The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1904-01-07
Copyright. 1901. by Charlie. w. Hooke

claimed.
"You can always get something to
eat here,' he said. There amt any
hours
In previous experiences with rustic
living had been burdened by the ri
gidity Of mealtime regulations. and l
had had no thought that Mrs. Wither
spoon would serve lunch as late as half
past 2.
You are taking a starving sailor off
raft" said I to Jimmy, and 1 gave
him half dollar, which he received
with the solemnity of rite.
He laid the coin in the palm of his
hand, closed his fingers upon it and
opened them again. My money had
vanished. Having performed this mys-
terry, Jimmy gravely led the way to-
ward the dining room, seeming to know
by some sort of intuition that should
make my exit by the window instead
of taking the longer route.
Mrs. Witherspoon' dining room was
in sections, like the house, and each
section had it's exits and it's entrances.
l was aware, in the course of my meal,
that several persons were lunching in
my neighborhood, but I saw none of
them. l sat at little table by the
window and was we'll served by a neat
maid. The bill Of fare was ample, and
everything was cooked to admiration.
After luncheon, being entirely upon
my own resources in the matter of
amusement, [ wandered down to the
lake. The path led alongside the or
chard, but the view in it's direction
was obstructed by bushes that oyerran
the fence. There was no one to pre-
vent my walking across the orchard.
No signboard interdicted it, but there
was a law in the air, and this was
popularity of the place.
At the foot of the path l found a
small boat drawn up on the shore, and
l felt privileged to take it, I pushed
the craft off and sat in the stern, using
one oar as a paddle, Indian fashion.
The lake was very pretty and blessed
by a cool breeze. I padded out a
little way and lighted cigar.
To the left the hill came down, verg-
ing upon the water in singular wall
of rocks that would have seemed the
work Of man but for the vast labor it
would have cost. CHANGING along this
wall and so on to the bare field that
fringed the orchard, I perceived a girl
in pale green dress at work before an
easel. She was shaded by large UNI
brelia, such as artists use planted in
the ground and set at so nice an angle
that it accurately beheaded her image
in my eyes.
The distance was not so great but
that l might have recognized a person
very we'll known to me, and I stared
at her, expecting every moment that
she would stoop and reveal her face.
Whom should see? Pretty Miss Jones
from st. 10 Or-some one else? I was
conscious of most unusual thrill of
anxiety.
could see her right hand plainly; at
least, there was nothing but distance
TO prevent. 1t seemed a pretty hand,
and it welded the brush with enga ging
grace. Yet in my present calm frame
of mind I am willing to admit that one
human hand looks much like another
at 300 yards. But this consideration
did not come to me at the time Such
things are for the best; they make up
the JOY of youth. Thank heaven, 1 am
still subject to such illusions, for all
this did not happen long ago.
l watched the lady's hand with a
most agreeable fascination and tried
to remember a hand which it was my
chief business to forget. But ones
memory in such matters is not what
the romantic would like to believe that
it is. The actual fact is that I prob
ably could not have identified Anna
Lamoine by her hand alone if it had
arisen from the lake beside my boat.
After long while, as it seemed to
me, the lady stopped. I had warning
that she would do it, and my heart
gave leap. 1t was great sport; en-
joyed every second of It, And then her
head came slowly down into the visible
area. She was yelled, not heavily, but
quite enough. should not have known
her had she been the dear old aunt who
brought me up.
should work with a veil over her eyes;
indeed it was not to be believed had
seen a motion of her left hand just be-
fore she bent down. She must have
been lowering the veil, and this could
not have been done except upon my
account. No one else was in sight.
The hint was sufficient. 1 took up
my oar and gently propelled the boat
toward the other side Of the lake.
There, with my head upon the rail at
the stern and my feet almost in the
bows of the little craft, lay for long
time thinking.
At this distance the girl was q mere
dot in the landscape, yet the nearer
view was present in my memory.
"She is some one have seen before"
said I, ''but she is not Miss Lamoine.
nor Miss Jones Of St. 10, nor any pos
sible remolding of Sibyl Who is she.
and why do feel this peculiar interest
in her? Really she is only nuisance
If a yir1 Vubn