oral token of affection.

Mr. Forbes said he never was at a watering-place before where they
buried the summer boarders in the front yard. Mrs. Benson didn't like
joking on such subjects, and Mr. King turned the direction of the
conversation by remarking that these seeming trifles were really of much
account in these days, and he took from his pocket a copy of the city
newspaper, 'The Summer Sea-Song,' and read some of the leading items:
"S., our eye is on you." "The Slopers have come to their cottage on
Q Street, and come to stay." "Mr. E. P. Borum has painted his front
steps." "Mr. Diffendorfer's marigold is on the blow." And so on, and so
on. This was probably the marigold mentioned that they were looking at.

The most vivid impression, however, made upon the visitor in this walk
was that of paint. It seemed unreal that there could be so much paint in
the world and so many swearing colors. But it ceased to be a dream,
and they were taken back into the hard, practical world, when, as they
turned the corner, Irene pointed out her favorite sign:

Silas Lapham, mineral paint.
Branch Office.

The artist said, a couple of days after this morning, that he had enough
of it. "Of course," he added, "it is a great pleasure to me to sit and
talk with Mrs. Benson, while you and that pretty girl walk up and down
the piazza all the evening; but I'm easily satisfied, and two evenings
did for me."

So that, much as Mr. King was charmed with Atlantic City, and much as he
regretted not awaiting the arrival of the originals of the tintypes,
he gave in to the restlessness of the artist for other scenes; but not
before he had impressed Mrs. Benson with a notion of the delights of
Newport in July.

III. THE CATSKILLS

The view of the Catskills from a certain hospitable mansion on the east
side of the Hudson is better than any mew from those delectable hills.
The artist said so one morning late in June, and Mr. King agreed with
him, as a matter of fact, but would have no philosophizing about it, as
that anticipation is always better than realization; and when Mr.
Forbes went on to say that climbing a mountain was a good deal like
marriage--the world was likely to look a little flat once that cerulean
height was attained--Mr. King only remarked that that was a low view to
take of the subject, but he would confess that it was unreasonable to
expect that any rational object could fulfill, or even approach,