Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-01-08
HIS WOOD NYMPH
BY AGNES c. sRoeAN.
Co... lal7. w.s.srn ssewspaper ualo.


When Carson came to a clearing be
dropped his gun among the thick
leaves, and lighting his pipe. leaned
iazily back against q tree-trunk. Game
was scarce. but II was the autumn
beauty Of the woods. as well as the
hunting which had called him This
day OF warmth and sunshine seemed
borrowed from the summer so lately
passed.
''What glorious spot it was" His
dark eyes took in the color scheme of
gold and crimson. Back in the days
Of chiyalry, a wandering knight might
meet in such romantic surroundings.
/ a lady of wondroas charm and beauty
Ia wood nymph perhaps, with flow
ers twined in her hair. But in this
prosasc age OF rush and reality"
Carson smiled into the bowl Of his
pipe, sthe wonderful ladies competent
iy run their own cars about city pave
ments, or golfed at a country club"
Following his smile came a rumina
tive frown. why was he always
doomed to find the companionship Of
the fair sex of such tiresome same
ness, was it because romance still
fingered hopefully at the back of his
capable business brain? a painting,
The Daughter OF the Wood, which
hanging before his desk at home, had
not consciously attracted his atten-
ton, became now pictured upon his
mind. The girls long ripping hair,
the eyes of wide startled wonder, the
mischieyous curl of lips as red rs the
berries in her hair Then with
sense of human nearby presence, Car
son turned to find the pictured sprite
perched upon mound Of leaves behind
him. This particular sprite laughed
in frank delight at his evident aston
ishment.
'Welly she asked saucily. Stil be-
whereby staring he noted her round
brown arms escaping from their rag
ged covering, the wreath of mountain
ash berries browning her sBimmerlng
hair; hair rippled far below the waist,
Could 1t be girl or vision?
THAT is what must ask you,p he
replied. "Well?"
She laughed again. You wonder
how l came here, she questioned. ''in
This solitude, far from habitation.
He nodded. 81 fancied at first that
had conjured up your image. My
mind was at the moment filed with
such poetic imaginings."
1--WE win then" the vision replied,
continue the fancy. am, sir, a
daughter Of the wood" She pointed
to his gun. You, fear, have been
destroying my feathered friends; the
cruelty must cease"
'It win, fair nymph," the man re-
piled, joining whimsically in her pleas
ure. "Withno habitation within many
weary miles Of walking, may | ask
where is your abode?"
The girl pointed upward. SIN the
sturdy oak. sir, beneath which l sit
Asking pardon of woodland
daughter" Carson replied, "the tree
beneath which you sit is sturdy
BEECH
The girls laughter Went ringing
through the silence. "What does It
matter?" she said, "at night the tree
makes Il sheltered resting place and
by day she arose hastily to her tiny
sandaIed feet-'by day must be busy
gathering nuts for the winters store.
Sir, / must leave you"
Carson arose also. The girl put forth
protesting hand.
IF you please she begged, and left
him looking after her retreating fig
ure.
The episode filed his thoughts dur.
ing days which followed. He smiled
in happy Renaissance looking at the
picture Of the wood nymph above his
desk. These pictured eyes were not
half so beautiful, he thought. the
curved lips not so alluring, as one
other. And the remembered face
would not be .dlsmissed. Merrily it
laughed at him from the cracking
flames of his own fireplace. gravely it
regarded him from shadowy corners.
Carson knew that he must 90 back
back TO the far wooded country where
he had seen her. Now that romance
had at last found him, he must claim
it for his own.
He had reached This decision. when
to pass a restless hour, ne entered
a motion-picture house. Absently he
watched the changing scene cast upon
the screen. There was something
yaguely familiar, in the wooded, billy
country then Carson sat up abruptly
Amusement and delight fitting across
his features.
Down a narrow path, ever nearer
ran a graceful girlish figure, her Tow
ing hair crowned with wreath OF
berries, her barred arms outstretched
before her, q creature wild and free
she was now pauslng to laugh in his
very face, now dropping upon mound
az leaves. nischiev0usly hiding from
the lover who pursued her-Carson
knew the hero-lovor well. his face was
pictured IN many magazines. but It
was the girl who claimed his atten-
ton.
''Mollie Miller he read the name
upon the screen; and thereafter sat
breathless until the last triumphant
picture faded into nofhingness. 1t was
this very act no doubt that his wood
nynph had been rehearslDg in her
wooded setting. And when few days
later, Miss Aollie Miller received his
card at the studio, she smiled her
famous smile and went forth to meet
him.
AGO - sbn said .svou found me after