The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-26
fCopyrlEht. 1908, blythe National Press
u WIN. lS.E Apnr1rY.l lAls l3.shI. ri

\
tcopyriEht. 1908, by the National Press
" AgencyD
Eric Featherstone, whose picture u
y the last years Academy had made
somewhat of a sensation. and OF ~i1 ION
Ethe critics. with surprising unanimity
had PREDICTED great things, was slowl,
4 sauntering down the long departure
fplatform at the Great Central Station
If;ladstone bag in hand, when he felt q
4 Touch on his shoulder, and turning
about, found himself face to face witt
Tom burroughs, n fcllow-artist.
"IIello, Eric! Whittier away2" said
he.
ITO Buckinghnmshire. my boy, and
the chIltern Hills, In search OF fresh
Eair and
"Rustic beauties?"
"Rustic beauties be hanged, though
they are all very well, too. in their
way. No. Bob Boulter, OF fresh fields
and pastures new has cosy crib
.percted on one OF those hills, and ne
has asked me to come down and spend
fortnight with him. Where are you
y going?'i
Only as far as Harrow on the III Ill.
And. by the way, speaking of rustic
beauties. there is ono in a thlrd-class
n carr;aEe n few yards from here.
Just saw her get In To my mind. old
II chap. she is n picture. You have a cer-
a tain knowledge of pictures. and should
like to have your opinion. You have
7 mo objection to travelling third-class, l
II daresay. though you do manage. good
"a ness knows how, to get your pictures
i ION the line ut the Academy and pretty
xhings said OF you in the papers. Look!
There are three fellows getting In now.
The compartment Will be full in an
other ninuta Come on And Tom
Burroughs led the way to the carriage
II In question.
Tho rustic beauty who sat In the
further corner raised her eyes from
an open book as they entered the COM
partment, and summed them UP with
* one swift comprehensive glance. She
was girl of about twenty, with 81
4 strikingly piquant face, nose saucily
4 tip-tilted. fearless. almost defiant look
in her big, luminous eyes OF darkest
blue; full. red mouth. in which no
weakness could be read--in brief. an
arresting and charming personality.
i She wore straw hat. with just suit
/ able dash OF floral decoration here and
there. which 1T is beyond a plain mans
I power Of description. and white
\ blouse, the firm pleats and starch OF
which could not quite conceal the dis
Greet suggestiveness of an adorabl
/ figure beneath.
Eric Featherstone was fain to admit
4 that here was a beauty" of type
wholly. delightfully."- acceptable from
his personal point of view; but for Bur
roughs's qualifying adjective he had
nothing but scorn.
TITS an insult to that girl to call her
rustic" thought he: but for obvious
4 reasons he did not give 1t verbal ex-
preston.
More people entered the compart-
ment. Its seating capacity was ex-
hausted. The train moved on. Tho
girl in the straw hat soon became abb
sorbed in her book. The two men dis.
cussed her. soto voce. for few min
utes, and then talked of other things.
AT Harrow ION -the-Hil they parted.
There We're now but five occupants OF
the compartment AT the next station
TWO go, out.
There only remained Eric and the
girl in the straw hat and an old gentle
man given to somnolence. AS his heat
gently nodded in obedience to the
swaying OF the train, she suddenly
looked up from her book. Her eyes
encountered Eric's, and quickly dropped
3 again upon the open page. The old
gentleman went on quietly nodding. and
tNEiSaA Lac hSAl s1dllOl WIS TedCHeQ ETC
silently mathematical him for not
getting out There was nothing be-
tween him and the. girl with the straw
hat and the discreet white blouse on
1.-THE same seat but this somnDlent old
gentleman. She went on reading. he
kept on nodding. Two more stations
were passed. and the situation remained
unchanged. AT last the offending mem
K Der OF the trio bundled himself out, and
Eric found himself alone with the girl
who took no outward notice of the fact
but read on with greater avidity than
ever. Some invisible cord was drawing
him towards that girl He felt that he
must speak to her, and as fortune just
then smiled upon. him. he suddenly rose
and, with am energy that palpabl,
alarmed hef at first. pounced upor
some small object on the floor at hel
feet.
Now. Eric was handsome and we'll.
set-up young fellow, and he looked ex-
~ ttremely we'll as he bowed to her anC
said:
Pardon me. but I think this is your
purse and then dropped quietly into
the seat facing her.
"Oh. thank you SO much!" she re.
piled, with a smile that would have
melted the frozen heart of an anchor.
ite.
Pray don't mention it," said he. q
saw 1t on the floor. and thought thai
perhaps you might leave the carriage
without noticing It.. What lovely
country ttis is. I have often heard Of
4 the beauties of Buckinghamshire, bu
the reality quite exceeds my expecta.
81! lions"
rs it your first visit, them" sht
81 asked.
Absolutely, am going to spend
fortnight with friend at Cheshan
Bois. Is 1t far from here?"
No; 1t Is but a short walk from
q Amersham." and. as tho train slowed
up, she added: land here we are Gu
sslously enough, get out at the sam,