Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-02-16


sccupation was both occupation and
smuseu,ent. He studied and did some
..r,bbling. occasionally sending very
,retty verses to magazines.
ltwatsr lived In a small place, but
rery old one. Many Of the dwellings
FOOD alone and often in the center Of
large grounds. His house was quaint,
md the grounds were marvel Of good
t.ste On entering his study one
.ould Immediately be impressed with
mo fact that 1t had been furnished
md decorated by an artist with IN ex-
onlsite sense for harmony In color.
Through the window appeared grounds
that had evidently been arranged by
landscape gardener. Both the artist
and the gardener were Ethan Atwater.
Atwater had been drawn to one or
tvo different women at different times.
bnt had sooner or later discovered
someihing in one or the other to offend
b,s sensitive taste, something that
either smacked Of coarseness or an
absence of ideality. Not that he was
a sentimental man; he may rather be
called man Of sentiment. The senti-
mental was as repulsive to him as
coarseness.
On Atwater's return from journey
he found that the place next adjoining
his on the east had changed hands.
The same day he saw young lady go
into the house whose appearance
struck him favorably. Her apparel
was in good taste Her hat appeared
To have been made neither for giant
nor A dwarf. The colors Of which her
costume we're composed were subdued.
Her face, too. bespoke innate refine
ment
1t was in the autumn that Atwater
first saw this girl and nearly every
day after that he observed her either
going out or coming In or at win
dow. His first impulse was to assume
the privilege Of neighbor and go In
and call on the newcomers. but 1t oc-
Cured to him that he would take
pleasure In studying the girl from the
brief distance that separated their
abodes. One of his theories was that
q refined person could not be unre-
fined: that an ideal person could not
be commonplace. II she were both
IDEAL and refined she would show her
Neality and refinement to him with
out an acquaintance. II there was
lack Of either he would be able to de-
tect it without speaking to her or be-
ing spoken to by her.
Within few weeks he had witness
ed acts on the part Of his neighbor In
dieating traits that he considered usu-
al in, IL not essential to. a refined ma
ture. He saw her receive a child who
came to her house and knew at once
that her heart warmed to children.
He was standing at window when
she attended an old lady to her car
rage and was sure that she sympa-
thized with the aged. These are but
individual instances Of Atwater's OBJ
servations, no one Of which was Of su-
preme Importance, but all, taken to-
gether, indicated a nature such as he
could admire and revere.
Then he went away for awhile.
When he returned he made a discov-
cry. The young lady next door did
not appear either in the grounds or at
a window. He began to fear that he
had seen her for the last time. That
lear was akin to pain. He was tempt
ed to make inquiries. but knew no one
to ask. After week Of chatting one
afternoon he saw her drive up to the
house in carriage and received with
demonstrations Of affection by the
other members Of the family. Atwa-
ter longed to jump out Of the window
and take her In his arms himself. But
this was an impulse that didn't count
Tor or against his natural idiosyncra-
sizes.
similar to the first. He saw q very
handsome young man leave the house
next door and the young lady follow
nun out to the gate. apparently loath
to have him depart This time 1t was
revealed to him not only that the
young lady was q person Of interest
70 him. but that he objected to her be-
ing OF interest to any other man.
from this point she ceased to be a
matter Of study by observation. She
was to be appropriated.
My story up to this point has been
very one sided. and 1t must continue
1or the present to be one sided. 1t Is
not to be supposed that a girl may be
under constant observation by young
man next door without some observa-
uon on the part Of the girl. Atwater
aad never seen her looking at him.
Enough he had never failed to look at
aer whenever she appeared. Had he
eanght her doing 20 he would have
considered her ~ overstepping the
pounds set for a modest younR 10man.
anat she did not d e. convinced him
snat she Esd not consider him worth
boxing at.
one morning in February Atwater
Jaw man digging mp the soil in the
ssro IN the adjoining grounds. It was
pam that the ground was not intend