Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-08-16
THE WAY OUT.


low students at the same dingy old Lon
don Training College for Teachers
When she left, it was to go as assistant
mistress at Il big board school in the
progressive north. At the same time |
| accepted an appointment in Canada
and thus it came about that. though
we correspondent regularly we had seen
nothing of one another for four years
or more. Then l returned to England
= ~ to find to my infinite astoniSh-
ment that Lucy had become Lady Dam
tree, and was but lately returned from
her honeymoon.
| was rather doubtful OF the propriety
of calling on her, seeing or what Il dizzy
eminence III the social world she had
risen; but relying ON our old friendship
and on what l knew of her sterling char
| acter, | decided to risk it. And as
had hoped, l found that she was not in
| the least charged-except if that were
possible, for the better.
Inevitably, our talk was chiefly of her
husband
I'VE became acquainted in the-really.
you know-most unconventional way
said she.
DO tell me about it, l urged her,
brCathleSSly. as she paused.
And she did-to this effect
She had gone out one morning before
| breakfast during her last summer vaca-
ton to gather wild flowers. She wore
an effective white muslin frock, with Il
blue sash, and burnt-straw hat, trim
med with peoples. She surmised, de-
murely. that she looked far more charm
ing and pretty thus arrayed than you
would have deemed it possible for her to
look had you seen her only in her work
aday garments of severe gray serge
Which seemed probable enough.
She strolled along, reveling in her I'M
~
Il disused chalkpit on the, edge of the
road; and halfway down the steep side
of the pit was wild rose bush, pink
with fragrant blossoms, and it tempted
her. She thought, quite rightly, that Il
handful of the delicate blooms would
add considerably to her general attract
iveness, land gingerly she went after
them. She began to struggle with the
briars and brambleS, and at last to get
rather hot. and even little cross as the
thorns scratched and touzled her, while
the bush itself refused to yield up its
treasure, except grudgingly and unsat
isfactorily, in form of showers of falling
petals.
And then a voice called Jut to hcE:
"You will never do it that way
The voice came from below. 1t was
mans voice She looked down through
web of branches and caught glimpse
of the manor, rather, of a segment of
MS lace uUu0I II SudpClcSS, DdIlCISu
straw hat, tilted rakishly over one eye.
He was smiling up at her with an ex-
preston of frank amusement on his sun
Drowned countenance.
You should bend the twigS back. he
shouted. "Wait moment, and I'll show
you how.
Il know perfectly well, thank you,
She was beginning in her haughtiest
tone, when the dead stump TO which she
had been clinging snapped off short In
her hand and she lost her balance. There
was only one course open to her then, II
she were to keep her feet, and that was
to yield to gravitation and plunge pell-
nell down the slope at full speed. And
this course she took, with the result that
she precipitated herself GREATNESS ana
dishcveled. into the outspread welcoming
arms Of the odious person at the bottom
of the hollow. Instantly she Wrenched
herself out of his embrace.
How dare you, sir!' she cried, we'll
night weeping with modification.
Il beg your pardon" he said gravely.
But it was necessary. You might have
hurt yourself. if l hadn't
IF you had not been there l should
have been perfectly safe she flashed.
'Wen. you're safe now,' lie pointed
Then they stood and confronted eac!,
other: she, flushed and angry; he, cool
and suave.
watching her. He had quiet, ShreWd
eyes. and thin, dark face I7 she s,, de-
some men she had ever met, and GER
tainIy the worst-dressed. His clothes
were old and stained. and even ragged
and frayed, here and there. His hat
was nothing better than broken, wealth
er-beaten ruin.
appearances are against me, L
know" he observed, divining her unut-
tered thoughts. land l regret it. If only
| were as disreputable as | look YOU
could of course reward me with the
customary two-pence for having saved
your life: but, unhappily, l am quite
respectable and solvent, really and
So
"Soved nv Hfe!'' she repeated scorn-
fuIlv 81 was in no danger whatever
until you startled me-"
u suppose | am bit startling, he
remarked, refectively..
She turned from him with a gesture
of disdain. and gazed about her. On
every hand the steep SIDES OF the cup
like chalkpit rose abruptly to the up,
ner world. The edges were torn and
fretted with jagged assures, and strag-
clinr low growths of fern and turZe,
Showing blackly against the sun-tushed
sky. And gradually she was ,possesseq
of dread forebodlng that she would
find II a most difficult task to scale those
PERCEPTIONS pre- crumbling heights unaided.
The man stood regarding her with
pickering, whimsical, unsu6duable smile 1ndle,
Eyes. / am afraid 1 shall have. to help
Won out" he said. "Those high-heeled
shoes of yours" go. 49,
She withdrew them hastily into the II
shadow of her growth-but somehow the
hitter retort that she yearned to utter
womId not evolve itself. She had never
felt less equal to an occasion. :,
~ can manage it all right. she SAID,
Nth better show of confidence than she
felt. ..45o an ,.o,,
any longer said he 1900 III ln battnged
hat, n and sauntered off toward the far
ther side of the pit: ,,+
He began to make the sharp ascent;
and she watched him. Even he seemed
~ md nd it most difficult Indeed. had he
not been assisted by his walking suck.
which he dug deep into the chalk at eacn
"AA~N - as if he never