The Washington herald., 1907-05-06
4 VACATION EPISODE,
By EDWARD GERRITSON.

The girl first saw the man coming to-
ward her out of the east in his canoe. ike
a herald Of the rising sun. Imagination
transformed him into yellOw-haired Vik-
ing and his up-to-date canoe 10 a battle
galley with a serpents head PROV.
The man saw the girl standing straight
as birch sapling, on a huge, brown rock,
gazing out at him over the water. Fancy
painted her siren set to lure him TO
destruction on the rocks al her feet He
arched his hand above his mouth.
"Ye-hO." he called to her
She mimicked his action.
"Ye-ho,' she answered back.
The next stroke of the paddle almost
lifted the canoe from the water. and the
girl meditated ignominious flight; yet.
knowing who he was, she decided TO re-
main.
He certainly is all that rumor paints
him in the way Of strength, she solilo-
quized as she watched, fascinated, the
play Of the muscles Of his mighty arms
When he was near enough for her TO
see she c0lOred at the unstinted admira-
tion in his eyes.
You're glorious" he cried. impulsively
as he deity shot the canoe up 10 the
rock
You're extremely bold" she retorted
nervously
He smiled iTTepressihly.
I've come for you-get in" he said
peTemptorily. 1t needs only you, lean
ing against that forward thwart, TO make
the morning perfect"
My goodness. " she gasped. you are a
Viking"
You're making fun Of my hair" he
said, Stimulating oftense. YOU shouldn't
can me such a hard name simply because
my hair is tow-colored."
! In a moment she was seated among
/ the pillows.
/ He watched her trail her fingers in the
brown water while and then
I'm Edric Stanford, he said abruptly.
And you?"
Jeanette Hartman. Of Pittsburg," she
/ answered, eyeing MIN furtively.
/ He stopped padding for a moment and
looked at her in amazement
Not Malcolm Harrimans daughter
he bldrted.
Yes" she said simply.
You know who amp" he questioned.
She nodded affrmatively.
And yet-and yet be houndered.
We'll" she queried, finding he did not
seem inclined 10 continue. "and yet
/ what?"
"Oh. nothing" he answered lamely.
/ and fell to padding furiously.
After all he thought, what did it
matter? Only a vacation episode-it
could be nothing more. He would carry
it out in the spirit in which he had be-
gun.
A morning of enchantment was
theirs.
/ They visited a spot where the sharp
nosed pickerel leaped with twinklfug
frequency They slipped through an
/ Eden Of immense goldeu-cupped water
lilies, wide open TO the glory Of the
/ dawn. They glided steaIthily along in
/ the shadow of the shore fringe until
/ presently they saw a stag with his soft
! eyed wives come down 10 the shore
| TO drink. He brought her nearer TO ma
turo then she ever before had been.
Il shall come here the nrst thing to-
/ morrow morning" he said, as he helped
/ her up the rock where he had found
/ her shall I find you here?'
Perhaps" she answered: but there
was a half-prOmise in her manner when
/ she waved him goOd-by from the hill
/ top.
lie was earlier than she next morn
/ ing, but he had not long to wait In
few moments she came smiling to-
ward him down the hill.
/ IF vou like" he said ao he baIpH1
/ her TO her seat. Wen visit that eagle s
nest on Bald Mountain. have been up
/ 10 her aerie and seen her baby eagles.
Jeannette's eyes sparkled.
/ They started while the mists were
still gray. Jeanette wore a short red
coat IN anticipation of the coolness
/ Of the air at the high altitude of the
mountain. Shortly before noon. after a
wearying climb. they gained a spot
| where il seemed advisable to eat their
/ luncheon.
we must wait here until Mrs. Eagle
goes preying for the family dinner
Stanford informed his companion
| "Then, by hurrying, well have time To
climb and take a peep at the little
eaglets ana get away before the Old
bird returns
In a few moments they saw the
mother bird soar upward with great
/ spread of wings and circle out over the
/ valley
Now is our time" said Stanford
/ springing up and leading the way; but
we must hurry
\ hard scramble over a series OF
ragged powders brought them to the
/ crag where the eagle had built her nest
Four young eagles stretched out their
featherless necks. their yellow beaks
wide open for the expected dinner of
] blood-warm flesh.
Suddenly he gave a cry OF dismay
Quick! Quick he shouted. The old
/ bird IS coming back and grasping Jean
nette by the arm he rushed her away
lFom the nest
Bur the eagle was coming with the
rapidity of Il rocket. and was upon them
before they had gotten very far At
tracted, probably by her red coat, the
/ cnraged bird made straight for Jean
nette. stanford succeeded in only par