Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-01-27
"STILL WATERS"
By F. Lindsey.
~s~e~s~ee~s>s~sS

THE SUN was setting in crimson
splendor over the sea, flushing
the white sails of a schooner a rich
pink, and clarifying every little detail
in her rigging. Annette Lane stood on
the breezy downs looking out to sea,
her admiration of the beautiful scene
before her rendering her quite oblivious
to the time as she waited and watched
until the deep, rich colors faded from
the horizon, and were followed by more
subdued yellows and pinks and grays,
as the sun went down.
She was an artist, and lived in s.le
little Isle of Wight village nesting I'M
der the downs. AS the light faded from
the sky she realized the lateness of the
hour and that she had still long walk
down the steep hill roads to her home.
AS she turned into the struggling viii
1age street at the bottom of the hill "A
cab passed her laden with luggage. 1t
was such a sleepy little place that
strange faces were always interesting,
and she wondered who they could be;
none Of the people she knew--and she
knew every inhaSitant of the quaint
little viliage-had BEEN away from
home.
1t must be going on to some house at
a distance, she thought, and then for
got all about the incident. 1t was grow
ing chilly in the evenings now, for Sep
tember had come; so she walked Oh
briskly, and, opening the door of her
cottage with her latchkey, went in.
The next evening Annette was upon the
downs again, and this time she had
canvas with her, and was busily en-
gagged trying to catch one of the fleet
ing sunset effects. They glowed and
faded so quickly as they followed each
other in varying succession that her
clever brain and brush found it more
difficult task than usual to get an eff
feet. However, at last the light was too
bad to paint any more, SO she packed
up and started home in the gathering
twilight, determined to come again and
again until she succeeded.
AS she walked home the next evening
an idea struck her; that cab last night
must have been taking the new tenants
to the Red Cottage. Annette popped
the painting materials she was carry
ing on her hall table and resolved to
stroll on past the Red Cottage and see
if her conjecture was correct. a red
window, and there were curtains up. so
the cottage was evidently tenanted
The front door stood open, and as An
nette passed the gate fat spaniel pup
Ply hustled out, and, barking loudly
trotted after her, trying, puppy like, to
bite her skirts. Annette stopped in per-
pleXity. She didn't want to appear too
friendly by going in so soon, but the
puppy persisted on following her. Just
as she was about to stoop down and pick
the little thing up and shut it inside the
garden, girl of about 20, with tiny
figure, pretty curly hair aud big, dark
eyes, ran out calling: MAX, Max; you
naughty puppy! Come i'm
Then, noticing stranger standing by
the gate, she caught the puppy up in her
arms and ran in, slamming the door
hastily after her. Annette felt quite
hurt; it was so abruptly done, and the
behavior of the girl was so incon-
sistent with her appearance. which was
extremely ladylike and refined
Annette puzzled over it. and, hap
pening to meet the agent next morning
who had left the Red Cottage, she asked
who the new tenants were.
''They are Miss Leprimaudier and
her servant, crusty old Scotchwoman,
apparently devoted to her young mis-
tress. and they have taken it furnished
for the year,
Annette thanked him, and thought it
very starnge that she should have be-
haved SO brusquely. Perhaps there was
some mystery, and she didn't want to
be intimate with any of her new neigh
bors.
She tried to dismiss the subject from
her thoughts, but whether she was sit
ting at her easel in her studio at the
back of the cottage, or up on the downs
trying to catch the sunset effects, it
kept recurring to her memory. She got
quite annoyed about it at last What
had the manners of a total stranger to
do with her? Why need she keep think
ing about the incident? Perhaps, after
all. she was mistaken, and Miss Lep-
eimaudier had not seen her in the dusk