The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1906-12-06
BEATRICE AND BENEDICK
BY Clayton Hamilton.
Copyright. 1906. by Joseph b. Bowles)

|
Hal" said Mona. merrily, I'm
afraid that you're failure. You
J cant converse-really you can't"
| "Of course, since you prohibit ciga
rettes-"
| They're nasty things indoors. My
hair smells of smoke an hour after
wards"
What's fellow to do? Either |
have to sit still and hdget with my
hands. or else pace the room-and
that makes you nervous, No wonder
| can't converse. Who coud?"
And you sit stiff-necked in an un.
comfortable chair and solloquize
about embarrassing things. What do
care about business ventures. wise
or otherwise? oh, those solloquies
Your name might he Hamlet instead
of Hal You are impossible. Go
home. It's II, anyway"
Two hours since | smoked"
"Brute!"
Goodnight, them" He extended
formal hand
mo, | can't let you so, after all,
she replied; mot like that. Why do
we always end up like Beatrice and
Bendick?"
I'VE don't" retorted Hal. They
ended up by marrying each other.
Yet we are fond of each other, Mona,
aren't WEI"
in a way" Then she added sud
denly: Hal, | have an idea. | think
that / could stand you better out of
doors. Take me for walk
"When?"
will Satur -ay do?'
"At three o'clock?"
"All right! Come for me in old
clothes, and take me out of the New
York that bothers us. Pm good for
, real tramp, you know"
You won't get tired and wish that
you were homer"
do look like that?"
The question answered itself She
was tall, wel-made and strong.
= How about the Palisades?' said
Hal
Fine! I've never been there. And
oh, the joy of it," she added. I'VE
, shan't have to talk at all"
Mona met him at the door on Sat
urday. She was dressed wisely in q
short skirt, plain waist, and little
comfortable jacket Il suppose I'll
have to wear hat and gloves" she
said, until we get across the river.
But once really out of doors-heigho
for comfort"
1t was great day for tramp.
They crossed the Hudson on the Fort
> Lee ferry boat The domes of Morn
u ingside stood bright above the city
. they were leaving. There were but
II a few clouds gathered low along the
T. west; otherwise the sky was clear,
and scarcely moist and it dwindled
p away in smoky mist far down the
II river.
o Mona was light-hearted and light
u limbed when they reached the other
n shore. She scorned to climb the cliff
q by the serpentine road, and struck
u up over little pathway between
rocks instead. She was not the sort
of a girl whose arm man would take
to help her over nothing at all Hal
followed mutely, in delight at her
agility. 1t was he who was GREATNESS
when they reached the top; he had
g grown q little heavy since his foot
ball da. ).
There was a road or two in sight
re with a tagging of suburban sidewalk;
Is but they were seeking a cure fol
r. civilization, and set out north ane
O. west athwart the woods.
r The sunlight sifted through tangled
Is branches and splashed here and there
at upon the ground. There was Lace
of slender trunks on every side.
At last these pedestrians broke on
-, upon a falling valley, with little Lag!
- river far below. They paused; Mon;
" sat upon the ground, with her hea
20 propped against tree trunk, Will
p9 Hal sprawled cumbersome a yar'
away.
Light your pipe"
le Really"
II Between puffs sentence came fror
es Hal This beats your drawng-roor
nd all out doesn't it? We're really con
Portable at last"
- Quite" said Mona, digging weed
Nv with a little stick. Il thought
is should like you out of doors"
ks New York makes q deuced diffe
TX ence. doesn't it?'
Sc Yes, we don't live in town; we G
through forms as in mummery."
They didn't talk much after tina
but sat listening to things and seem
10 them.
After awhile they started up agai
!. eastward this time, vaguely
search of the heights above the HUI
son. They had pleasant sense
being lost and steering by the ST
until it went under clouds and bere
them of all guidance but that of me
instinct.
nd. There was low mute, Vi NUM-
out of the west. 1t rolled nearer ar
ses nearer to them until 1t seemed abo
,er to break behind them. They had ju
rnnnhnh the brow of the PaliSnd