The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1903-11-21

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AIRDS ef a feather may flock togeta-
er, but they do not always fail In
love with each other. AS atruie. 1t takes
birdsnot Of 8 feather to do that. Atany
rate this was the case with Miss Chris
tobei Merlin and Peter funston; and
yet So different were they that the whole
affair seemed altogether hopeless up to
the time that Miss Bferlin's aeboat came
Between them. It Is strange that any-
thing coming between two people who
t1ve each other should bring them to-
gether. yet this may happen il the wind
De ia the right direction.
AZ Sandheaps, where Miss Merlin's
father had a cottage, and where Miss
Merlin. with her diminutivs catboat
had learned to be one Of the best sail
ors among the summer contingent,
there had been a lack of visitors owing
to bad weather, and the hotel, usually
crowded, looked lonesome up to the
drst Of July, when the guests all seemed
70 come at once. And among them
came Peter, or, as his class familiarity
called him, Buster"
They met at a Saturday evening hop.
He was brought up and introduced BY
ChFist0bers cousin, Jack He bowed
awkwardly
May have this dance?" he NUT
tered.
with pleasure, she replied.
In moment they were whirling
around the room, or, rather, they were
trying to whirl, for funston, with his
1S0 pounds, was not the best dancer in
the world.
After awhile they stopped.
'I'm not much Of a dancer" he OBJ
served, apologeticaIly
His partner tried to smile.
Never mind, she said: I'VE viii Ell
st out
They stroiled 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
81 the semi-darkness. His stature awed
her. She knew instinctively that he was
everything she was pot agd The
lhs 6e heE love htn. ass fCnBuu-
sline be had tried self-anaiysis
with him was an unknown quality. ne
only knew that he felt uncomfortable.
Im beastly dancer" he haIf
stammered, as they sat down. Il never
tackle It Il can help It, but Jack said
that"
said" she repeated, 'that / was
dying to dance, / suppose. Well, Jack
doesn't know everything. How do you
liFe it here?"
Bully beach. Good surf-seems like
a decent sort Of place, said funston.
'Do you sail?"
mot much. play ball a good deal in
the spring and fall, water polo in the
winter, and in the summer-well, these
-dinlzy little boats don't appeal to me"
She smiled.
That's what I've gOt-a dinky little
boat"
He coIored.
"oh-beg your pardon. didn't know
-1t."
Don't apologize. It's all right. ! can
understand how you feel. But 1 enjoy It
hugely. Papa got me my boat last year,
and / go sailing in It every day"
"Alone?"
'Oh, yes. That's the fun"
The propriety Of a young man GO
ing sailing with young girl alone In q
small boat has often been discussed,
and probably never will be determined.
It is ali right, Of course, to take a girl
for long stroll up the beach when the
elder people are having their afternoon
nap and where there are plenty Of shell
tering rocks, though the prudes snifI
even at this. But to 80 out in a boat
alone with young man, at the mercy Of
sea and wind and tide, is quite diffor-
.ent matter
Miss Merlin's father might have OBJ
.5ected to such a proceeding, had be not
such confidence in his daughters tudg-
ment and her sailing powers AS for
Miss Merlin, she was more or less above
such things; American to the core, she