Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1907-02-14
lust Miss
June
By Virgiinia Leila Vents

erly quiet people had come 10 Mrs.
! Austins pretty country boarding house,
| and the same noisy, vehement children.
| or course there had beeh some addi
| tons to the latter class, some defec
tions from the former, but the charac
| ter of the company had remained much
| the same. This year, however, came Il
new boarder of distinctly different
! element. lie was Paul Campbell. Il
| 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-
pecal property. At first he did not
mind Were not her eyes sufficiently
| blue? Was there not always about
| her the odor of orris and heliotrope?
| 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
| lonable heels or tear your gown with
the brambles or scratch your face with
the wild roseDushes, on your mead be
the consequence" Faul Campbell was
| warning Miss Austin, who had capri
ciously chosen Il path through the
woods, while he had wisely indicated
| another
II don't care. It's too hot to breathe
today. and I 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
der "of determining whether my hair
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"
80 good of you to make the qualiti
catonr' retorted Miss Austin.
Here and there the bricr roses bloom
ed in all their exquisite pnlness.
Campbell absently broke off spray
Absently, too, he pulled the leaves
from the stalk Then he Glanced to
look upon the pink bud.
With whimsical, half tender ges-
ture he thrust it into his buttonhole
Oh, he was a fool. beyond doubt to
| fancy such connection. But those UNI
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
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, retcent air-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 fancies,
quick. dramatic gestures and wlthal a
delicate. childish abandon Of spirit.
Well asked Miss Austin as they
came out from the woodland path on
TO the sunny road, have you settled
the affairs of the nltonf | looked
back at you once or twice. but you
were in such Il brown study you didn't
notice me-" she pouted
Miss Jane how could that be pos.
| SibleT' Knocked he courteously.
| "Pshaw" she said, twirling her sun.
| shade Indignantly. Il believe I'm moth
ing but 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 day."
Campbelfs fingers closed upon the
bud to detach it; then he remembered.
| NO, Miss Austin" he laughed.
thrustine his hands into his pockets;
1t would be inappropriate. When |
20 TO the village tomorrow III get YOU
some roses from the florists"
One'mornins several day, later thew
were in the woods together. June and
he, under the silver column of beech
tree. She sat beside him. with her
slim brown hands folded in her Ian
and the wild rose buds whitening in
her dark hair The piuk Of them had
somehow stolen 10 her cheeks. She