The San Francisco call., 1905-01-13
UR acquaintance began in 9
manner most unique.
High up on the canyon wall

~ High up on the canyon wall
| ~ was a rock, shaded by live
! oak. For a month 1t had been
my custom to sit upon this rock
through the warmest part Of the day
sketching. / had established possess
sion by right Of pre-emption.
So it came in the nature of a shock
when 1 climbed to my usual vantage
point and found, ensconced in my fav-
orite position on my rock a girl.
Il was indignant, also disappointed. /
felt much as Izaak Walton might
fishing his favorite pool. This was a.
most presumptuous young person.
"Ahem!" remarked.
She half turned and made a slight
bow
THE view is something tremendous
from here" I observed further.
''Very!" she agreed.
'I come here every day." I said as
I sat down conventionally near. II
have done SO for a month"
"Oh! Perhaps you would rather
L"
by no means!" I 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.
I was glad she had jumped my claim.
For she was very pretty and her eyes
were the kind that sends a thrill
wonder If you are going to live
through 1t.
It was three days after.
why didn't you wait for mef"
asked as / climbed over the rock and
threw myself down beside her.
She opened her brown eyes wide in
wonderful assumption of surprise.
How did / know you were COM
ing?" she asked.
1 was amazed at the nerve of her. AS
though I 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 you KNOW" I said con-
fidently.
She looked at me and felt my heart
turn to water. Still 1 persisted, where
a wise man would have turned the
conversation swiftly to the weather or
the view. You knew I'd been COM
AAS CNCl y Qety 1OI d lAOntA. AO0 NIT"
/ usually 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" 1 pleaded. Il want you to
stay! l."
She kept her face averted. though 1
could see that her cheeks were hot and
y - oc
gone.
The sun suddenly turned to ink.
Where a moment before had been a
bright scene spreading away below me
was a bowling wilderness and / was
tempted to jump off the rock and butt
my empty head against the riverbed
three hundred feet below. l longed to
be boy again that 1 might go down
and fight the first kid I 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. I would
dance with her and make my peace
while she was so close she would be
compelled to listen, for all the week
she had seemed unaware Of my exist
ence.
I 1t was an informal affair-a country
dance, sans cards and ceremony. l ap-
preached the group where Miss Wins
ton was chatting brightly with golf
stocking Englishman and a Boston
magnate. Miss Winstone saw me COM
/ ing--I know she did. She looked
/ through and beyond-far beyond me- I
E, felt like a perambulating piece of thin
glass which breath of hers might
shatter.
j 1 stopped suddenly. OF course that
was it! We had not been properly
presented" What a chump was I
4 sought diligently for Bobby Jelinski.
! who knew everybody. / didn't find
/ him. The band struck up and I saw
| her go gliding away with the English
man - his golf stockings flashing
among the dancers like two variegated
comets running amuck along the heav-
ems Of bright night.
! And this was my luck all through
the evening. Try as I would, got no
dance from her. / managed a few
words while she was waiting for her
mother, who was struggling with a
1 Mexican mantilla. / gathered that it
was a fine night and that she had en-
| joyed her dance immensely and yes,
California moonlight was far superior
to anything she had ever seen-and
then she was gone, with the English
man pompously escorting her.
| What's the matter with you, any
way?" demanded Bobby Jelinski, who
at the eleventh hour had presented
me.
Bobby" I said savagely, will you
kindly go to blazes few times-and
stay there!"
And this was the third day.
! A month had passed. The season