The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-28
The WAY OF A MAID.

Birds of a feather may flock together,
Ii they do not always fall in love with
Zach other. AS rule. it takes birds
not Of a feather to do that At any
rate. this was the case with Miss
Christobel Merlin and Peter funston;
and yet. so different were they that the
whole affair seemed altogether hopeless
up to the time that Miss Merlin's cat
boat came between them. 1t is strange
that anything coming between two peo-
pie who love each other should bring
them together. yet this may happen if
the wind be in the right direction.
At Sandheaps. where Miss Merlin's
father had a cottage. and where Miss
. Merlin, with her diminutiVe catbOat, had
learned to be one of the best sailors
among the summer contingent, there
had been a lack of visitors owing to the
bad weather and the hotel, usually
crowded. looked lonesome up to the first
of July, when the guests all seemed to
come at once. And among them came
Peter, or. as his class Familiarity called
him, Buster"
They met at the Saturday evening
hop. He was brought up and intro
duced by Christobels cousin, Jack. He
bowed awkwardly.
May l have this dancer he NUT
tered
with pleasure" she replied.
In a moment they were whirling
around the room. or. rather, they were
trying to whirl for funston, with his
one hundred and eighty pounds, was
not the best dancer in the world.
After while they stopped.
l I'm not much Of a dancer" he OBJ
served, alphabetically.
His partner tried to smile.
Never mind she said; I'VE win sit
cut"
q They stroued on the piazza, where the
wind from the ocean, cool and refresh
ing, famed their cheeks. The contrast
between them was striking. funston,
heavy, clumsy. almost a giant, lowered
above his slight ethereal companion,
whose delicate. classical sensitive face
could express every shade of meaning.
She looked up at him half shyly, even
in the semi darkness. His setature awed
her. She knew instinctively that he was
everything she was not, and the thought
made her love him. AS for funston he
could not have described his feelings If
he had tried. Self-analysis with him
was an unknown quality. He only knew
that he felt uncomfortable.
I'm a beastly dancer" he half SIAM
mered. as they sat down. I never
tackle it il l can help it, but Jack said
that
said" she repeated, that I was dy-
Ing to dance, 1 suppose. Well, Jack
doesn't know everything. How do you
like It here"
Bully beach Good surf-seems like
a decent sort of place" said funston.
DO you sail2"
Not much. 1 play ball a good deal in
spring and fall water polo in the win
ter and in the summer-wells these
dinky little boats don't appeal to me-"
She smiled.
That's what I've gotta dinky little
boat"
He colored.
"Oh-beg your pardon. didn't know
IT,"
Don't apologize. It's all right. I can
understand how you feel. But I enjoy
fl hugely. Papa got me my boat last
year. and / go out sailing in it every
day."
'Alone?" 2
oh, yes That's the fun
The propriety of young man going
II sailing with a young girl alone in 9
small boat. has often been discussed
I'd probably will never be determined
. Is all right. of course, to take a CIR
for a long stroll up the beach wheE
the elder people are having their after
noon nap and where there are plenty
of sheltering rocks, though the prudes
sniff even at this. But to go out in a
boat alone with a young man. at the
mercy of the sea and wind and tide. is
quite a different matter.
Miss Merlin's father might have OBJ
iected to such a proceeding, had he not
such confidence in his daughters judg-
ment and her sailing powers. AS for
Miss Merlin she was more or less
above such things; American to the
core she believed in doing as she
pleased-and generally she did 1t.
At the end of week she felt thai