The Washington bee., 1911-07-15
Mr..
NieklejOhn
He Was a Fine Fellow and
Served an Important
Purpose
By F. A. NIT H E L

an dQulEdDl6 cdICn' ne was q unS
fellow in every way and when he
came of age fell heir to a fortune Of
some $60O,O00 He was besieged by
fortune hunting girls.
1t was something of a relief, there
fore, when Mrs. StetsOn, an old friend
of his mother, reminded him that ne
was promised to her for visit at her
unpretentiOus bungalow on Lake Was
sapOgie for the last two weeks in Sep
tember He had engaged for this visit
in the spring to please his mother and
before he had made his round of house
parties, At that time he looked for
ward to two weeks in Mrs. StetSOn's
bungalow as burying himself in the
woods. There was to be no other
guest, and the family consisted only Of
Mrs. StetsOn, her son, Roy, aged six
teen, and her daughter, Alice, aged
twenty. TOmlinsOn was told that it
would not be necessary to bring even
ing dress; that he would need flannel
shirts and any old clothes he might
possess. His days would be passed in
rowbOat and his evenings in the liv-
ing room Of the bungalow with the
family sitting around a table reading
by a kerosene lamp.
After being hunted by spinsters
TOmlinsOn rather liked the idea Of get
ting away by himself. True, there was
Alice StetsOn, who might be lying il
i'm huf +
able that he could get away occasion
ally alone for a pull over the waters
Of the lake.
1t was near the 1st of October when
TOmlinsOn was driven up to the rear
| door Of the bungalOw-the house faced
| the lake and was built on its verge
and the foliage had already begun to
take on its Variegated hues. Mrs.
| StetsOn and Roy welcomed the guest
! TOmlinsOn noticed the absence Of Miss
! Alice and was so well bred as to say
! that he hoped she was not from home.
He was told that she was in the house,
but would not appear before dinner.
I Her mother vaguely limited that there
was a reason for her keeping her room
| for the present, and from the sympa-
| thetic tone in which the statement
was made TomlinsOn inferred that
some sad event had occurred.
Alice came out of her room as din
ner was announced. She did not say
anything about the lugubrious event,
but she looked intensely sad. Indeed,
| her eyes were red, an evidence that
she had been weeping. The effort she
made to seem cheerful was touching.
TOmlinsOn was tempted to inquire
what was the cause of her melancholy,
but was too we'll bred to trespass on
the sacred feelings of a young girl.
Alice retired to her room early in the
evening.
The next morning her depression
continued, though TomIinson noticed
that she ate heartily. Mrs. StetsOn
suggested that she show TOmlinson
the beauties of WassapOgie lake. Alice
cast a look Of appeal at her mother,
as much as to say, It's cruel that
must exert myself to entertain a stran-
ger when my heart is crushed" but
!
ter that the fresh air would raise her
spirits and that she should make an
effort.
What kind of an effort she should
make the mother did not explain. Roy
got out a boat, and as Alice stepped
into it dressed in a very becoming
blouse and q short skirt TOmiinsOn
noticed that she possessed a foot and
ankle the curves of which were very
delicately turned. She asked Roy il he
was not going with them, and when
he said he was going instead for
ducks she gave him a reprOachful
glance. TOmlinsOn, relieved at ROy's
refusal, took the oars and pulled away
from the front porch, which served as
landing for the little bungalow bur
led under trees and shrubbery, dip
ping his oars into water lilies, then
gliding away into deep water.
There was an autumn crispneSS in
the air, and Tomlinson wished the lady
were in better condition to enjoy ii
with him. He drew her into COnversa-
ton and soon learned the cause Of her
distress. When he admired a clump OF
trees on the crest of a knoll she said
''AIr. MieklejOhn always admired that
When he pulled into little cove with
tiny beach Overhung with wildwood
and remarked what a charming spot il
was she replied sadly, "Mr. Miekle
john and l always used to pull in here
when we came out boating"
MAY l ask who Mr.. Mieklejohn !?
"Ohp' This was an exclamation as
though she had unwittingly betrayed
herself. MIR. Mieklejohn is a very
good friend of ours. He left US yester
day morning just before you came"
1t was all out. This bee MieklejOhT
, had been there, had captured the prize
, and there was no sweetness left fol
poor TOmlinson.
| Pardon me-" he said, with a sus
: picion Of h8uteur. 81 did not know thai
1 was trespassing on sacred ground"
"Oh, no. l assure you you quite mis-
take me-"
: I'm what respect?'
''It's as 1 said Mr.. Mieklejohn is
? very good friend to US all-mother