Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-11-09


T returned to the boat eodth my harvest
of roses.
''You don't look as If you'd had a good
time" said She.
1 wiped some frozen PRECIPITATION
from my forehead and shivered.
"Lucy Ann" said I, without meaning
to be familiar, but merely fervent, "the
honest fact is that am SO afraid OF
snakes that can scarcely sit down on
the ground up there in the field, though
7 have been assured by every body from
Jimmy Lamoine to the most truthful
person could get hold Of that there are
NO snakes on the place"
"That's so,'' said she. @There aren't
They're all up there"
And she pointed to the hill.
I rowed slowly back to the landing
while my pilot arranged the roses in
manner to display their beauties to the
best advantage. e was really pretty
gift for the girl, and felt under obi.
cations to Miss Witherspoon which there
seemed to be no immediate way Of dis
charging. I tried to speak very kindly
to her and to say the things that she
would like.
AS we passed the orchard observed
that the girl had deserted her easel and
umbrella, which were where we had
previously seen them, she herself hav-
ing gone up to the lodge. This sug.
gested to me the idea that if I could
make sufficient haste I might learn
what reception was accorded my gift.
/ made the little boat go SO fast that
Miss Witherspoon cried out that the
water would come in over the stern,
but observed that her eyes were very
bright with the excitement and that she
seemed to like it quite as well as the
pretty speeches which had been labo-
riously devising. Women are naturally
so deceitful that lying to them is like
playing the piano to Paderewski. Lucy
Ann, though the most truthful Of her
sex, could have beaten me out of sight
at saying the thing that isn't meant,
and SO she took small pleasure in my
inferior performance, but she really did
like to see me row boat. ..
We found Jimmy Lamoine at the
landing, and I was very glad to see
him, for I dislilxed the idea of asking
Miss Witherspoon to take the roses AS
for Jimmy, I rejoice to speak well of
him in any way, and It is the solid
truth that he delighted to be service
able. I wrote hasty note on my card
to this effect:
''To the keeper of the harbor light,
from the poor sailor who struck the
outer reef"
Jimmy took the bouquet, and we
watched him till he squeezed his slen-
der body through the hedge fence into
the orchard.
."As for the pilots fee''-- said Miss
Witherspoon. 'But that doesn't mat
ter"
Whereupon solemnly took from my
coat pocket the largest and finest rose
of all and put it into her hand. It was
a great coup, carefully meditated.
81 never thought you'd remember it,
said Lucy Ann, staring at the rose.
''I'll press it in the family Bible. The
dictionary isn't good enough for it,
"Now," said I, twill you come out
with me again just for a few minutes?''
She would have demurred, but in
| sisted:
| 81 don't want to be alone out there.
If the girl doesn't wear my posies
when she comes down through the
orchard again 1 shall be tempted to
| jump into the lake."
"Of course she'll wear them" said
Lucy Ann. "Any girl would do that
| much.'s
"Then come and behold my joy"
| She consented with reluctance, and
we rowed out far enough into the lake
to command a view of the orchard.
We could see the lodge, but not dis
| tinctly because of the abundance Of
( foliage. The girl was sitting on the
veranda, but Jimmy was not visible.
He must have done his errand and
gone on toward the house.
''She's arranging them now said
Lucy Ann. Evidently I did not fix
them we'll enough to suit her.
| assured my young friend that her
work with the roses had been of the
highest order of excellence, but she
still seemed to be hurt. For my own
part, I was fattered and absurdly
pleased that the girl should take so
much pains with my gift. I should not
/ have known what she was doing ex-
cept for Lucy AIMS suggestion, for we
were long way off, and the girl sat
| Dy table with her back turned
seward us; but after very long time,
dAs it seemed to me, she arose, holding
the bouquet against her gown as if to
try the effect. Then she picked up
something from the floor of the
veranda, tossed it through the window.
and, unfolding her indispensable para
sol, she came slowly down through the
orchard.
We had fieeting glimpses of her
among the trees, and it was not until
she had covered more than half the
distance that she came fully into view.
I The flowers were fastened at her belt,
How white they lookw said |. 1.-THE
color scarcely shows at all at this dis
| lance
Lucy Ann did. not reply. She was