Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-05-17

tSI YFF seymour cOulu uuNe NoiSS"
Kl his thought he would have
Es.ss1e.S said that the earth itself dlo
JSSNSAJ not afford fairer picture
than that which lay within the lever
radius of his vision and which had I'M
printed itself so powerfully upon bis
unreasonable and youthful heart. II
was not the scenery Of Virginia either
the landscape on the Potomac, of
which he would have spoken SO en-
Enthusiastically, though even that were
a thing not to be disdained by such d
lover of the beautiful as Seymour had
| shown himself to be-the dry brown
hills rising in swelling slopes from the
edge of the wide. quiet river; the bare
and leatiess trees upon their crests
now scarce yelling the comfortable old
white house, which in the summer
they quite concealed beneath theil
| masses of foliage, and all the world
| lying dreamy and calm and still in the
mOtionless :e Of one OF those rare
seasons in Jvember which so sug'
gests departed days that men name 1,
| summer again. For all that he then
| saw i'm nature was but q setting for q
| woman: even the sun itself, low in the
west, robbed of it's glory and faded
into dull ball seeking to hide its
| head. but served to throw into high re-
| lief the noble and beautiful face of the
| girl upon whom he gaZed-the girl who
was sun and life and light and world
for him.
The most confirmed misogynist would
have found it difficult to challenge her
claim to beauty.
The whole impression she produced
was one which charmed and fascinated
to the last degree, and Mistress ka
tharine WiltOn's sway among the
young men of the colony was well
nigh undisputed. A toast and belle
in half Virginia, Seymour was not the
first. nor was he destined to be the
last. of her adorers.
The strong, steady, practiced stroke,
denoting the accomplished oarsman
with which he had urged the little
boat through the water, had given
way to an idle and purposeless drift
He longed to cast himself down before
the little feet. in their smart high
heeled buckled shoes and clocked
stockings, which peeped out at him
from under her embroidered camlet
petticOat in such maliciously coquet'
tish manner. He longed to kneel down
there in the skiff, ut the imminent
risk of spelling his own gay attire
and declare the passion which con-
sumed him, but something-he did not
know what it was, and she did not
tell him-constrained him, and he sat
still and felt himself as far away as
if she had been in the stars.
In this way he was quite as good to
look at as the young maiden. Tall
blond. stalwart, blue eyed, pleasant
featured, with the frank, engaging ali
which seems to belong to those who
go down to the sea in ships, Lieutenant
John Seymour Seymour was an excel
lent specimen of that hardy. daring,
gallant class of men who in this war
and in the next were to shed such I'M
perishable Mster upon American arms
by their exploits in the naval service
Born of IN old and distinguished Phil
adelphia family, so proud of It's name
that in his instance they had doubled
it. the usual bluntness and rouShness
of the sea were tempered by this gen
tie birth and breeding and by frequent
attrition with men and women or the
politest society of the largest ana most
important city of the colonies. Oher-
ing his services as soon as the news
of Lexington precipitated the conflict
with the mother country, he had al
ready mace his name known among
that gallant band of seamen among
whom Jones. Biddie, Dale and Conyng-
ham were pre-eminent.
The delicious silence which he had
been unwilling to break, since 1t per
mitted him to gaze undisturbed upon
his fair shipmate, was terminated at
last by that lady herself.
She looked up from the water with
which she had been playing and then
appearing to notice for the first time
his steady. ardent gaze. she laughed
lightly and said:
We'll. sir, it grows late. When you
have finished contemplating the seen
cry perhaps you will turn the boat and
take me home. Then you can feast
your eyes upon something more at.
tractive."
"And what is that, pray?' he asked.
"Your supper, sir. You must be very
anxious for it by this time, and really
You know, you look quite hungry. We
have been out SO long, but will have
pity on you and detain you no longer
here. Turn the boat around, Lieuten.
ant Seymour, and put me on shore at
once. | will stand between no man
and his dinner"
Hungry? Yes, am, but not fol
dinner, for you, Mistress Katharine
he replied.
"Oh. what a horrid appetite! I don't
feel safe in the boat with you. Are you
very hungry?'
"Really. Miss Wilton, am not Jest
ing at ALL" he said, with immense dig
nifty.
.'Oh. oh! He is In earnest. Shall
scream? No use. We are mile from
the house at least"
"Oh. Miss Wilton-Katharine," he Re-
piled desperately, 81 am devoured by
my
"Lieutenant Seymour" She drew
herself up with great hauteur. letting
the cloak drop about her waist.
"Madam!"
"Only my friends call me Katha-
rine"
"And am not. may not be. one OF
your friends?"
"Well, yes; | suppose so. but you are
so young"
II am just twenty-seven. madam
and you. suppose, are
Never bc uugallant enough to sup
pose Il young lady's age. You may dc
those things in Philadelphia If you
like, but It's not the custom here. Be
sides, l mean too young. friend. You
have not known me long enough, thai
is"
Long enough! I have known you
ever since Tuesday of last week"
"And this is Friday-just ten days
ten long daysw she replied triumphant