The Princeton union., 1900-12-27
CHAPTER 4.

Tho first time | met her was a re-
porter in the embryoni state and she
was a girl in short dresses. 1t was in
a garden surround led by high red brick
walls which were half hidden by clus-
ters Of green vines and at the base Of
which nestled earth beds radiant with
roses and poppies and peonies and
bushes Of lavender lilacs, all spilling
their delicate sambrosia on the mild air
Of passing May. stood, straw hat in
hand, wondering if / had not stumbled
into some sweet prison of flowers
which, having run disobedient ways in
the past, had been placed here by Flo
ra and forever denied their native
meadows and Wildernesses. And this
vision Of fresh youth in my path, per-
haps she was some guardian nymph. I:
was only %, most impressionable
age. Her hair was like that rare Oc-5
tober brown, half dun, half gold; her
eyes were cool and restful, like the
brown pools one sees in the heart of
the forests, and her lips and cheeks
cozened the warm yermilion Of the
rose which lay ever so lightly on the
bosom Of her white dress Close at
hand was a table upon which stood a
pitcherzof lemonade She was holding
in her hand an empty glass. AS my.
| eyes encountered her calm, inquiring
gaze my courage fled precipitately,
likewise the object Of my errand.
There was a pause; difidence and em-I
| barrassment on my side, placidity on
hers. z
We'll, sir?" said she in a voice the.
tone Of which implied that she could
readily understand her presence in the
garden, but not mine. 2 s 55j.s
AS I remember it, was suddenly
seized with a great thirst. Il should
like a glass Of your lemonade" an
sWered, bravely laying down the only
piece Of money I possessed. Her stern
lips parted in smile, and my courage
came back cautiously is to say,
by degrees. She filled a glass for me,
and as I gulped it down I could al
! most detect the flavor Of lemon and
sugar. Z is: zs5
| 1T is very good" / volunteered, pass
ing back the glass. held out my.
| hand, smiling. Sss.= zs.:..z
"There isn't any change, :, coolly.
! flushed painfully. twas fully four
miles to Newspaper row. I was CON
scious Of a sullen pride. Presently the.
object Of my errand returned Some.
what down the path saw gentleman:
reclining in a canvas swing. ..Is. that
Mr.. Wentworth 2" / asked. .=. 81
eyes. Do you wish to speak to him?
| Uncle Bob, here is a gentleman who
desires to speak to you. zs
| approached. Mr.. Wentworth, .
began, cracking the straw in my hat,
s.my name is John Winthrop + am a.
| reporter. have called to see if it is true
that you have declined the Italian port
+ folio.', sz ss .sEs5.. s-szs.
eItis true, he replied kindly. There,
are any number Of reasons for my de.
clining it, but cannot make them pub
lie. Is that all p
away. =...=s.s.
"'Are you reporter ~ asked the girl
as was about to pass by her.
T.. Eyes, ! am = 55 I:
"Do you draw pictures ~
| "No, I do not.'''
"Do you write novels r. # 81 .. a.
>"No,N with a nervous laugh.
There Is nothing like the process Of
Interrogation to make one person lose
| interest in another.
"Oh, thought perhaps you did," she
said and turned her back to me. I
| passed through the darkened halls Of
the house and into the street never
expected to see her again, but it was
otherwise ordained. We came together
three years later at Block Island. She
was IS now, gathering the rosy flowers
Of her first season. She remembered
the incident in the garden, and we
| laughed over 1t. "A few dances, two OF
t three evenings on the verandas watch
ing the sea, moonlit, as it sprawled
/ among the rocks below us, and the
even tenor Of my way ceased to be. /
| appreciated how far she was above me,
SO worshfped her silently and from
afar. I told her my ambitions, conf,
dences SO welcome to feminine ears,
and she rewarded me with q small ex-;
change. She, too, was an orphan and
| lived with her uncle, a rich banker,
who as a diversion consented to repre-.
sent his country at foreign courts. Her
given name was Phyllis. I had seen
the name a thousand times in print;
the poets had idealized itsand the nov.
elists had embalmed 1t in tender,
phrases. .5
1t was the first time had ever met
q woman Of the name of Phyllis. 1t.
appealed to my poetic instinct Per-
haps that was the cause Of it all. And.
then she was very beautiful In the
autumn Of that ye ear we became great
friends, and through her influence i
began to see beyond the portals Of the
mansions Of the rich Matthew Prior's
Ghloes and Sir John Suckling's Nuphe-
LAS lost their charms. Henceforth my
muses. name became Phyllis. took
her to the opera when didn' know
where I was going to breakfast on the
i morrow. sent her. roses and went
without tobacco, priyation Of which
llworlan knows n0thinp sOftnn II un 4