The sea coast echo., 1898-07-30
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.

pest JtlA dlldIt do oIlC DtOCN III tA1iA'A
uncertainty, one foot on shore and Que
poised over the canoe. [ confess the
attitude was fascinating to me, moro
especialyas is neccssitated very dis
tinct pressure of my steadying hand.
| was the more convinced that the
timidity was affected when she even
tually settled herself among the cush
ions III the bows OF the canoe, for all
the world as if to the manner born.
Indeed, as | stepped warily in the
centre of the craft, am sure l was
really the more nervous of the two,
but theu | could judge of my short
comings as a canoeist far better than
she.
"Now then" I said, "are you quite
SIRE you are comfortable"
She gave n last smooth to the folds
of her brown skirt, gave n little pat
to the sleeves of her white blouse, and
lay back against the red cushions with
sigh of content.
eyes, she said sweetly; "I'm quite
ready"
/ let go the tuft of grass to which [
had been clinging, pushed off gently
with my paddle, and wo were fairly
ahoat
The sunshine sparkled on the water,
the leaves of the trees waved ever so
softly in the breeze, the bright-colored
dragon flies darted hither and thither,
W hiIe along the bank the bees flew
languidly from flower to flower, as if
they only kept themselves awake by
incessant buzEing.
Isn't it delightful" murmured
Della
ct is, indeed I assented, but
would have done 50 more truthfuliy
il the bows of the canoe had not dis
played so great reluctance to keep
straight up the river.
The splash of the watct from thepad-
die was wonderfully smoothing, and my
fair companion closed her ewes. Directly
she did so politeness no5 longer debar-
red me from gazing my fill at her up
turned face.
/ looked admiringIy, taking mental
stock of her charms. How softly her
dark eyelashes swept her cheek-how
coquettishly curved her mouth how
dainty the suspicion of a dimple either
side her lips-how delicately turned
her chin-how becoming the red cush-
ion to her wealth of black hair-yes,
undoubtedly her nose was retrousse,
but fig for your stately Greek beau
ties! there is q fascination i'll the
crash into the bank went the bow of
the canoe, and the subject of my re-
yerie opeued her eyes with start.
For the life of me [ cannot steer
canoe aad think of something else at
the same time By the greatest good
luck we were not upset.
81 am most awfully sorry" | stam-
mered.
II was nearly asleep" she said.
81 can't think what happened; it
was dreadfully careless of me. :"
''Oh, it really doesn't matter" she
replied with q great good nature.
| paddled clear of the bank and
vowed such a collision should not
oecur again. Della, however, made
no further attempt to go to sleep.
Glow smoothly the river runs,
size said thoughtfully.
"Unlike the course of true love, /
aided rather weakly.
1t was not q very opposite remark,
but tthen ] knew the topic of love was
a dangerous one for me, and SO, fool
hardy, L courted it, rs the moth the
candle.
There was a pause in the conversa-
tion,swhile I successfully negotiated
sudden bend in the river.
"Ftss-a great pity, isn't it?' said
Della.
"What is?'' inquired
''Why, that the course of true love
never runs smooth.
''Oh, but it does sometimes, really, "
I asserted.
81 suppose the love isn't really true,
then, said she. Nowadays, books
and plays nearly always end I'M
happily.
''Oh, WELL" said /, philosophically,
''ihere are two sorts of love there is
a passionate love, full of presentiment,
which makes a man morbid and
melancholy, and forces him a thousand
times to curse the fate that brings 1T
to him, but this sort of love is too
lofty fer workaday world, and the
only artistic ending is a tragic ono. -
am afraid / bore Della now and
again by holding forth in this way,
but she only gave the politest possible
vawn, as she said: 'sAnd what about
the other?"
s'The other" went Gu, taking care
to watch the course of the canoe, 'is
tender, pastoral love, which makes
man cheerful and take rosy views OF
life, causing him to thank heaven every
day that such love has fallen to his
LOT, and the artistic ending is wedding
bells and domestic happiness. "
Dear me, NJ. Conway, said Della,
smiling, you seem to know deal
about it .
Della has The sweetest gray brown
eyes, and it IS an extraordinary pleas
ure. to look right into them, longer
than is actually necessary while listen
ing to or making a remark only speak
ing OF artistic endings made me feel
quite certain there was q more artistic
ending to such a look than mntu-
ally to drop our eyes.
/ was Just thinking about this, and
how very graceful some girls look IN
i canoe. when. like . fool. I let my