Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-08-21

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I met her on the river. She was
staying with the Garstins, who belong
to the fortunate class that revel In the
possession Of a houseboat on the river,
& moor in Scotland, a house In Park
Lane, electric landaulettes, and other
good things. L was stayiag with an
impecunlous friend, who earns a pre-
carious living as a writer Of songs,
and to whom, like myself, the joys Of
luxuries are unknown. He was mar
ried to a charming woman, who adored
him and was quite unaware of the
colossal selfishness of which he had
been guilty In asking her to share his
poverty. 1 am very fond Of Bob Da-
cres, but the more 1 see of his house
hold the more wonder how he could
have exchanged his irresponsible bach
elorhood, how she could have given
up solid comfort, IL not luxury, TO
throw In their lot with each other.
He takes brief annual holiday on
the Thames every summer, and they
generally put me up at their cottage.
How l long for that holiday! Through
the growl of the traffic hear the cool
slap, lap" Of water. The burning pave
ments, the dust, the glare disappear,
and I dream of trees and grass and
shade.
But now the river is a little spoiled
for me. OF course it was a woman.
In fact, as in fiction, it is always a
woman.
The first time I saw Miss Norah Des-
mond she was lying In punt, reading
q novel. 1t was an exquisite day. Gold
sunshine, blue sky, running water, and
green woods made an adorable world,
and to me the most adorable thing In
this adorable world seemed the lady in
the punt l have wondered in the past
at writer's Gold and new descrip-
lions OF pretty women; they partook
to me so extraordinarily of the ideal
as to be non-recogniZable but when 1
saw Norah Desmond all I have ever
read or heard seemed inadequate to
express her loneliness She was dark
haired and white skinned, with a long
pair of the bluest and saddest eyes l
have ever seen. She nearly discovered
me staring at her, for, without warn
ing, she flung her book down as If 1t
bored her utterly, and seized her pole.
A pretty woman punting is very hard
to beat, and my beauty appeared more
exquisite than ever. l looked at her,
and wished that anything would hap
pen that would lead to an introduction.
They managed these things better in
medieval days. Given the presence
Of the knight, the lady inevitably hoist
ed signals of distress. But this lovely
lady punted away from me with appar-
emily no use for a reScuer
1 was about TO turn away when a
shrill feminine voice hailed me- "Oh.
Mr.. Graham, how pleased am to see
you! You are the very person 1 want
ed to meet. dolly Garstin is always
In dire need of you if she happens to
meet you. She aStutely manages to
convey fiattering impression that she
has been looking for you, and would
have been dreadfully disappointed if
she had not found yOu.) al heard you
were in these parts. You must come
and look us up. Come to lunch to-
morrow. 1 can't wait now" (She is
always In an awful hurry.) But you
might walk some of the way with me-"
/ am always delighted to walk any
way and all the way with Mrs. Gar
stIn who is entertaining and very pleas
ant to the eye, and 1 accepted her in
Vitation with alacrity.
Il will Introduce You to Miss Des-
mond-our latest beauty. Dark hair,
blue eyes, dead-white skin, and very
tall and Slight and boneless-I mean to
say not bOny. Very rare that. Most
slight women are so angular. But she
is a gem. L wonder if you have seen
her. She is punting alone" added Mrs
Garstin with a curious infection in
her voice. MIR. Clayton wanted to ac-
company her, but she was firm. She
ought to marry him." she concluded,
"fOr her only asset are her looks"
''I have seen her." 1 said gravely,
"and l should like TO marry her my
self"
Your she shrieked; what on, may
I ask? You might supply the bread,
but as for the butter!'' Then she
laughed outright. And even the bread
would be very limited IN quantity,
fear. But there, come to lunch and
try your luck. am not afraid of you,
for although Norah looks so poetical
she is modern through and through. 1
shall see her, Mrs. Clayton, yet"
am very fond of Dolly Garstin, but
there are times when she seems to me