The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1898-05-06
THE girl had never been to Lake

Grace Wright was an actress VINO h1u
entered the theatrical profession as
chorus girl. She had now reached the
rank of an ingenue in one Of the popu-
lar theaters.
Everybody at Horizon Ferry goes 10
the landing to inquire for mail anu 10
see what manner Of people are gong
I'D the lake. The morning and evening
steamer arrivals are the two incidents
of the day, and John Treadwell was as
curious as the rest of the little colony
which dwelt on the point of land which
juts out into the upper lake. He was
holding a laring red parasol over the
head of his richest aunt, when he saw
Grace Wright Fastening over the gang
plank. Before he could beat retreat
the girl had nodded to him, and he was
compelled to acknowledge her saluta-
ton with a perfunctory dip of his hat.
The next moment the girl had given
her baggage to a porter, thereby pro-
claiming her intention of becoming
guest of Horizon Ferry's one hotel.
81 did not know" said Miss Jemimah
Pettingill sister of John Treadwelfs
mother, recently deceased, "that you
had any acquaintance among the no
tel people"
"Well," replied the young man, ner-
vously twisting his mustache, "a fellow
who is reporter on New York news-
paper, as l am, is bound to meet few
persons who are not eligible to the hail.
let set at Horizon Ferry"
Il trust, nephew" said Miss Pettin-
gill that you will remember that it Is
decidedly improper to mingle your bus
iness and social acquaintances. She is
rather handsome, too. Has her moth
er with her. Evidently makes some
pretense to respectabilty."
aunt jeremiah" said the young
man, 'tthe young woman is member
of Mr.. Payson's company. She is
girl of sterling character. She has been
on the stage almost from childhood"
From that day John Treadwell had
no peace Of mind at Lake George. He
was at Horizon landing principally be-
cause his aunt had told him to come,
and incidentally because the family of
his fiancee, Agnes Shelton, had a cot
tage there. He thought rather guiltily
of the evenings VIXEN he had called on
Grace Wright, and of the talks they
had had upon literature and the uplift-
ing of the stage from it's present sor-
rowful plight. They had read the same
book, and had spent many an afternoon
at the picture galleries. That was in
the days when he was struggling for
bare existence upon a paper whose
principal stock in trade consisted of
niggardly pay to its reporters. He was
glad in those days when the weekly
payday arrived, and brought with it
the blessed aSsIiIa nee that he might
have breast 1ceAi, with green peas,
for at least one dinner of the week.
Then somebody discovered that he
could write, and he found himself upon
a paper where his weekly space bills
ran above the three figure mark, and
he was hailed by that proudest of Park
Row titles, "a good man." Then he fell
into the good graces of his aunt Jemi-
nah. That meant receptions and az
ternoon teas, and an introduction into
one of the smart" sets of New York.
She thought that his life was $50 inter-
esting,' and so fascinating," and ne.
who had almost forgotten the days
when he was a drudge and a pack
horse, never told her anything to the
contrary. She had money enough for
two. He saw his opportunity and
availed himself of it. They were en-
gagged.
Grace Wright saw him once or twice
after his rise in fortune. 1t was very
easy for him to tell her that he could
find no time to call upon her, for men
who are under the beck and call of n
city editor have little time that they
may call ,Aeir own. She saw him for
the first time in months at the landing
at Horizon Ferry.
The principal occupation of the So
called society element at Horizon
Landing consisted in making life unen-
durable to the majority of those who
came there. There were three distinct
estates-the hotel set, the Justin set
and the Hamlet set. Anybody who had
either owned or rented a cottage fol
three years in succession was entitled
to the rank 'Hamleteer." He ha6
the right to snug anybody who came
within sight of the little cluster of cot
tages at the end of the point. There
was also an oyergrown country farm
house. not far from the Hamlet, KEEP
by the venerable Mrs. Justin. A few
and only a few. of those who stopped
at Justin's were recognized by the
Hamleteers. Those who stopped at the
hotel were considered beneath socia
recognition. They belonged to a class
that never came to Horizon Ferry fol
more than one year.
After the strictest sect of Hamleteer.
was Miss Jemimah Pettingill, a cot
tager. 1t was her pride that in all tn,
ten years she had been coming to LAX.
George no hotel guest had ever dark
ened her threshold. By right of senior
ity, she was the social law giver of Hor
icon Ferry, and Grace Wright had no
been at the hotel more than three day
before she was obliged to assert he
authority. One of the Hamleteers, VIII
had once seen the young woman in
minor Shakspearean role. insisted ur
on inviting the girl to give an open-ai
reading. There was brief, sh:
struggle. and the project was abaI
doned.
Grace Wright and her mother wer
permitted to go their own way. The
did not seem even to be aware of til
fact that they had been socially osrra
cfsed. They cared not for Hamleteers
the Justin set. nor the guests of tn
hotel A young dry goods clerk, VIII
was spending weeks vacation at til
Ferry, smiled upon the young woman
but received a look which was a Sibe