The Somerset reporter., 1906-10-11
Just Miss
June
By Virginia Leila Went2

Summer after summer the same eld-
erly quiet people had come to Mrs,
Austin's pretty country boarding house,
and the same noisy, vehement children.
OF course there had been some addi-
tons to the latter class, some defec-
tons from the former, but the charac-
ter of the company had remained much
the same. This year. however, came q
new boarder OF distinctly different
element. He was Paul Campbell, a
playwright of some reputation.
Being the only eligible man on the
place, Miss Austin had managed to
lay hold of Mr.. Campbell as her es-
pecial property. At first he did not
mind. We're not her eyes sufficiently
blue? Was there not always about
her the odor of orris and helotrope?
But when he discovered that both
mother and daughter were trying to
work the matrimonial game upon him
he baked
One warm day they had been down
to the lake boating, and now they had
turned their faces homeward.
"If you find the path rough for fash
ionable heels or tear your gown with
the brambles or scratch your face with
the wild rosebushes. on your head be
the consequence" Paul Campbell was
warning Miss Austin, who had capri
ciously chosen path through the
woods, while he had wisely indicated
another.
''I don't care. It's too hot to breathe
today, and l know this Is the shorter
way. It'll get US home more quickly
than the other"
"Well, 1t must be single file" OBJ
served Campbell, with something like
positive relief, remembering that the
arrangement would do something to
add to the difficulty Of conversation.
you'll have a good opportunity"
threw back Miss Austin over her Shout
Is all my own"
Its glory" answered Campbell,
quick always in saying the required
thing, must blind me to its defects, If
there be any"
$50 good of you to make the qualifi-
cationr retorted Miss Austin.
! Here and there the brler roses bloom
Campbell absently broke off a spray.
Absently, too, he pulled the leaves
| from the stalk. Then he CHANGED to
look upon the pink bud.
| With a whimsical, half tender ges-
ture he thrust 1t into his buttonhole.
| Oh, he was fool, beyond doubt, to
| fancy such connection. But those I'M
ostentatious little petals, showing their
! delicate veins as they tapered upward
and Unfolding so much wild sweetness.
| reminded him of Miss June.
June was Mrs. Austin's younger
! daughter. She had wide, dark eyes
/ and teeth of pearl, but she was not
/ beautiful, like her sister Jane Their
names, in fact, many of the boarders
/ thought, ought to have been turned
about, for June was Just like her sis
| ter's name, while Jane was as flushed
and jubilant as summers first month
There's pleasure as well as a
! credit in dressing her" June had once
/ overheard her mother say when she'd
/ slipped Jane into a thin white frock
| and brushed her glossy curls. That
was twelve years ago. June was only
six, but her fragile little hands had
! gone together in mute protest, and her
/ eyes had grown larger with half under
stood pain.
June, whom her household and the
summer boarders saw; June of the in
frequent speech, the shy. fugitive
smiles and proud retlcent alr-that was
not June of the woods whom Paul
Campbell had grown to know. June
of the woods had an elusive grace,
shining eyes, laughter as silvery as the
ripping streams, exquisite fancles.
| quick, dramatic gestures and withal a
| delicate, childish abandon of spirit.
"Well," asked Miss Austin rs they
came out from the woodland path on
to the sunny road have you settled
the affairs of the nation7 looked
back at you once or twice, but you
were In such a brown study you didn't
notice me-" she pouted.
Miss Jane, how could that be pos
sible?" Knocked he courteously.
"Pshaw" she said, twirling her sun
shade Indignantly. II believe I'm moth
Ing but a peg for you to hang compli-
ments on
"You are the magnet which attracts
them" he corrected. Suddenly Miss
Austin lifted her eyes.
THAT wild rose bud In your coat Is
very pretty. VIII you give it to me for
a remembrance Of the dayT
Campbelrs fingers closed upon the
bud to detach 1t; then he remembered
mo, Miss Austin" he laughed,
thrusting his hands Into his pockets;
ut would be Inappropriate. When
90 to the village tomorrow I'll get you
| some roses from the florists"
One morning several days later they
were in the woods together, June and