The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-04-17


watching me. conspicuous man Will
strange clothes FOR river work upol
him. and q haunting activity whlcl
drove him from The lock to the Inn
and again from the inn. 10 the loci
with a crazv rcstlessncss which wa
maddcning. ] had been for some hours
whipping the mill-stream, which Ile'
over against the lockhousc at rang
bourne; but meeting with no success
amongst the chub, which on TINS par
ticular July evening were agGraVatlngt>
Indifferent even TO the succulcnt frog
! punted TO the bushes in the open
river, and there lit my pipe and rel
10 speculation upon him who favored
inc with so close an attention. L nave
said that he was conspicuous man. and
to this / owed it that ] had seen hlm
He wore the straw hat of Jesus college
Cambridge, and velvet cot Wnlcn
shonc brown and greasy in the talllnG
sunlight: but his legs were eucased IN
salmou.pinll riding brecchcs, and he had
brown boots reaching TO ms Knees
Beyond this. he WINS singularly hand
some, so far as ! could Judge with thc
rivers breadth between us; and ms
hair was fair with a ridiculous golden
strain quite unlocked for I'm one who
has grown to manhood. Why he watched
me SO closely | could not oven CON
lecture, but The fact was not TO he
disputed had lain by the mill since
the forenoon, and since the forenoon
he had hugged TO the weir-bridge or
10 the lockhouse, giving no attention
TO the score of small boats and launches
which passed up or down to Gorng or
Maplcdurham: or even to tho many
pretty women who basked upon the
cushions of punts or pair'oars. | alone
was the object of his gaze. and for me
he seemed to wait through the after
noon and until the twilight,
Now. had the man hailed me-, J
should have gone shorewards AT once,
for my curiosity had been petted by
his attentions until il waXed warm and
harrassing. but this he did not do;
keeping his eyes upon me even when
I had rested from the casting and sat
idliug in the punt. II would have been
easy. concedc. 10 have gone up river
toward Goring and so To have avoided
the chance OF explanation, and have
lCfj ungratiicd my desire to know who
he WAS, and whcrefrom came hIs cm-
interest in my failure to-
cnsnare- the cXaspcrating chub. So
sat there. in turn wondering If he
were honest or rogue, an adventurer
Piccadilly And rs the problem was
beyond me. left IT at last; and taking
up my punt-polc ! gave three or four
vigorous thrusts which sent me imme
diately in the landing stage of the
Swan Inn, and thence 10 my room,
II may he urged that this was an
Indifferent way Of dealing with the
man in the velvet coat il | wished TO
know moro of him; but ! had taken
hat little parIor of the inn which juts
out upon the hard of the boat-housc;
and ! could sec from an open window
both the panorama of the lock and that |
If the open reach awav towards the |
Stands. II was now close upon the hour |
IF seven, and the most part of the |
liver lay in cooling shadow. ! could |
near by no means inharmonious music |
loatiDg out over the water from girl s |
guitar; there were several launches |
waiting for the lcck gates; and / recall |
we'll the face of very remarkable |
who presently came 10 the |
anding stage in n gig. the cushions of |
which were Of an aggressive yellow, but !
me winch was striking contrast 10 !
ler black hair and ivory white skin. !
pulte apart. however. from her indis-
lutaole bcantr, had reason to watch
ms conspicuous oars woman. for no |
sooner had she come 10 the landing
itage than the man in the velvet coat |
vent 10 her assistance, and taking n
1umber Of bags and baskets from the |
1oat accompanied her up the village |
ueh street and So carried her from
ny view
Here thea, thought T. is fhe end of |
nv mystery The man has been wait |
ne Tor the return OF his wife. when 7. |
7ith preposierous conccit. plumed my. |
,eli that ne had been looking to speak |
WITH me. Whai creatures of IDEAS we
IRE. And when ! reflected upon il |
eIiaInly ii was monsterous absurd to
hmE thai one man should wish toI
Tatch another failing TO catch fish |
hrough n long summers afternoon. |
indeed, laughed heartily at myscjf |
is rbc maid set my dinner. and | mi |
nv creel and rod upon the Diano (ouc |
rnts everything upon the piano in a
names vlliage( before daring the
cry substantial, ii rural. rcpast served
o me-.
ono nlncs un river, as most people
NOW. IN sem-public state Loafcrs.
nltcrcrs, fruit sellers. boafmen-aIj
heSe congrcgatc near the omen window
md discuss verbally the dishes which
ne diner discusses more substantiallv.
pstom so stales us that this pub
lGltN IN no way interfcres with our
measure have so long learned to
oleratc tho presence before nv case.
ess welcome bargee. that these now arc
Inost as salt 10 my appetite. And |
or inc ma attcr Of that, on the evening
am writing. The crowd WAS less
ban usual being composed of ono
,epdor of fruit. three men in obviously
heapsldc blazers, and an old woman
vho sold boot laces and discussed fhe
Weather with me through the case
nent at ono and the same time. She
vas such merry old sonl, and gave me
u much of her history and of that of |
Ter son. who was "fghtin' for his
'nane and counthry' in a place which
he could not mind herself Of, that | |
orgot the ridiculous romance of thc |
ie!vet'coated man, and even his |
Existence. until OF sudden he pre-. |
ented himself, nc longer watching mo
'pon the bridge. but standing at the
asement, and asking to be admitted
m most horribly sorry,n said he
10 lntrude upon You at your dinner. |
mt my train leaves for town in ton
minutes, aud | particularly want your
'plnion upon something which they
ell me YOU know more about than anv /
nan in England
BY all means, said T. "But your
estimate OF my opinion is hopelcssly |
iatter'ng; IT concerns Jewels, / sup
- Exactly" said he: 70 and 7 shall bc
l.r |.