St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1906-01-31
Hs IN the
Long Hgo
BY VIR GINA LEILA VENT

Harding glanced across the deck.
There a slender, girlish figure leaning
idly over the rails caught his atten-
ton. Although the veil of her yacht
ing cap was down and it was possible to
distinguish only the vague outline of her
profile, something in the graceful poise
of Der head, in the tip of the shelllike
ear and in the lustrous brown hair
that cleaned in the red shine of the
setting sun made him think of girl
whom be had known in the long ago.
BY Jove! l wonder if it could be-"
he speculated, looking at her sharply
and blinking through the smoke from
his pipe.
Just then she raised her veil and
turned Harding saw that she was, in
fact, the selfsame girl. She knew him
instantly as he came forward, and they
shook hands heartily, as became old
friends.
"Of course, when we get back to
New York, you'll come and see me-"
continued Vittoria after they had talk
ed Of many things. You know, when
brother married, | issued my declara
ton of independence. It's dear little
box of a house in Greenwich village.
All alone? Why to be sure. That's
the principle upon which | made my
stand--a woman against the world"
o1 a CHI
glistened prettily in two little rows.
Sounds more terrifying than it real
~ is" she went on without giving him
a chance to throw in, "for the bachelor
maid has only to acknowledge to thirty
and the world losses up the sponge at
once. 1t doesn't care to continue
fight after it's ceased to be interesting"
But Harding had put his beloved pipe
in one corner of his mouth and was 60
ing through an elaborate pantomime of
counting Oh his fingers. Nine and
twenty" he corrected.
Vittoria colored slightly and strum.
med nonchalantly on the arm of her
steamer chair What an appalling
memory" said she
Whereupon they. both laughed, and a
little silence fell.
mine years" observed Harding sud
denly. He had been stretched out laZi
~ in his chair, his hands beneath his
curly head, his gray eyes staring
straight into the glory of the western
heavens. Its a good slice, isn't it, if
one hasn't accomplished
In the midst of his sentence he saw
Vittoria nod to some one. Following
the direction of her eyes, he perceived
tall, blond girl, smartly gowned and
of rather naughty demeanor. walking
briskly toward them. A maid followed
more slowly with a steamer rug and an
armful of wraps
"Ah, it's Marion" he exclaimed half
to himself. And to Vittoria, DO you
know herr"
Our acquaintance is only bowling
one" volunteered Vittoria coldly. II
met her last month in Switzerland"
~
Lane carelessly, as he rose to greet her.
From beneath her inky lashes she
glanced at Vittoria indifferently and
nodded slightly again. You can join
mother and me when you like-no hur.
ry,' she murmured amiably as she
swept on down the deck where her
maid deposited her rug and wraps be-
side an alert looking little widow in
black.
I'm engaged to Miss Lane" Harding
said oddly at length. "At least, I've
asked her to marry me-"
You began Nittoria lncredulous-
ly. Then change took place in her
feminine mind. And her answer"
she said simply.
She's considering it. In the mean
time, of course, it's secret"
"Of course"
Il love her said he, bit shame
facedly. 1T must seem strange that
to say this-to you he stammered.
NO. think | understand" she said
quietly. And then she listened with in
credible patience to his foolish rhap,
sodies. There never was such an ador-
able creature as Marion-such wealth
of tenderness and undiscovered charm.
Shortly afterward Harding took his
leave. The twilight was fast coming
on, and Nittoria sat for a long time
leaning over the rail again. She was
looking into the long ago
Now there was once girl, and she
was barely seventeen-oh, sentimental,
to be sure! And lie was nice boy
home from college on his senior vaca-
ton. She had cared for him, for he
was a nice boy and had such manly.
honest gray eyes And then one sum
mer day as they had stood alone in the
old fashioned garden he had kissed her.
All, how unfOrgettably vivid was the
background-the gold of the sunfowers
and the crimson of the hollyhocks!
And the next day they had walked
over to the village, where he got her a
foolish little ring set with blue stones.
because blue means true love" said
be. Just boy and girl affair And
the next week the boy had been whisk-
ed off on n continental tour and had
contemplated the University Settle
ment. Finally, however, he had com
promised with parental authority by
going in sTenuOusly for football