Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1918-02-02
lis WOOD NYMPR
BY AGNES c. sRoaAN.

When Carson came 80 a clearing he
dropped his gun among the thick
leaves. and lighting his pipe, leaned
lazily hack against a tree-trunk. Game
was scarce. but It was the autumn
beauty Of the woods. as wen as the
hunting which had called him. This
day OF warmth and sunshine seemed
borrowed from the summer so lately
passed.
.sWhat a glorious spot it was r His
dark eyes took III the color scheme OF
gold and crimson. Back In the days
Of chivalry, a wandering knight might
meet IN such romantic surroundings,
d lady of wondrous charm and beauty
Ia wood nglnph perhaps, with flow-
ers twined in her hair. But in this
prosaic age of rusn and reality"
Carson smiled into the bowl OF his
pipe, "the wonderful ladies competent-
" run their own cars about city pave
ments, or golfed at a country club"
Following his smile came a rumiaa-
tive frown. why was he always
doomed to find the companlonship of
the fair sex Of such tiresome same
ness, was ii 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
mischievous curl of lips as red rs the
berries in her hair. Then with a
sense of human nearby presence, Car
son turned to find the pictured sprite
perched unon q mound of leaves behind
him. This particular sprite laughed
in frank delight at his evident aston
ishment.
: "Well?" she asked sauciIy. Still be-
wilderedly staring, he noted her round
brown arms escaping from their rag
ged covering, the wreath Of mountain
ash berries crowning her shimmerine
hair; hair rippled far below the waist.
Could it be girl or vision?
.That is what 1 must ask you" he
replied. "Wenf"
She laughed again. You wonder
how | came here" she questioned "in
this solitude, far from habitation."
lie nodded. Il fancied at first that
/ had conjured up your image. Ny
mind was at the moment filled with
such poetic imaginings."
"We viii them 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"
at viii, fair nymph," the man re-
piled, joining whimsiealIy in her pleas
ure. ''With no habitatlon within many
weary miles of walking, may / ask
whore is your abode?"
The girl pointed upward. In the
sturdy oak, sir, beneath which I 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?a she said, "at night the tree
makes a 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, l must leave you"
Carson arose also. The girl put forth
a 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 reminiseence looking at the
picture Of the wood nymph above his
desk. These pictured eyes were not
half so beautiful, ne thought, the
curved lips not so alluring, as one
other. And the remembered face
would not be dismissed. 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 go 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.
lie had reached this decision, when
to pass a restless hour, he entered
a motion-picture house. Absendy he
watched the changing scene cast upon
the screen. There was something
vaguely familiar, in the wooded, hilly
country, then Carson sat up abruptly.
Anazement and delight fitting across
his features.
Down q narrow path, ever nearer
ran n graceful girlish figure. her flow
ing hair crowned with a wreath Of
berries, her barred arms outstretched
before her. a creature wild and free
she was, now pausing to laugh In his
very face, now dropping upon mound
Of leaves. mischievously hiding from
the lover who pursued her-Carson
knew the hero-lover well, his face was
pictured in many magazines, but it
was the girl who claimed his atten-
tion.
"AIollie Miller" he read the name
upon the screen; and thereafter sat
breathless until the last triumphant
picture faded into nothingness. It was
this very act no doubt that his wood
nymph had been rehearsing in her
wooded setting. And when a few days
later, Miss Mollie Miller received his
card at the studio, she smiled her
fo.,,r,.e. 49, IL - -.--.-4 r4a1A a. -..-k