Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-10-20
Lady Betty
Across the Water
By G. N. e A. NJ. WILLIAMSON
By C. N. & A. M. WILLIAMSON

even the croSSeSt person TO be oHenu-
ed with this soft brown thing. 1t
would have been too ungrateful not TO
answer her nicely when she was keep
ing my flies at bay with extreme incon-
venience to herself. so admitted that
was English, told what county
came from, how long I'd been in the
States. where I'd been staying. how
liked America. where I was going now.
and ended up by satisfying her as TO
my age and whether | had n mother.
| I also stated that | was neither mar
ried nor engaged The dear creature
rewarded me for all this by telling me
a great deal about herself and her rela-
| tives. and church picnic she attend
| ed last Sunday. where there were more
! young gentlemen than ladies-"which
always makes parties so nice for us
| girls
| IT must say that's a mighty pretty
| hat you've got said she at last II
reckon II came from England And
my, buI ,l,iL Is Il sweet waist! I'd give
my life for that waist"
If | had had twin sister of the
sweet waist with me | couldn't have
resisted pressing it upon her, and l
don't believe she would have refused
AS soon as Mr.. Brett got me nicely
| settled in my room he said we wouldn't
meet again during the journey. l was
sorry and wanted to know why, so he
| explained that his ticket was different
from mine l hope that is the only rea-
son. really, and that it isn't because he
thinks he ought not to be travelling
with me. | suppose he is going second
class.
| l did miss him at dinner, which had
in grand restaurant car about half
| mile away from me in the train. 1t
was fun being there, seeing all the
people and being served by fascinating
black walters, but it would have been
more fun with him. | longed to ex-
claim to Mr.. Brett about the glorious
| sunset which marched with us along
| the Hudson river for an enchanted
hour. and | couldn't half enjoy it for
wondering every minute as it changed
from one beauty to another whether
he were watching too.
We have tenderly radiant sunsets at
,
startlingly magnificent as in America,
where all things-even cloud effects
are managed on such sensational
scale. | saw some skies to remember
: in Newport, though never one like this,
but perhaps the magical charm of it
was partly dependent on the cleaning
river.
When the daylight blue had faded
there was a kind of dusky lull then, as
if flames leaped up out of the clear wa
ter, river and mountains and sky ran
gold reddening slowly till the color
burned deep and vivid at the heart of Il
rose. From crimson was born violet,
soft blue violet that hung like a robe
over the mountains, while the living
azure of the river was slashed with
silver, and as one gaZed and gaZed.
; afraid to turn away, there broke d sud
, den flood of amethyst light out of the
floating haze. 1t was dazzling for a
moment, but before one realized the
change the brilliance had been drunk
, | up by purple shadows. The outline of
f | trees and foothills melted into the
l pansy gloom, and, at last, with one
5 dying culver of light. all warmth OF
color was blotted out. Water and sky
: paled to pensive gray-blue, and, as
Y the French say, sit made night
/ There was tremendous menu for
t dinner, such as we used to have fol
d breakfast on shipboard, and droves OF
8 things whose names I'd never heard
!. before. Just for curiosity 1 ordered
!. several of the strangest, and some OF
n them were great success. For in
( stance, there was "Succotash," which
e sounds as if it might be 4 cultural in
3 suit flung at the mouth of one red In
:. dian brave by another, but when il
D was (fguratively speaking) flung a
n mine by black waiter it turned ou
t to be something more in the nature o.
G compliment 1t looked like beryl.
e mixed with pearls, though it was real
e ly only green beans stirred up will
q American corn, and the two got ON s,
II well together you felt they had beer
e born for each other.
Il It's now about 9 o'clock in the morn
ing, and it seems as if we must hav,
raced across half America, but w,
law iouS, ionS way 10 20 sui
II so says the soft brown thing, VIII,
looked in on me about an hour ago t,
J ask in casual way whether, if sh
: should go to Europe to live, she nigh
n not be taken for an Italian?
When l was a little girl and IN.
e nurse used to make up tales to put M
+ to sleep at night, 1 would sometime
Y get impatient and tellher to "go dow
: into the story and find out what hap
pened next" Just now l feel as 1
that is what should like to do in m.
future.
ne 1AsHSra~s
st