened to be quite
alone on this occasion, though, as gen.
eral rule. he was accompanied in his
rambles by one if not all three of his
friends. Utter solitude was with him
a rare occurrence, and his present ex
perience of 1t had CHANGED in this wise.
Lorimer the languid, Lorimer the lazy,
Lorimer who had remained blandly I'M
moved and drowsy through all the mag
nificent panorama of the Norwegian
coast including the Sogne Fjord and
the topping peaks Of the Justedal gla-
ciers; Lorimer who had slept peacefully
in a hammock on deck, even while the
yacht was passing under the looming
splendors Of Melsnipa; Lorimer. now
that he had arrived at the Alien Fjord
then at its loveliest in the full glory
Of the continuous sunshine developed
new turn OF mind, and began to show
sudden and abnormal interest in the
scenery. In this humor he expressed
his desire to take a sight" OF the
midnight sun from the islano Of Sci
land. and also declared his resolve to
try the nearly impossible ascent Of the
great Jedke glacier.
Errington laughed at the idea Don't
tell me-" he said, that you are going
in for climbing. And do you suppose
/ believe that you are interested-you
of all people-in the heavenly bodies?"
why not" asked Lorimer, with a
candid smile I'm not In the least
interested in earthly bodies, except my
own. The suns jolly fellow l SYM
pathize with him in his present condi-
ton. HISS In his cups-that's what's
the matter-Gnd lie can't be persuaded
to go to bed. know his feelings per-
fectly; and I want to survey his glor-
iorsly inebriated face from another
point Of view. Don't laugh, Phil: I'm
In earnest! And l really have quite
a curiosity to try my skill in amateur
mountaineering. Jedkes the very
place for first effort. 1t offers diff
foulties, and"-this with slight yawn
II like to surmount difficulties; it's
rather amusing"
His mind was so evidently set upon
the excursion, that Sir Philip made no
attempt to dissuade him from II. but
excused himself from accompanying the
party on the plea that he wanted to
finish sketch he had recently begun.
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