Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-04-30
CHAPTER ".

ting the t0!lo"InS aIIefAoon, Wnen
gum. .;oo ont of the big window that looks
~ beach, caught sight of a woman
arIro near the water. picked up my
l,nors and focused them on her. It
.3 n he Miss Graham, dressed in
.s.s.babit. and with a broad felt hat
her head She was walking in
.,rbat aimIess fashion, skirting the
.,o, as though she were playing with
.,m I saw her glance once at the Ship
~ orce in the direction of my house.
nrt down the glasses and laid my
,,ors aside. When l went downstairs
limited Charles out of sound sleep in
be Kitchen.
eDo YOU remember how to make tea
mi tea?" I asked him.
Tss. Mr.. Felix. Aren't you feeling
VEIL sr?"
Quite we'll Please make some tea
ia. shall be ready to serve in about an
Ir. and get out a box of those salty
4a,rts. Set the small table in the din
r,oom out in front of the door, with
~o chairs. and be ready to serve a lady
nd myself
Yes, Mr. Felix" Charles showed no
r~rise, though he had never received
rob an order since we had been at Alas
1r
picked up cap, and left the house.
Is I did 50 I noticed that Miss Graham
bad stopped walking and was gathering
2Is Half way to her, and she was
sill absorbed in the shells, which are
guita unusually beautiful here; three
quarters of the way. and she was still
7aring with them. [ had almost reached
her, and was raising my cap to speak,
before she turned and saw me- A flush
t surprise rose to her cheeks.
Good afternoon"
Good afternoon, Mr., Hermit. Am I
PACKING on your preserves?
Not in the least . make you free
the city"
There was a light in her blue eyes
which I discovered that I remembered.
but a found her riding habit new and
wonderfully prepossessing. l was taking
stock Of it when she interrupted me.
81 left my horse tied back in the
woods. Haven't you ever seen a riding
habit before?"
Yes I beg your pardon. but it's so
vH7 becoming.'
Again the quick flush, and an instant's
look at the sand. Then she laughed and
shook her riding-crop playfully at me.
Beware, Mr.. Hermit. Any man might
say thing like that, but I expect other
things from you. That's one of the pen
a.tes of your position you must be diff
teFent. | look for the flavor of romance
and adventure at Alastair." She laughed
at ny puzzled face. Shall I go back
home again?"
No. l will try to remember. Did you
cone to see the sunset from the cliff"
Yes My aunt has a headache and
Aas stayed in bed all day. I bribed our
waiter to save me little supper and
send 1t up to my room at s o'clock, so,
you see, I'm free of the club and din
leF' She spoke impulsively, as I i'm
agned she might do many things. and
glanced at me Whimsically to see of what
was thinking. She had some of the
oF'essness Of a child playing truant
from school. II do hate stupid conven-
IONS, such as chaperons," she added, "es-
Peeally in summer"
We walked past my cottage, which
MISS Graham looked at with much curl
%ItT asking me a hundred questions
&oout lt-hOw [ had discovered it, why
oad bought it, how it was fashioned in
vac and how I did my marketing. 1
"4 ner l had the same butcher they had
at the club.
p Oh = she said. 81 half hoped you
-'e7 by hunting and fishing, but I sup
EoSs you'd rather indulge in OCCASIONAL
osetsteaks."
m I rather live that way" said I, "but
S1'r,es my man, wouldn't like that. He
"'E very cultivated palate"
NDen we came to the top of the cliff
lelC like another Balboa discovering the
4@o'nc. In front of us lay the entrance
~ lae river, the sloping away of the
Doo"s to the low. level fields of meadow
grass and the distant background of the
,'~eS Here and there the fields were
.o,1ed with beach marshmallow. windfalls
's''ca'ely pink; along the sedgy banks
s's" clumps of cat-tails, their brown pen
.o"S stiff like so much bronze. At lit
w IandIng-Stage, where the river had
~''.o"ed out a harbor in the bank, rode
~| cat-boat, the sail tightly furled, the
-.~>o rocking gently with the tide. As
y. w looked flock of sand-snipe rose from
.~s '3l- rank grasses beyond the river and
-1''21 themselves like a sail against the
.TS-eEn sky. Nature never looked so alb
"Alely peaceful.
Look l said: a heron. red-legged,
" g"-'e-oodled, rose from the sedges and
., P2eo his way up the stream. He called
~ Ills mate, a low, plaintive cry.
1t IS beautiful" said the girl. Il
-'- wonder that you love it.
LooH.' l said: the suns kaleidoscope
~. changing, the pale yellows deepen
-. -, me pinks turning to reds, to oranges,
~ brilliant, blazing Colds. Again 1t
~~.'-ed and softened; red and yellow
" saffron, orange the color of coral.
as again, and the whole west was gold
~, wan a purple border, and then as the
~. .~' PIE gained and the gold sank we could
~ y1e army of pines shouted against
'~s cropping fire.
.o Dey come, the armies come | crled'
we The spears, see the crested horse
~ see the banners in the rear
turned and her eyes were SHINING
= >'''Ing III the beauty of the scene. Ihen
LE,N