The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1918-05-31
Wanderlust
0%S
BY JANE OSBORN

(copyright, 1918 by the Mcclure Newspa-
per ByndicatO.)


| (copyrlght, 1918 by the Mcclure Nowspa-
per ByndicatS)
II was one OF the first warm days Of
spring and, because Mrs. Buttersby had
opened one OF her dlnlng-room WIN
dows, scent of spring freshness
morning sunshine on the blades OF
fresh young grass and breeze that
blew fresh from a bright blue sky
mingled with the aroma Of coffee,
bucliwheat cakes and fried sausages.
But Instead of having q benedlctory
effect on the thirteen boarders-this
first breath of spring-it seemed to
cast them into n gloom that was even
deeper than usual. 1t Is often that
way with those first whlffs OF spring.
We walt for weeks and months of win
ter expecting that the blue skies and
sunshine and freshness Of spring VIII
ill our hearts with good will and con-
tent, forgetting that with that spring
freshness and with those blue skies
come queer, unaccountable, quixodc
longing that make some Of us quixodc
melanchollc and others downright Ill
natured.
Hortense Perry was Of the gently
melancholic sort, while Matthew Watts
who sat behind an outstretched news
paper directly opposite her at break
inst, was one Of those whose spring
fever took the form Of extreme irrlta-
bility. Primarily this was because 1t
seemed to rouse in his heart feelings
of tenderness that he was loath to own.
He found himself repeating to himself
snatches Of poetry that he had read In
his boyhood and that had managed to
survive, tucked away somewhere In
the recesses of his mind; and then
there were dlsconcertlng, entirely
maudIin-so Matthew Watts thought
sentiments about the gentler half of
manklnd-not womanhood In general,
but Hortense Perry in particular. He
could sit across from her for an entire
winter-ln fact, he had done so-with-
out ever going any further than think
ing that she was q mice girl" ana
hoping in a passive sort of way that
she would remain opposite him, SIM
DIV because her presence saved that
seat from being occupied by any one
with q less even dispositlon-and then
let come one of those first balmy days
of spring and he was tormented with
I'll sorts of school-boy thoughts OF her.
If his eyes fell on the graceful curve OF
her light hair as It was arranged down
her ears and cheeks he was filled with
a silly desire to see the dainty ears
that only showed the merest coral edge
from under the waves of hair, ana
when she put her little hand out to
reach the bread plate he was hlled
with n really catfish desire to clap his
own hand over It and feel the softness
of 1t moulded into the hollow OF MS
own. It was because Of these unac-
countable longlngs that the eminenuy
sensible Matthew was irritable. The
only way to combat the spring frenzy
was to indulge in his I'll nature, even
TO the point of keeping his paper spread
before his face at breakfast
But the paper only barred his vision.
It did not render him deaf, and he was
not oblivious to the occasional sighs
that escaped from Hortense's lips. One
of the other boarders asked her why
she sighed and Matthew heard her
sigh again and say that she was tired
of living in Peace street-Mrs. But
tersby's boarding house was In Peace
street. She said she longed to get way,
to travel, to be q nomad; in fact she
thought she was part gypsy, which was
hardly consistent with her blonde hair
and her round blue eyes, Matthew
thought.
Then he heard one of the boarders
remark that "that was wanderlust,"
and Hortense sighed again and re-
proved the boarder for using German
word. After that Matthew conceived
q dislike for residence in Peace street.
Still, he had lived there for several
years and he knew that when the at
tack Of spring fever had passed he
would be we'll content with life at Mrs
Buttersby's-at least, as well content
as he would be with life in any board
ing house.
Meantime, after dinner that night
Hortense went to her room with the
eagerness Of one who had some pleas
urable plans to make. First she pick
ed out the bottom Of a dime bank by
the aid of a nail file and fine hair
pin. Then she counted the dimes. The
amount was three dollars and half.
Then she laid aside from that and her
weeks wages enough to pay a weeks
rent to Mrs. Buttersby and then enough
for carfares and luncheons, a few
other necessities and q minimum for
incIdentals. She had nine dollars and
a half left. This she put in a special
purse in her handbag, and then she set
about taking an inventory Of her ward
robe. That evening she washed two
pairs of doe-skin gloves, pressed
some dainty accessories Of dress and
generally refurbished her small but
well-selected wardrobe. She darned
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