Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-06-17

being taken by any passerby. She
took up the magazine and began to
put the loose sheets Of paper inside
its pages. But in the action she paus-
ed. Her eyes had caught the head
ing, ITO the Girl in the Punt"
She stared. why" she said, with
little laugh, 81 believe he has had
the audacity to write to mel The
impertinence! And such quiet,
sensible sort Of man. tool"
Womanlike, she never doubted that
the letter was for her. She did not
pause to reflect that there might be
other girls in other punts. She be-
gan to read.
ITO the Girl in the Punt-You
passed me just now and as you went
1 thought you smiled at me-"
"I didn't!'.' the girl said hotly. "The
conceited thing!"
"But I know" the letter continued,
that you did not. 1t was my fancy
that led me astray."
"Singularly observant young man.
reflected the girl. after I took the
trouble to smile at him, now he says
he didn't see mel"
She read on. "But I am a lonely
man, and perhaps grow somewhat
childish in my loneliness. And ever
since that--it Is two
years ago, now
"I thought SOL" sighed the girl.
Since that 1 have drifted, as
it seems without guide or sign.
Companionship, friendship, love-that
is the one need of my life. A man
does not say these things out, but to
you who are total stranger, 1 may
tell without fear of your scorn or OF
your laughter. For once thought
I had grasped that which I have
so long unconsciously sought-a
woman's love; but it slipped away.
And now I see how impossible 1t is
for anyone to care for me. And yet
it means something to me to dream
that someone comprehends, would be
little sorry for me, perhaps. SO l
have written to you. 1t Is a weak and
foolish thing to do, but I have been
strong and self-contained so long, and
all I have won from life has been
isolation. And as, when 1 have sign
ed this letter shall tear it up, as l
know that you will never receive 1t
-n
The girl smiled. Cautious mani"
she remarked.
"Yet it is something to me-" she
read, "to dream that you will answer
1t, with a sympathy. 1t is all absurd,
of course. Yet it may be that you are
like me, asking all unconsciously for
love. 1t may be that am unknow-
ingly drifting toward you, and that
tomorrow, as you go past this bank
in your punt-how beautiful, how
graceful you showed today!" The
letter ran on: Tomorrow, perhaps, as
you pass this bank you will pull up
to the river edge without word, and
I shall step in as If it were my right,
and you will say, so you are In timer
and I shall reply, I have been waiting
for you all my life; would miss you
now% Then 1 shall lie in the punt
and lazily watch you polling me up
the river until we come to q certain
overhanging willow"
my willowi" she said. How dare
hem
And there you will get out the tea
things, and 1 shall light the spirit
lamp-I saw one in the punt as you
passed-and-"
And that's ALL" said the girl. The
letter broke off suddenly. The foun-
tain pen with which he had evident
ly written it lay on the grass at heI
feet.
He was in hurry" she thought
"I wonder why?"
But there was no answer
She tore the letter into a hundred
pieces and scattered them on the
grass. THAT was what he said he
would do, anyhow, and 1t was ad-
dressed to me-" she said in her owr
defense. Then as she pushed of II
the punt she sighed: Poor fellow!
Then with a swift change Of mood
she pushed the punt viciously dowr
the stream. II dare say he knew
would get it when he wrote it to me
and he was hiding somewhere neal
and watched me read it. I won
come this way again"
AS she was walking home she me
her cousin. did you hear Of the &C
cident this afternoon on the river?'
the other asked.
The girl Of the punt went white
What was it?" she asked swiftly
and before her eyes she had a visiol
of those scattered things on the rive
bank.
"a boy was nearly drowned"
She gave a quick sigh of relief
"Only that?"
1T was pretty serious" said tn
other girl Indignantly. IF that MAJ
hadn't been so prompt and rescue'
him, he would have been drowned.
What MANI"
HE was reading by the river, an
when the little girl ran to him he JUS
flung his book down and plunged In
The water wasn't deep, luckily, be
cause he couldn't swim, and VINE
he got the boy out he seemed deac
| But the man was a doctor and sc
to work to revive him. 1t was owe
: an hour before the boy regained con
sciousness, and all that time the ma
worked over him.
: The girl of the punt reflected
, After ALL" she thought, II may
, that way tomorrow"
The man was reading on the bank.
: He looked up. The girl was
| white, but even far down that ave
, nue. of shade he knew her to be tn
same. She was leisurely polling tn
punt up the stream.
Then the man was glad he had tor
, I'D that foolish letter he had write
+o her Yesterday lust before he had