Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1903-03-27
The SentimentaliSt'S
Surprise
By GLARE M. HOWARD

ANE was young person of great
u sensibility and imaginative power.
Her enemies said she was sentimental,
but that was only half true. Jane, hav-
ing read countless romances in which
love appeared to be the highest state
of bliss, decided that if life were to
contain anything important for her she
must fall in love as soon as possible.
This may seem an easy matter to the
simply amorouS, but to a strict roman
ticist it presents many difficulties.
James life led down city street to
school and home again. 1t is true that
many young ladies in Madam Estelle's
seminary tiirted from the windows
with young gentlemen on the corner,
but this innocent vulgarity was Of
fensive to James sense of romance.
She continued reading and bided an
aus picious occasion for the bestowal
of her heart.
In her fifteenth year James parents
went to spend the summer in the
Adirondacks. Jane decided that this
summer should certainly mark the
great year of her life Some one must
at once be found upon whom TO hang
her affections. Had not Juliet lived,
loved and died before she was sixteen?
Jane made calculating survey of her
self before she launched upon her
quest. Her blue eyes, black hair and
pensive, dropping mouth were encour-
aging, but there was something Of
fensively prosaic about her short, blue
linen dress and large laced boots. \
/ limp white muslin and pair of sandal
slippers are what Jane would have
liked.
For many days Jane viewed the male
: population Of the lakes with a search
ing eye. She looked at the venerable
beauX with patent leather shoes and
cynic smiles. the college men with
! blatant tongues and sweaters, the
stodgy heads of families, the choicely
dressed and vacuous looking youths
from city Offices, the agile derisive lit
tie boys who moved in gangs. Her
aeart misgave her. Was it possible
that ladies still found heroes in this
/ throng? Still she did not despair.
There might yet beat some soul of sem
timent under flannel blazer.
One night as she was standing on
the wharf the little boat that brought
new visitors to the hotel presented to
her eyes a likely subject. He was lean
ing against the door of the steamer in
a rather graceful way, with a soft hat
almost imperceptibly tilted on his
head. There was, to James eye, some
thing both subtle and dashing about
his appearance. Her hopes beat high.
He was shaking hands with an older
girl whom she knew. There was to be
a hop II the hotel that night. Perhaps
the older girl would ask him to dance
with Jane.
The wouldbe heroine was pink with
excitement that evening. She watched
the new guest as he crossed the dane
ing space. He had dark eyes with
shadows under them and shadows
round his mouth. Jane thought he
most work very hard. She leaned over
and touched her older friend.
"Will-will you introduce me to that
MANI" she shyly whispered.
"Of course" said her companion,
gayly reckoning to the loiterer. "Miss
Graves, let me present Mr.. Carson"
"Delighted," said Mr.. Carson, in a
weary voice. May l have the pleas
ure?" and he led Jane out to dance
Afterward they repaired to two veran-
da seats in the moonlight. Jane wait
} ed anxiously for the hero to speak, and
the hero spoke. He told Jane that she
had danced beautifully; that it was the
best dance he had had that evening
He jeered languidly at the college stu