The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-04-30


lege cheers in his honor, How plainl
the dear old, young faces rose up befog
him tonight. the men from whose live
he had slipped Dearest aud jolliest q
the faces was that OF Tom Meredith
clubmate, classmate his closest friene
the thin, redheaded third haseman. II
could see Toms month opened at leas
a yard, Il seemed, such was his frantl
yociferousness Again and again tn
cheers rang out, HAIRLESS! Hark
less" on the end of them. In thos,
days everybody, particularly his class
mates, thought he would be minlste
to England in few years. and the or
chestra on the casino porch was play
ing "The ConquerinS Hero Comes" II
his honor and at the beheSt of Ton
Meredith, he knew.
There were other pleity ladies' be.
sides Mrs. Van Sauyt 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 10 the
Viking" and carried him up the wood.
ed blur TO the casino. He heard Mrs.
Van Skuyt say: "0h. we're used to 1t.
We've put in at several other places
where he had friendsr' 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
q 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 |
Harkless has arrived, and she has fled"
But the present hour grew on him |
as he leaned on the pasture bars. 1t,
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 a present beauty had always held
for him. 1t was soprano and without
tremolo, yet came to his ear with a
certain tremulous sweetness. Ii was
soft and slender, but the listener knew
It could be lifted with fullness and
power If the singer would. Ii spoke
only Of the song. yet the listener
thought OF the singer. Under the
moon thoughts run into dreams, and
be 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
with sorrow and her tears
with laughter.
When the song was ended be struck
he rail he leaned upon a sharp blow
yith his open hand There swept over
lin a feeling that he had stood precise
where he stood now on such night
thousand years ago; had heard that
oice and that song and been moved by
ne voice and the song and the night
ust as he was moved now. He had
ing known himself for a sentimental
It. He had almost given up trying to
nre himself And he knew himself
1r born lover He had always been
love with some one. In his earlier
outh his affections had been so con
antly inconstant that be finally came
settle with his self respect by rec,
ynizing in himself a fine constancy ,
lat worshiped one woman always. Ii ,
as only the shifting image Of her that .
hanged. Somewhere Che dreamed,
indulgent OF the fancy. +,
It mocking himself for it) there was 4
ri whom he had never seen who wait.
till he should come. She was every 4
ing Until he found her he could not q
ZIP adoring others who possessed lit. \
pieces and suggestions Of her-her 9,
her courage, her short upper a
,, 'like a eurled rose, leaf" or her \
ar voice or her pure profile. He had :
recollection Of any lady who had
lite her eyes. He lad never passed y
lovely stranger on The street In the >,
4 Gays without a thrill Of delight and b,
lrmth. If he never saw her again q,
ID the vision had only lasted for the q,
ne II takes lady TO cross the side
ak from shop door to carriage ~
was always a little in love with her
cause she bore abont her somewhere. so
did every pretty girl he ever saw,
suggestion Of the faraway divinity.
le does not pass lovely strangers in n,
e streets Of Plattyille. Miss Brlscoe ro
IS pretty, but not at all in the way AZ
1T Harkless dreamed. For five years hi
lover in him that had loved so Of So
bad been starved of all but dreams.
ly at twilight and dusk In the sum-
r, when strolling be caught sight of or
woman's skirt far up the village ~
eet, half outlined In the darkness