Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 May 1911 — Two Olivers [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Two Olivers

A Skating Episode

By Clarissa Mackie

Oliver had discovered the forest inclosed pool as be tramped through the woods on his survey of the territory. The ice was thick and dark and smooth as glass, and it invited him to test it. The next day be deserted his assistants and sought the frozen pool with a pair of skates slang over his shoulder. He was kneeling on the bank fastening his skates when he beard the sound of light footfalls on the thin crust of snow. He looked up. A girl was coining down the woodland path, swinging shining skates over her shoulder. He could see that she was dark, with soft masses of curling black hair and large black eyes; a lovely rose color bloomed In her cheeks and tinted her tender lips. She wore a bright red skirt with a jaunty fur jacket, and on her bead was perched a cap of something soft and fleecy. The girl did not seem to see Oliver as she came lightly down to the edge of the pond and knelt down to adjuat the skates to her pretty russet shod feet. . For an instant she poised on the edge of the ice like a bright bued bird. Now she suddenly dashed toward him with fur gloved bands outstretched. Instinctively he dodged her embrace, and as be slipped past she uttered a soft chuckling laugh. There ensued the most startling experience In Oliver’s career. For a half hour be was pursued about that small icy space by this girl of the fairy form and luminous black eyes. Not a word did she utter, but now and

then that low. delicious laugh broke from her Ups as her finger tips brushed his sleeve. -

Oliver, puzzled and quite as silent as his fair pursuer, doubled and turned and twisted and found difficulty in evading the grasp of her hands. There was no sound in the forest save the ring of their skates upon the ice and the occasional fall of some frost laden twig. In the distance bluejays were screaming, and occasionally the call of a crow came down from some altitude. All at once, when Oliver had again slipped through her little fingers, the girl stopped and pressed her bands over her beating heart “It's not fair. Oliver,” she pouted. “You have decidedly the advantage of me. If I had not been handicapped I would have caught you long ago.” Oliver Ray caught his breath sharply. What was this girl saying, and why did she call him Oliver? Again she spoke, this time with an acute note of anxiety in her sweet voice. “Don’t tease. Oliver. Won’t you speak? Your silence frightens me." Again her bead was bent in that listening attitude, only the eyes turned toward the young man were pitifully eager. “I wonder If you have not made a mistake”— began Oliver gently, when the sound of bis voice startled her into a terror that carried her swiftly to the other side of the pond. “Oh. who is it? Where is Oliver?” she walled. “I am Oliver Ray.” said the owner of that name apologetically. “I am in charge of the surveying party, and I took the liberty of enjoying a quiet skate on this pond. lam sorry if I frightened you. but I thought you could see that I was a stranger.” “I thought It was my brother Oliver. He came down to skate, and I was following him. Sometimes he tries to tease me by keeping very quiet and pretending that he is not here. Have I—have I been pursuing you around this pond?” she asked in a horror struck volce. “I rather enjoyed the exercise.” admitted Oliver with a smile. “And your name is Oliver also?” she asked Suspiciously. “Here Is my card, if you will look at it,” said Oliver, tugging at his breast pocket , “Oh. I couldn’t read It; I am blind.” she said simply. “Blind!- Good Lord, how could I guess that?” gasped Oliver. “Why. if* I had only known I might have saved yon all this trouble. Pardon me. but it does not seem possible.” “It is only too true.” said the girl, a tinge of pathos in her voice. Then, as

if his own quiet tones had reassured her. she went on: *’l was not bora ' blind. I could see as well as anybody until a year ago. and then one day 1 fell through the tee in this pond and contracted a form of rheumatism that the physician* say caused the loss of my sight.’! “But it is not iucurable. Surely you must recover your sight some day,” protested Oliver. A clear whistle sounded through the woods, and. following the crash of frozen branches, a youth of sixteen came running toward them. “Oh, there you are. Elsie! Are you all right?” be callgd anxiously. "Yes,” she said severely. “Where have you been, Oliver Lewis?” “I didn’t think you would be down so soon, Elsie, and 1 ran on to chin a little with the surveyors beyoDd here, and I forgot all about you. When I did remember 1 didn’t lose any time getting here, you can bet!” He looked curiously at Oliver Ray. and the girl introduced them with a repetition of that delicious laugh. “I was afraid you might fall in," said the boy after shaking bands with the tall young man. “You don’t want another cold bath.” “I escaped that." said the girl. “Besides, Oliver, dear, the ice is quite firm, isn’t it?” “Not over yonder. Oh. I forgot Elsie, dear; you know the place between the four poplars?" “Yes; that deep hole.” “It’s thin there. 1 chucked a stone in yesterday and it went in kerplunk. It isn’t growing any colder either. Besides. who wants to skate in there anyhow?” ”1 would,” said the girl daringly—’•that is. if I thought I would fall in. Perhaps the shock of the icy water would restore my sight." She turned her soft appealing eyes toward the two Olivers. “Don’t you dare try. Elsie!" cried the boy. “You might catch pneumonia and die, and what would dad aud 1 do then?” “But I am so helpless.” half sobbed the girl, putting her bands before her sightless eyes. Ail at once, without warning, the Ice upon which they stood separated into one cake which capsized them into the icy waters of the dark pool. It was Oliver Ray who bore the brunt of the rescue. Elise lost consciousness at once, aud her brother gave her into Ray’s stronger grasp while be tried to fight for life. In the end it was Ray who saved them both. Afterward be never could tell how it happened that he lay panting on the surface with the unconscious form of the girl beside him. while young Oliver puffed and blowed and sobbed over his sister.

Then Oliver Ray brought forth the emergency flask that be always carried on these surveying trips and trickled a few drops between the pale lips. After that It wus only a short while before they carried her home on a litter improvised from Ray’s heavy overcoat. It was a short walk through the woods to the edge of the extensive lawns that surrounded the Lewis estate. and before long the three half frozen victims were being blanketed and put to bed with hot water bags and many fiery internal doses.

It was three weeks before either one of the trio stirred from bed. Ray had taken a severe cold, and so bad yonng Oliver Lewis, but Elsie had once more fallen a victim to the dreaded rheumatism, and no coercion of the white capped nurse who presided over the sickrooms in the motherless household would permit the girl to receive a visit from either of the other convalescents. Then at last came the day when Oliver Ray was to take farewell and rejoin his party of surveyors. Mr. Lewis, who had become warmly attached to the young man. invited him into the library to say farewell to Elsie, who was now sitting up. At her feet sat young Oliver, brimming; over with the Joy of renewed health. “Here Is your rescuer. Elsie," said her father. “Mr. Ray is leaving us now. and perhaps you better tell him the good news." Elsie turned her head very slowly toward Oliver Ray. and her large dark eyes met his with a different expression in their melting depths. Slowly they wandered over his face, at first wonderinglv and then gladly, and at last, as if conscious that she was betraying her pleasure in his exceeding good lomks. she blushed and turned her head away, but her band remained in his.

“She can see!” uttered Oliver incredulously. and Mr. Lewis chuckled assent and his son turned an ecstatic handspring on the rug. crying: “It was the shock of the icy water! The doctor says he can cure rheumatism all right, but he’s forbidden sis to skate any more.” “I don’t care.” smiled Elsie radiantly. “I shall always love that pooL If It had not taken away my sight I would not have known the blessedness of its restoration.” “And if God had not sent Mr. Ray to the pond I might now be childless.” said Mr. Lewis with emotion. Oliver Ray went away with a dizzy fight in his eyes and a recollection of the happiest three weeks he had ever spent Today had been Its crown of joy. He walked through the woods past the pool, which had melted now and lay dark under; the afternoon sky. As he stood here looking down into Its green depths thinking of the blessed Providence that had sent him to the skating place that wintry day there came also to him the thought of how the pool would look In June, when the forgetmenots fringed Its borders and when the love nptes of the wood thrush broke the exquisite silene*. There was another in the picture— Elsie with ldveligbt in her eyes for him ~

“I DODGED HER EMBRACE."