The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-09-10
HOW STELLA MADE A "HIT.'

If had been caught in such a situa-
ton by any one but John Benton
should have been terribly annoyed.
There was, sitting on the floor OF the
nursery, with hair tumbled, my face
red and sticky with candy and great
rent across the front OF my overskirt,
where it had been caught by nail a
few minutes before during fierce blind
man's-buffscrimmage, Ny Mylittlesister
Alice was having q birthday party,
and, OF course, l had to assist in EN-
tertaining theguests. There were lust
| twelve, seven boys and five girls.
Supper was over Everybody was too
excited to sit long at the table, and
we all retired to the nursery at the top
of the house, where there were no re-
strictions as to noise, and where the sew.
en- boys exercised their shouting fran
| chise to the utmost, assisted in q more
subdued way by the five girls, the
youngest wee thing offouryears who
had insisted on sharing her stick of cam
| dy with me.
When John Benton tapped at the
door Isaid, "come in, carelessly, sup
posing it was q servant.
III beg your pardon, Miss Latour.
They said should find you here. But
| perhaps have made q mistake"
Not at all, Mr.. Benton" said as
l scrambled to my feet. "We are
| pleased to see you. Sit down on--on
the piano stool The chairs have been
taken into the other room. We have
been playing blind-man' buff"
"l-l received this invitation" went
on Mr.. Benton, taking an envelope
from his pocket aud reading from the
gilt-edged card within. "Al.ss Latou.
requests the pleasure of your compa-
ny on Tuesday, Dec. 30, at five
! O'clock"
! looked reproachfully at my seven,
year-old sister Alice. She had sent
/ one OF her printed invitations in which
/ the printer had neglected to insert the
name "Alice," TO John Benton, and
the great BOBBY had takenit for grant
ed that was the Miss Latour. So he
| had come, without even sending an ac-
ceptance to herald his approach, in
tull dress, with Il great expanse OF
white shirt bosom, white necktie, and
yes am sure OF this hair crlmped.
| A nice contrast to my torn dress and
disheveled hair
"WeH, l am glad you have come,
| though suppose this is not exactly
the KIND OF gathering you expected to
find, is it?"
"l did not care much what l said to
| John Benton. Ever since l had met
hum at the Warrens' ball three months
! ago, when he insisted on dancing with
me three times in the course of the
evening and trod on my toes each time
/ my brothers all declared he was in
love with me, but was too bashful to
| tell me. ] often met him, and though
| am sure am not an awe-inspirino
| parsonage, l could not hell seeing that
ne was never at ease in my presence.
Not that he was backward where men
were concerned. My brother Will took
me to the Oil Exchange one morning,
and the first thing l saw WAS John
| Benton, with his hat on the back oil
4 his head, grasping q brass railing with
! one hand and shaking the other, hold.
! ing some paper in the face OF q savage
looking man, and shouting at him at
the top of his voice in the most defiant
manner. Willsaid the looking
man was q bear, and Mr.. Benton was
a bull. Then Mr.. Benton caught sight
/ OF me, and came and suffered and
| stayed with me for ten minutes. Will
told me afterwards that in that ten
/ minutes the market dropped nearly a
/ cent, and Mr.. Benton lost q thousand
| dollars.
But it was evident Mr.. Benton was
not thinking about the market as he
/ walked over to the piano-stool in his
! dress-coat and whloe necktie ard sat
there, with one OF the most sheepish
smiles | ever saw on u young mans
! face.
Now, Lou, you must sit down on
the floor again so that we can play
forfelts," said my tyrannical sister
Alice. "And you, too, Mr.. Benton.
| Come on"
John Benton blushed and looked at
(! me
1--WE shall have to obey, lam afraid,
! Mr.. Benton" said. "But you can
sit on the piano, stool, if you prefer
! it.''
"Oh, but don't Miss Latour. AL
low me to assist you toto sit down" :"
And he actually tried to make a
courtly proceeding OF depositing me
on the floor, as if it could be any
| thing but ridiculous, however it was
effected.
Then he sat down himself, with lit
tie Stella, the four-year old mite, be-
| tween us, and the game OF forfeits
went on. Most OF the penalties were
! in the shape OF kisses, and felt nerv-
Gus until my turn came. Alice held
the forfeits over the head OF q partic-
ular friend of hers, girl of her own
age, and it was the duty OF the
be required OF the owner of the article.
There was my handkerchief! l am
ashamed to say that my heart beat
quickly when Alice repeated the fa-
miliar nursery jargon: Heavy, heavy,
what hangs o'er," ETC., and it fairly
| jumped when Alice, with a mischievous
| glance at Mr.. Benton and myself,
stopped and whispered to her friend.
Then she went on with the question:
"What shall be done with the own
err"
Clear-cut and distinct came the an
swer: "She shall kiss Mr.. Benton"
"Oh, it's Lou-it's Loun' shouted
Alice, amidst the tempest OF laughter
Mr.. Benton sat looking straight be-
fore him with crimson face, while
he fumbled with his white necktie
until the bow was under his left eur.
except Mr.. Benton looked at me to
see the operation performed, when a
small, baby voice at my side said: