Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-06-23
Maybe she does wear a

her headgear Maybe she does wear a
hat"
How does SIC do Ter hair " Lyle
went on with some diludence.
Forbes looked at him blankly. To
the young mans senses there was an
implied rebuke, a hint that he was pry- !
ing into the secrets G a modest girl.
But this notion fed wnen the answer
came with e poverty of suggestion.
why, l suppose like all women do.
They all do it the same way
And SO their conversation ran, the
elder narping on his proud memories
OF fatherhood, the impatient lover try
ing to build up for himself a shrine IL
which to worship his first love. Ma
turally, It was only here and there thai
their thoughts met; and just when the
lover caught fair glimpse Of her, the
clumsy words of an misunderstanding,
generated paternity blotted out the
image.
Little prone as Lyle was to mental
or emotional activity, he steadily pro-
crossed to state where certainty was
the one cry of his heart 10 look at
tue picture on the buIKhead was good.
To have that picture above his own
bunk was infinitely preferable. To
hear about ner was a delight But to
speak VIII knowledge and the full
sense OF possession was heavenly.
So, one night, after a long, uneasily
meditative communion with the moon
| and the darD sea, Edward Lyle sought
the chief fireman. "Mr. Forbes, ne
| commenced, awkwardly, 'ye know
what-what-an interest l take III
| her"
The father nodded kindly, and he
went on: WELL sir, I'm getting pref
| ty we'll ixed-yOu've said yourself l
! was good fireman-and l want to
marry.
| Forbes looked at him with CLINT of
understanding in his eyes, but made
no response. ne young man took off
his greasy cap and crushed it in his
hands. What l want, SIR he said
quietly, lis to marry her"
| There was no answer, and he add
ed, as though it, might be taken for
| granLu~: 81 love her"
| 11O WdlL0u d IOiS LlLu0, UuL FOTUCS
made no reply, even by a gesture
Around them were all the rough
| sounds of the main deck, the stamping
of cattle forward, the rattle of the
| cooks pots and pans, the pervasive
tones of careless men. From the next
| cabin came harsh laugh and an OATH
| Lyle dared not look at the photograph
| for fear he should make her conscious
of the unworthy surroundings. So he
went out, unanswered.
The next few days the two men did
not talk beyond what was ordinary and
| necessary. ct Lyle frequently felt
| the elder mans gaze measuring him,
and he squared himself to his work
| for her sake. Whether he was wretch
| ed or not, it did not occur to him to
ask. All he was distinctly conscious of
sure of itself and so limitless that 1t
included in itself return.
They neared San Francisco and
Forbes insistence upon economy in
coal became almost unbearable. 1t was
always SO when they drew near to their
home port, but this time he seemed
to be unjuSt-a sin never before i'm
puted to this chief fireman. However,
amid all his cross words and angry
scholdings, he said nothing to Lyle,
| who, indeed, labored as he had never
| done before.
One evening (they expected to reach
San Francisco the next day. Edward
| Lyle went YEARLY to his bunk in the
starboard alley~ay. Usually he drop
ped around to see Forbes, but he did
not feel equal to it now, though he was
hungry to talk TO her.
His bunk was dark, and he fumbled
under the mattress for matches. When
he found the box e struck a light AID
| lit the little bracket lamp on the bulk
head AS it burned up his eye caught
new thing. He looked again, long
! and earnestly. Then he blew out the
lamp and pressed his face blindly
| against the bulkhead. On his search
| ing lips he felt two flaming, loving,
| quivering woman's lips, and the young
| fireman gave and took his first kiss
| But it was simply photograph awk-
wardlypinned there by John Forbes
| John Fleming Wilson in the San Fran
cisco Argonaut.