The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1904-03-10


sides Mrs. Van Skuyt in the launch
load from the yacht, but as they touch
ed the pier, pretty girls or pretty wom-
en- or jovial gentlemen, all were over
looked in the wild scramble the college
men made for their hero. They hailed
him forth, set him on high, bore him on
their shoulders. shouting "Skal to the
Viking!' and carried him up the wood
ed bluff to the casino. He heard Mrs,
Van Skuyt say: "Oh, we're used to it.
We've put in at several other places
where he had friendsv' He remember
ed the wild progress they made for
him up the slope that morning at Win
ter Harbor-how the people looked on
and laughed and clapped their hands.
But at the veranda edge he had no.
ticed little form disappearing around
corner of the building, young girl
running away as fast as she could.
"See there" he said as the tribe set
him down; you have frightened the
populace." And Tom Meredith had
stopped shouting long enough to an.
swer: ITS my little cousin, overcome
with emotion. She's been counting
the hours till you came-been hearing
about you for good while. She hasn't
been able to talk or think of anything
else. She's only fifteen, and the crucial
moment is too much for her. The great
HAIRLESS has arrived, and she has fed"
But the present hour grew on him
as he leaned on the pasture bars. It
had been reminiscent day with him,
but suddenly his memories sped, and
the voice that was singing Schubert's
"Serenade" across the way touched
him with the urgent personal appeal
that present beauty had always held
for him. 1t was a soprano and without
tremolO, yet came to his ear with a
certain tremulous sweetness. 1t was
soft and slender, but the listener knew
it could be lifted with fullness and
power If the singer would. 1t spoke
only of the song, yet the listener
thought Of the singer. Under the
moon thoughts run into dreams, and
he dreamed that the owner of the
voice, she who quoted ''The Walrus
and the Carpenter on Fisbee's notes,
was one to laugh with you and weep
with you, yet her laughter would be
tempered with sorrow and her tears
with laughter.
When the song was ended he struck
the rail he leaned upon a sharp blow
with his open hand. There swept over
him feeling that he had stood precise
~ where he stood now on such night
thousand years ago; had heard that
voice and that song and been moved by
the voice and the song and the night
just as he was moved now. He had
long known himself for a sentimental
list. He had almost given up trying to
cure himself. And he knew himself
for born lover. He had always been
in love with some one. In his earlier
youth his affections had been so con-
stantly inconstant that he finally came
to settle with his self respect by rec
ognizing in himself fine constancy
that worshiped one woman always. It
was only the shifting image of her that
changed. Somewhere Che dreamed,
whimsically indulgent of the fancy,
yet hooking himself for it, there was
girl whom he had never seen who wait
ed till he should come. She was every
thing. Until he found her he could not
help adoring others who possessed lit
tie pieces and suggestions of her-her
brilliancy, her courage, her short upper
lip, ''like curled rose leaf" or her
dear voice or her pure profile. He had
no recollection of any lady who had
quite her eyes. He had never passed
a lovely stranger on the street in the
old days without thrill of delight and
warmth. If he never saw her again
and the vision had only lasted for the
time it takes lady to cross the side
walk from a shop door to a carriage
he was always little in love with her
because she bore about her somewhere,
as did every pretty girl he ever saw,
suggestion of the faraway divinity.
One does not pass lovely strangers in
the streets of Plattville. Miss Briscoe
was pretty, but not at all in the way
that Harkless dreamed. For five years
the lover in him that had loved so Of
ten had been starved of all but dreams.
Only at twilight and dusk in the sum-
mer, when strolling he caught sight of
a woman's skirt far up the village
street, half outlined in the darkness
under the cathedral arch of meeting
branches, this romancer of petticoats
could sigh true lovers sigh and, if
he kept enough distance between, fly a
yearning fancy that his lady wandered
there
Ever since his university days the
image of her had been growing more
and more distinct He had completely
settled his mind as to her appearance
and her voice. She was tall, almost too
tall, he was sure of that; and out of
his consciousness there had grown
sweet and vivacious young face that he
knew was hers. Her hair was light
brown, with gold lusters Che reveled in
the gold lusters on the proper theory
that when your fancy is painting
picture you may as we'll 60 in for the
whole thing and make it sumptuous),
on6 har ovos xvoro GROW TJ,ov uoro