The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1911-03-03
A Pastoral Love
Affair
Combination Of the Natural and
the Artificial.
By ARTHUR BEr1ERTON
Copyright by American Press Asso-
alton, 1911.

Bessie and l fell In love natural
ly--in fact, too naturally. l have Of
ten thought how pleasant 1t must be
for the animals and birds to mate
without having to look into each
others record. A tiger may not only
kill man, but eat him and mate with
a most respectable tgress without any
questions being asked. Two birds
may meet on the branch of tree and
without the slightest knowledge of
each other become mates. But man
and woman must not only know all
about each other, but be of the same
grade and each have clean record, or
there comes lot of trouble.
And the most singular thing about
1t all Is that either of them will muir.
der any animal, except their own kind,
and eat the carcass.
i, being an artist, when the buds
| were beginning to open went into
the country to catch that first delicate
shade of pale green which appears OF
the trees at that season. l was sitting
on my tripod In wood working IN the
colors when l heard the bark of dog
and moment later little terrier
! stood growing at me. A girl, budding
! like the trees, not into leaves, but into
womanhood hurried up, calling In a
| soft voice:
"Frisk! Come away, Frisk! What
do you mean?"
l paid no attention TO the dog, and
there was no need for the girl TO call
him off, for he had no idea of attack
ing me, but he gave me an excuse for
addressing the girl.
And yet l question IL any excuse
was required. People who meet in
crowds are constrained by convention
, alities. We two, meeting In wood,
with not sound about us-when the
dog had ceased barking-except an oc-
casional twitter of birds engaged in
nest building, felt constrained in an
other way. We were impelled to be
companionable. / began by telling her
not to mind the dog, that he wouldn't
disturb me, and she sided around
where she could catch view Of my
sketch One thing led to another until
we felt quite well acquainted. / had
chosen delightful spot to transfer to
canvas. 1t was on a declivity. Al
opening In the trees below revealed {
patch OF landscape, while at my feet
gurgled stream, Mt this season wei
supplied with water from SHOWS re
Gently melted at higher attitudes. The
air was balmy and laden with per
fumes
One has but to mention this outline
picture to Indicate the result. Oliver
an opening spring In wool, buds, wild
flowers. twlttering birds, n vista. {
brook, Il dog and lastly young mar
and young woman, both In the frs
freshness of youth, what follows
Why, exactly what the poet says-th,
young mans land the young woman's
fancy turns to thoughts of love.
The result of this meeting was an
other meeting and another and another
I didn't count them; was too preo'
cupied to do so. l painted so long 0
my picture that before finished 1t th
delicate shade had come to the couI
try for had grown into n dark gree
and the full grown leaves had blotte
out the vista which gave the wor
more than half Its beauty. But Will
this beauty was disappearing the bu
OF love was opening.
So much for the natural features o
this story. Now come the artificial
viz, a girls confession to her fathe
that she had met her fate, but had no
met with any knowledge of that fate'
I the father tears from the girl and d
| triangular condition between the IA
Their, the girl and the artist such as
| has taken place ever since the first
primeyal girl planned to give her ia
Their the slip and climb tree with the
first prlmeyal youth, the tree being toe
high for the old gentleman to follow
Bessie's father was really as reason
able as we considered him unreason
able. He merely wished to know who
I was. Since | had lived In South
America from the time was two unit
twenty-five years of age I must send
there for my credentials. involving O
delay of month or more. What cruel.
ty to force pair Of lovers to wait all
that time In state of suspense
Sweetheart" | said TO her one day
Suppose the reply should come that
am an escaped defaulter jailblrd, muir
derer."
OH
"But your father would" I added
sententlousy.
One day, after having painted alone
In the wood, on leaving 1t ! saw some
thing half covered with shrivelet
( branches and dead leaves. exam
man. Mortified lest | might be i'm
/ plIcated in murder. | threw bacl
what | had removed and was abou
to hurry away when / saw two met
coming for me. Within five minute
( was on my way to the nearest pc
/ lice station.
My antecedents were now not g
much needed to enable me TO posses
my love as to preserve my neck. TIL
status had changed second tint
The case was not now one Of fathe
girl and an unknown man, but
father II girl and nm unknown man az
cused Of murder I sent mt once
note to Bessie, informing her of m
trouble, encouraging her TO keep up
good heart and assuring her of my II