The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1914-01-09
Caught by His
= White: Hair
By MARTHA EVE.RSHAM

NhCh Il was IL SilI vi StNtnlCCh 4
was far older than my years. Young
fellows Of my own age seemed TO me
what they really were-beardlcss boys.
They were full or sports and nonsense,
whereas | was p~hilosophically inclined.
| loved to talk with men who knew a
great deal more than | did-men who
could talk ~learnedly on Il variety OF
subjects. Thus | was throws in with
those who were usually double my age.
But my intimacy with such persons
was entirely intellectual. Nothing
akin to love was excited by any of
them. Indeed. many of them had
passed middle age and were incapable
Of sympathizing with a girl in her
teens. While it was true that ! had
intellectual cravings, it was also true
that | was still a young girl. Therc
were times when I wished for com
panionship with young persons. Bu'
| was rather inclined to be young with
them than that they--I refer to the
men-shOuld be young with me. What
| mean is that there is n certain dig
nifty in a young man that a girl looks
for in one whom she would consider
seriously as a possible life companion
When l was nineteen my father de
cided that l should finish my education
by a trip abroad. We sailed one Feb
ruary morning for Naples. i%ntendin"
to work u way northward with tn
opening spring. spending the hot sGr
mer months in Switzerland. On reach.
ing Naples, when we were going ashore
in the ships tender, | noticed a young
man whose hair had evidently turned
prematurely gray. Never have ! seen SO
striking a contrast between n young
face and white hair. He appeared t.
be recovering from an illness. He sat
opposite me in the boat. and for tn
life OF me l could not keep my eyes
off his contrasting features. He knew
that ! was looking at him. and this
fixed his attention upon me.
We drove from the custom house to
the hotel. our party Of three in an open
cab loaded down with hand baggage
On the way we passed another cab
containing the white haired young
man. Again we exchanged glances as
he drove by us. and when we brought
up at the hotel entrance he was get
ting out Of his cab to enter the house
I confess I was secretly pleased that
We would be at the same abiding place
That very evening an Acquaintance
OF my father introduced the young
la TO us as George C~arutherS. telling
us that he had been i'll and was tray
cling for his health. The introdncer
would be grateful for any attention we
might show his friend. Mother sympa
thized with Mr.. Caruthers. Il strange.
in n strange land and not strong. SHE
made quite n pet Of him. ana before
we left Naples. he having no definite
plans. she invited him to travel with us
4 party travelling for pleasure be
comes intimate ut once. In these days
of form the only way OF making new
old friends. IL | may he allowed the
expression. is travel in company with
others. was during IL s~Oiourn in the
principal Italian cities from Naples to
Milan and OF the railways connecting
them a constant companion Of George
C%aruthers. 1t seemed to me that there
was as great a contrast in his DISPOSE
ton rs there was in his outward fea-
lures. He had the quiet dignity. the
depth of understanding Of a man and
the freshness Of youth. These accord
cd admirably with his appearance. He
had. too. a way of falling in with my
moods. When | wished him serious he
was serious: when | preferred that he
should be youthful he was youthful.
These persons with young faces and
white hair are very deceptive us to
their age. I angled with Mr.. Caru-
theirs to draw from him his age. l
ELECTED certain bits OF information
from him with the intention Of put
ting them together and thus deducing
how old he was. But he soon OWNED
my intention aud gave his answer in
Il way to defeat my purpose. Then
he would laugh at me for my failure.
We reached northern Italy In a cou-
pie OF months. and by this time my
newly made friend had quite re- covered
his strength. His complexion was
naturally ford. and the contrast be-
tween his face and his hair under his
improved condition was the greater.
He was always close shaven. but |
could see that his beard did not par
take of the color of his hair. But even
this vas difficult to determine. for his
beard was evidently meager and of a
light hue.
1t is well nigh impossible for ii young
man to travel in company with q
young girl without an affair OF the
heart. and our case was no exception.
George Caruthers proposed 10 me on
Lake Leman lust before we reached
Geneva. In reply ! told him that |
had but one objection To him = that
which was now IN attraction would
one day be Il detriment. When he be-
Il to grow old he would look far old
or than he WIS ON account OF his white
hair. he toos os his hit with one
hand and with the other pulled of his
scalp aud an overlay of white hair.