Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1905-06-01
Four Days
By Lowell Otus Reeae
BY Lowell Otus Reese


Ouracquantance began in manner
most unicue.
rock, shaded by IA live oak. For a
month ii had been my custom to sit
upon this rock through the warmest
part of the day sketchlng ! had es-
tablshed possession by right Of pre-
emption.
| SO 1t came in the nature Of shock
when | climbed to my usual vantage
point and found ensconced in my IA
| voiitc position on my rock n girl.
was indignant, also disappointed
| | felt much AZ Izaak Walton might
| have felt when he found an interloper
| fishing his favorite pool This was a
most preSmnptuous young person.
"Ahcm" | remarked.
She half turned and made a alight
| bow.
'ihe view IS something tremendous
! from here" | observed further.
Very" she agreed.
81 come here every day" painted as
sat down convcntionally near. II
| have done SO for a month"
ooh. perhaps you would rather r.
by no meansr' | exclaimed The
view is much better
She froze me: then she laughed. We
were friends by the divine instinct
which tells unerringly whom we are
going to like or hate.
| was glad she had jumped my claim,
for she was very pretty. and her eyes
were the kind that send Il thrill
through your whole being, and you
wonder II you are going to live through
It.
That was the first day.
1t was three days after
"Why didn't you wait for meF l
asked as | climbed over the rock and
threw myself down beside her.
She opened her brown eyes wide in
wonderful assumption of surprise.
"Iiow did know you We're comingf'
she asked.
| was amazed at the nerve of her. AS
though | could have kept away. AS
though the combined police forces of
two continents could have kept me
away This girl must be disciplined.
"Of course yon Know" | said conf
IDENTIFY.
She looked nj me, aud felt my heart
turn to water Still | persisted, where
a wise man would have turned the con-
versation swiftly to the weather or the
view. You knew I'd been coming ev-
cry day for month You knew ! usu-
ally came up about this time. You
knew-then why didn't you allow me
to accompany YOU
She rose. "I'm not coming any more"
she said.
sprang to my feet in fright. "Don't!'
pleaded. Il want you to stay. T.
She kept her face averted, though
could see that her checks were hot and
flushed "Goodby," she said, and was
gone.
The sun suddenly turned to ink.
Where a moment before had been
bright scene spreading away below me
tempted to jump off the rock and butt
my empty head against the river bed
800 feet below. | longed TO be boy
again that | might 90 down and fight
the first kid ran across.
This was the second day.
The next Saturday night there was a
quiet dance in the assembly room of
this famous resort between the high
walls of the Matilda canyon. ! saw my
chance to redeem myself | would
dance with her and make my peace
while she was SO close she would he
compelled TO listen. for all the week she
had seemed unaware of my existence,
1t was an informal affair--a country
dance, sans cards and ceremony. | mp
preached the group where Miss Win
ston was chatting brightly with a golf
stocking Englishman and Boston
maguAte Miss Winston saw me COM
ingl knew she did. She looked
through and heyond-far beyond me-
felt like peramhulating piece of thin
glass which breath OF hers might
shattcr
| stopped suddenly OF course that
was it, We had not been properly
presented. What chump | was.
sought diligently for Bobby Jelinski.
who knew everybody. didn't find him.
The band struck up. and | saw her go
gliding away with the Englishman--
his golf stockings flashing among the
dancers like two yariegated comets
| running amuck along the heavens Of
bright night
And this was my luck all through
the evening. Try as | would. | got no
| dance from her | managed To say n
| few words while She was waiting for
Ags Wo,her Wii0 ayas SttWEg,juG wfth
Il Mexican mantilla / gathered that il
was n fine night ANA that she had en-
| ioyed her dauce immensely, and, yes,
California moonlight was far superior
| % anything she had ever seen, and then
she was gone, with the Englishman
poWuauSly rSeorting her
What's the matter with YOU any
wayf" demanded = 0by Jelinski. who
nj the eleventh hour had presented
| me
Bobby" | said savagely, will you
/ kindly 20 to hlazes few times and