Evening journal., 1907-11-30

/ don't like to see It. II reminds me
that In a few weeks 1 shall be back
in town."
''You have the advantage OF the few
weeks. l shall 90 tomorrow"
"And you're not coming up again7"
mot this season"
"Oh, dear! why must pleasures
end? I've had a delightful summer"
"why more delightful than any
other summer
81 don't know"
'Then I can't give a reason for you.
I've been up here only this one sum
mer. can't compare It with others" 4"
you've been up four times this sea
SON."
"You mean a dozen"
"a dozen? I thought II was only
four. But your visits have been very
short, only two or three days each"
He glanced sldewise into her face.
while she looked away at the river.
sprinkled with the fallen leaves.
"You seem sad" he remarked.
Autumn is a sad season Besides,
having had so pleasant a summer, It
is especially sad to be reminded that
II Is ended"
my summer has been just the re-
verse"
She turned aud looked at him inqulr-
ingly with her brown eyes.
YES" he went on, cutting n sumac
with his cane. "I've been bothered"
Lowering her eyes, she noticed that
her shoestring was united She
paused and put out her foot, and he
stopped and tied IT,
"And what has bothered your she
asked languidly.
"Do you see those leaves drifting on
the surface OF the rlverY'
Eyes. Aren't they prettyT
"They have no power Of their own
It's all in the current. Where It takes
them they go. That red one, for in
stance, win drift on tln It reaches the
mill; then It viii either swirl down tn,
hume or sail on to the dam and pitcl
down on to the rocks below"
Poor little leafl'
he gave her a quick glance, theI
asked "Do you follow me?"
"Follow your I'm following the leaf
I'm very much interested In the poo
thing. Perhaps some fisher maiden 4
a boat may be captivated by it's ricl
color, take It in and clasp It to he
4 breast"
"The leaf, as I said, IS either draw
into the mill race or goes over tn
dam
'But the fisher maiden-will she g
into the race or over the dam too?"
"H'ml That's the most distressinl
feature. The fisher maiden in tryinl
to save the fellow-I mean the leaf
may bring about her own discomn
ture"
as she very near the dam7"
"On the verge"
'I thought you said IT might be tn
nume"
1T doesn't matter which It Is" i'm
potently.
"well, II she's on the verge It seem
to me it's too late for her to save her
self. She'll have TO 90 over"
This was not all that he had beel
angling for. The question remained
Would the fisher maiden go over tn
dam with pleasure7 So he said:
''That would be hard on her.
would have been much better for he
10 have left the leaf TO perish"
Rather she should not have beei
caught by its brilliant color"
This was getting nearer to the point
He looked down for inspiration-loy
ers are not apt to look up for it-as {
his next move and noticed that her rC
fractory shoestring was again trailin
In the dust.
"1f you VIII go and sit on that roc
down there under those dropping tree
1 can get at it better"
They descended a bank, and she sa
down ON the rock. putting out a we
shaped foot. contriving to let BIT 0
lingerie show under the edge Of he
skirt. He knelt before her and too
the shoestrings in his fingers.
This time" she said, "try to II
a knot that will not come unloosened.
81 wish ] could"
would you like me to find a ma
who canT coquettishly.
Il know one who can tie knot tina
would suit me exactly"
"WhoT'
''The bishop"
He gave a quick glance about hin
while her own glance fiuttered ever,
where, resting on nothing. like
frightened bird. Then he drew be
face down and kissed her
This time It suited her purpose
be awake.
An hour later, when they returned
the house. she was dragging a sho'
string covered with dust He ha
been too preoccupied to finish ths
sob. But the bishop tied a better kn,
In due time. f. A. Mitchell.