Life — February 5, 1903 — page 9: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

* Castleton said a doubtful good morning.” Green Gables in the Jersey Hills. Preoccupied as he had been for the last ten years of his life with large business interests, he had had little time before this to cultivate the fair sex. Beyond an occasional dance, or a theatre party, or a ride in the Park, there had been no opportunity for him to enlarge upon Miss Winton's acquaintance. But here was achance that he could not miss, so he accepted Mrs. Pinkerly’s invitation with much pleasure, knowing that Miss Winton was to be one of the party. And he determined that it should not be his fault if, at the end of a week, or as much sooner as was possible, he had not succeeded in winning her for himself. ‘As luck would have it, when he stepped on the train at 109 Jersey City, there were Miss Winton and her maid, occupying the chairs in the parlor car directly opposite to his own. “Lam so’glad you are to be one of us,’ she said cordially. There was even that in the slight pressure of her hand, or the indefinite something in her voice, that seemed to indi- cate perhaps a keener joy at his presence than her conventional words conveyed. “The Pink- erly's place, you know, is simply delightful. They have everything o1 can think of. Do you play games?’? “Why, I suppose so,” said Castleton. “Iam ready for anything, you know.” “Good !’’ said Miss Winton, her eyes flash- ing with health and vital energy. ‘* We must start in early to-morrow morning, so that we shall not miss the early morning air. My maid knows one of the grooms, and I'll see that you get one of t best mounts—now, about what time shall we start?” Casueton, living in his bachelor apartments, usually got up at eight, and after a bath and a hasty breakfast, was down at his office at a little after nine. But the “early morning air’? that Miss Winton extolled so highly appealed to him, especially as there was the certainty of their being alone, so he said : “Well, let's say seven o’clock.’’ “Seven o’clock!’? echoed his companion. “Why, the snn is way up then.” And she added with a touch of scorn: “ No, sir! It must be promptly at six, or not at all.” So at six sharp the next morning, Castleton said a doubtful good morning in the porte cochere. He had pulled himself out of his bed in the left wing half an hour before, in the cold gloom of an autumn morning, wondering how in the world he would manage that horse, for, if the truth be told, he had always been too busy to learn how to ride. And now here was the animal, led out by the compliant groom, plunging and rearing, while Miss Winton, on her own mount, waved enthusi- astically and impatiently to him. Castleton sprang on the saddle and grasped the reins, The horse, knowing beast that he was, lost no time, but rushed forward madly, and, almost before he knew it, Castleton was spinning through the air, Ina moment the girl he loved was bending over him. “Are you hurt?” she asked. He got up slowly. “Not a bit,” he said faintly. ‘ But if you will excuse me, I guess I won’t try that again. I’ve never had time enough to learn how to ride a hor: “Never mind,” said Miss Winton. ‘Let's play golf! I'll change my habit in a jiffy, and the links is only a mile away.” So to the links they went. At the end of the fifteenth hole, Miss Winton was eight WW how comicbooks.com