The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-10-28

q school girl nibbles at chocolates
! Get out on the hike and stay out fol
q year or two. Build into your arti
fetal self something Of the outdoor
animal. You have a fair start-you
were nee an athlete"
He rose to go down to his motor,
and I shouted after him contemptuous
and profane criticism. Nevertheless
within the week I booked passage for
the Mediterranean.
I found once more that Europe and
the African fringe Of the ~landlocked
sea have to offer to the hunger of the
wanderlust only a ~stereotyped table
d'hote. Shortly it clogs. Within sew
eral weeks one thing only had prom.
Used to break the stagnant surface
with a rifle of interest. And that one
thing puzzled me in no small degree,
since it was not such a matter as
would ordinarily have challenged my
attention.
l have passed with a glance many
beautiful women and felt no need to
turn my head for a further Inspection.
l am not of the cavaliering type; and
yet, here I vas finding myself inter
ested in a strange and in~defnable
way-in a Oma whose face / had
not seen, and whose name l did not
know. That, | told myself, was the
secret Of it. 1t was exactly because
she was elusive, mysterious in fash
ion, that | found my fiat interest
piqued.
had more than the swish of
her skirt or a glimpse of her retreat
ing figure, until sheer inQ~ui&itiyeDess
gave her az augmented Importance.
At all events, she had eluded me over
southern Europe, hen from Genoa to
Egypt, and l wanted to see her face.
1t vas at Naples that | had my
first cursOry glance at her. l was
hurrying through the Galeria TIMBER
to, on my way to a luncheon appoint
ment for which l found myself late.
AS l passed Merola's a young WON
on was sitting before a counter, with
her back to the street, trying on
gloves.
l could appreciate the gypsy grace
of her figure, which was slender, be-
cause one of the things 1T which l
had failed is painting. The single
thing at which l have o. failed, *
cept the success of having selected
parents who bequeathed me money, is
an appreciation of the beautiful. That
appreciation, despite my hurry,
brought me to stop for a fuller glance
at her; but there was no mirror at
any part of the shop which gave NE a
reflection of her face, and as my ap-
pointment was imperative l refrained
from going in to buy gloves.
But there was something so exqui-
site in her bearing, and in the taste
full lines of her simple travelling gown,
that l caught myself thinking of her.
Then, as I went down to the quay a
day later to say farewell to some
friends, just as the gangplank OF an
outgoing steamer was about to be
drawn up, I saw her hurrying across
it. Her face was still averted.
I strained to catch a feature, but a
hayward gust from the bay wrapped
a filmy veil about the profile-which
was for a moment turned my way
and hid it.
She did not turn at the rail, but IFS
appeared as the %gangplank came up
and cut off pursuit. But l had added
to my first impression the knowledge
that she did not merely walk. She
scared as though her feet wore the
sandals Of Hermes, and she carried
herself with the splendid grace of q
slender young queen.
At Monte Carlo I wa strolling on
the Boulevard de Condamine at night.
Ahead of me walked a young man and
a girl. It was she, and I had only
to hurry my steps to overtake and sec
her. I hurried, but an untimely as
Q%uaintance stopped me and held me
in useless talk until at a distance
saw her disappear into a lighted door
way, against which her face and fig
ure showed only in silhouette.
The next two days I haunted the
cafes and the casino, but she had
gone.
Riding one day around the walls Of
Jerusalem, l had a glimpse of her
standing on the ramparts by the Gate
of the Needles Eye: but as l looked
up the sun was full in my eyes, and
I could see only the flashing of her
skirts in the wind and halolike haze
of gold about her uncovered head.
was sitting on the terrace at Shep
heard's hotel on the evening Of my ar
rival there. was finding life fiat, as
one must who can discover no fas-
cination in Cairo's appeal to the eyes,
nostrils and ears. Before me was the
OLA podrida of touring fashion and
fellaheen squalor; TIE smell of camels
and altar of roses; the polyglot chat.
ter of European pleasure-seekers and
the tom-toms of Arab pilgrims.
Then once more I saw her. But
still l did not see her face. l suppose
<l4~4 ry1~0 4%h1r oorcD~c NTH hnr