The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-08-01
By THE LAKE.
BY MARGARET cARRUrHERs.

of the window across the closely crop.
ped lawn, past the tulip beds that
were marvels of the gardener art and
out over the lake dotted with many
little pleasure craft. She could hear
the sound of laughter coming from the
water, and it only made it all the
harder for her to go away.
But there was the stinging but po-
lite little note informing her that her
services were no longer required, and
inclosing the customary week S wages
and her ticket back to the city.
She knew the reason for her sudden
dismissal, and that made it seem all
the more unjust. 1t was not because
of incompetency, but because of the
scarcity of eligible young men and the
superabundance of m marriageable
5oaas i>-SasSs ss:<is is;.:->---
mothers.
She had known there were objec-
tions because Of the attentions paid
her by some of the male guests, and
which she had tried hard to avoid.
Her self-possession and refined man.
ners had all been discussed and voted
a menace by the mothers with the
mrariageable butless attractive daugh-
ters, and for once they had united and
sent committee to the management
and demanded Natalie's removal.
The soft, white skin, the large blue
eyes and wavy, haxen hair were all
urged as reasons why she should go,
and were pronounced the cause and
reason why several of the young men
had suddenly abandoned their pursuit
of pleasure and plunged themselves
into business at the Lakeside.
"The very idea of being allowed to
use the boats on the lake and walk
around on the lawn and veranda like
one of the guests! !" indignantly re-
marked Miss Allen, conspicuous for
her brick -colored hair and turned-up
nose and an impediment in her speech,
but whose mother occupied one ofthe
most expensive suites in the hotel and
entertained largely.
"Why, at Taper's in the White
Mountains last year the typewriter
had to eat with help and was not al
lowed even in the corridors unless
summoned there to do some work for
the guests broke in Mamie Lacy,
whose father had risen to the dignity
of an alderman and whose mother had
social ambitions for Mamie which
were grati6ed in a measure by her
short stay every year at the Lakeside.
"Such impertinenc !" chimed in
Miss Clark, a school teacher of uncer-
tain age. "Why, I have been spend
ing two whole weeks here every sum-
mer for the past four years, and I
have never been the subject of such
indignities before. Why, she actual
ly curls her hair, yet faunts her in
nocence and good manners in the eyes
And so it has been until the note
had been the result. Poor little Ma
talie? All she wanted was to be left
alone to earn her living, and she had
been delightedat the heprospect of spend
ing the hot summer months at the
Lakeside, but now she would have
to 90 back to the sweltering city and
haunt the employment agencies, and
even if she was successful, as she
could scarcely hope to be at this dull
season, she would be obliged to live
in stuffy furnished room in poor
quarter made ever more miserable by
its crowded condition.
She had been happy here at the
lake, the long walks, the boat rides
and the wild flower pilgrimages, but
now she must give it all up.
She packed her simple belongings,
looked around the cosy little room
that had been hers, and where she
had found so much rest and happiness
and tears came to the great blue eyes
as she closed the door and slowly
made her way to the manager S office
to bid him good-by.
She did not find him in, and as her
train did not leave until night she
walked toward the lake out into the
woods all white with dogwood and
purple with violets.
They seemed even more beautiful
because of her enforced departure and
she could not keep back the tears that
crowded into her eyes or the pain at
the thought of the struggle of the past
year that she must resume again just
when she thought she was going to be
so happy.
Her mother had died, leaving her
alone and when the estate had been
settled there was but little left for
Natalie. She had faced the situation
bravely and had secured this position
for the summer to be among the birds
and flowers she loved so well.
She thought, as she walked along,
of the cool months she had spent with
her mother in the mountains and these
woods seemed only a tantalizing re-
minder of that other and happier life.
At last, unable to restrain herself
longer she sank down on the soft green
grass and burst into soul-refreshing
tears. She was still crying when she
heard a rustic of the bushes near her
and looking up, could scarcely believe
what she saw.
"Why, Steve" she stammered.
"Why, Miss Natalie" he blurted.
She pinched herself and rubbed her
eyes to be sure she was not dreaming.
Yes, it was Steve (Malcolm's man /,
sure enough ghost of that other life
come to haunt her and make her more
miserable, she thought. She started
to speak, but just as she did the bushes
parted again and Malcolm Goodrich
himself stepped into the breach.
He started, almost falling back
among the bushes.
"Why, Nat," he exclaimed, 'in
heavens name, what are you doing
here? Is it really you, and where
have you been all this timer
II tL~a~x, I;,,nea1fdouu,1 of, fha GRASS