Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-07-05
WALTER BLOOMFIELD
by RoBEnr BoNNEn's Sons.

ers. My conscience whispered that
my right and proper course was to
obey my father, but | was too deeply
In love with Constance Marsh to dare
to imperil my present amicable terms
with her by offending my uncle, and
the twofold result would necessarily
follow that course. When momentous
decisions have to be made by the NOR
ally weak land such was my condition
at the period of which | writc). then
also comes suffering, for it is the
quality Of weakness to shrink from
pain, even when conscious that IN so
doing 1t not only postpones but accu
mulates disaster. Pondcring these
things I slowly returned to my room to
prepare for the excursion to Tarry,
town-which luckily had not done be
foe, for my uncle's practical illustra
ton Of the way l was to deal with old
John Adams would have wrecked the
toilet of a Suffolk farm laborer.
At half-past ten aunt Gertrude ana
Miss Marsh entered the drawing room
where awaited them in some trepida
ton, for knew that my uncle had not
seen either of these ladies since he had
arranged for me to accompany them
to Tarrytown, and it was quite posi-
bic that they might depart without
me, or that my company might be less
agreeable to them than my uncle had
represented. These fears were at
once dspelled by aunt Gertrude, who
coming forward to greet me, assured
me of the pleasure with which she
had Just learned that was to be thei'
companion for the day.
l expressed my thanks, and at the
same time my surprise that she should
know of this, for l was sure that sh'
could not have seen her husband siEct
saw him leave the house.
"Oh, you don't quite understand
said aunt Gertrude, laughing, my huS
band is now ut his Office, and he has
Just been talking to me by telephone.
Both ladies were dressed ready &c
depart, and looked very charming, par
tlcularly Miss Marsh, who stood nea'
to the open door, giving sundry pats
and twitches to refractory rose Whict
could not be easily induced TO ropost
10 the bosom of white muslin dress
TO the satisfaction OF Its mistress. As
| observed this beautiful but silent
girl waiting while her sister and ]
were talking. l did not think, and
could not then have believed that Il
was she moved uncle sam TO furnish
me with an introduction to Mrs. Var
Rensselaer,. That knowledge did moi
come to me till long after. a wife il
lavish of confession from which q
maid would shrink.
The journey to tie dock in my un'
cles carriage did not occupy many
minutes, Arrived there We at once
went on board my uncle's yacht-a
small steamer, eXquisitely designed
and superbly fitted, n floating palace
in miniature. The hour appointed foi
our departure had not yet arrived, but
steam being up, and the captain. un'
pletc the gangway was at once raised
and the Iroquois slowly steamed oui
from among the trading steamships by
which she was surrounded and bore
round into the North River.
September and october are the most
pleasant months in North America,
Then the fierce glare of summer has
subsidized, and the air is dry, clear and
exhilarating, and the foliage assumes
a beautiful golden tint. In such sea.
son a journey up the Hudson River is
very delightful experience. The
American Rhine, as the Hudson Is
sometimes called, Is inferior to the
German Rhine in nothing but histori'
cal associations. though even in this
respect 1t Is not destitute. Precipitous
banks, rising to height Of from 800
to 800 feet, for the most part thickly
wooded, among which here and there
nestles a picturesque village or elegant
mansion standing in its own highly
cultivated grounds, cnchant the eyes
of the stranger for many miles along
it's course. Speaking for myself |
must say that l remember few if any
days in my life upon which | have ex-
perienced greater pleasure than was
mine on the particular thirteenth of
September of which I now write.
That the companionship of my Con
stance U had already once or twice SO
addressed Miss Marsh and she had not
demurred to the style), had much to
do with my satisfaction must be imme-
diately admitted. Aunt Gertrude,
with admirable tact, had begged Con
stance and me to excuse her continu-
ing the perusal of an interesting book
which she had brought with her, and
we (heaven bless our charity saw fit
to graciously grant the desired pardon,
upon which she took q seat at the aft,
and vouchsafed us no further notice
until our arrival at Tarrytown.
The few hours remaining to me in
America were rapidly wasting away,
and felt that / could not tell Con.
stance of my resolve to return at once
to England without at the same time
informing her Of the reason for my
sudden departure. This l now pro-
ceeded to do. Having already acquaint-
ed her with the story Of the sequins l
did not have to again go through that