The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-09-27

er beds. When she realized the presence OF
these two in her path she raised herself pom
derously and looked at them over her spec
tacles.
Mrs Allan" said Richard, will you tell
us. please, what you have ever seen to make
you think there was any Irritation between
Miss FARMLAND and me?"
Mrs Allan looked around for some sup
port, but finding nothing nearer retreated to
the doorstep and sat down, while the two
young people stood in front Of her.
you want to know, Richard, do you?
Well, thought you'd have heard it q dozen
times in the last three weeks. So there isn't
anything in it, is there?" she said in her
exasperatingly slow way.
"Miss FARMLAND is engaged to gentle
man for whom have the highest regard, and
we never imagined that our names could be
connected till this morning. when we re-
ceived letters from friends at a distance in
forming us that we were the victims of some
objectionable gossip whose name we are
now determined to find out" said Richard.
"Wel, Richard" said Mrs. Allan, clasp
ing her fat hands around her garden trowel,
''you walked down Main street on the 2Sth
of April with long red fringe off jules
collar hanging to the top button of your coat
and all the village saw it"
Ibid ~" said Richard impatiently, "and
what more?"
What more! Seems to me most people
would think if mans coat was that near to
a girls collar-no, don't mean to say yeu
had kissed her, but you could have counted
her eyelashes, Richard and Mrs. Allan
looked at the two amazed young people with
a deprecating air.
son the 2sth | never left my room; had
one of my bad sore Threats, DR.. Allan
knows" exclaimed Julie.
81 was at your house, but L only saw your
grandfather about some Deeds" said Rich
ard.
"And my collarette, my red chenille collar
that George sent me from Paris You could
not have been even near it!'
Everybody knows that collar, Julie,
there's not such another in Sunnydale-a
long red fringe, with little gold tassel at
the end" said Mrs. Allan.
Mrs. Allan, ask you to take my word
for it that Miss FARMLAND and ! have never
firted, that 1 did not see her on that day,
and that am utterly ignorant as to how
piece of her fringe became attached to my
coat BUTTON" said Richard; and then the
two puzzled angry young people drove away,
this time to Mr.. Frankland's.
Bessie FARMLAND was hanging on the
gate.
"Bess," said Julie, tell me, did you ever
take my red collarette out of my room? l
won't scold, not one word, but Mr. Dale and
must know"
Bessie considered moment. sit was
ages ago; the dag we got the last arbutus.
| only had it a minute"
"Where did you put it then?"
"Back in your drawer-oh, first l hung it
on the hat stand; guess it was there until
after supper; but didn't hurt it scrap
and put it back in your drawer when l took
up your supper You were sick"
"Therep You caught the fringe of your
coat when you got your hat and cane" ex-
claim ed Julie, with beaming face. Bessie,
get your hat and come with u.s.
'Well, I'll swear"
''No, don't swear, Mr.. Dale; you've no
need 1t has been the hardest on me" said
Julie.
THAT'S all you know about it, growled
Richard, and thereupsn jules quick wit re-
vealed to her various things.
They drove first TO Mrs Allan's, where
Bessie related her performance with the col
larette, and then Julie, looking down the
street, said: There's Dolly Firth tying up
| her honeysucklss. Let's go there. | can't
| bear to think see should have believed me a
firt, the dear grip
81 WON'T" said Richard.
"Yes, you Will. Bessie just take the
| reins; Mr.. Dale likes to have little girls
drive" said Julie. Bessie took the reins,
and Richard, leaning back in his seat with
an air of Indifference, was driven into the
pretty garden where Dolly, standing upon
ladder was tying up honeysuckles.
Richard only raised his hat slightly when
Dolly turned and viewed this very unexpect-
ed trio, but Julie exclaimed: dolly, dear,
I've telegraphed George that all Sunnydale
has gone quite mad except we three. Bessie
hung my red collar ON the hat stand, Mr..
Dale caught his coat in it that day be came
| to see grandpa, when was upstairs sick.
and everybody in town saw him with piece
| of my fringe hanging to his coat, and behold T!
| all the world accused us Of flirting. We
never knew word of it till this morning,
and now we are taking Bess around, who
is proud to confess her performance.
Dolly's face glowed and dimpled as she
| looked at Julie. Bessie has good deal to
answer for she said, trying to appear jok-
| ing, but the deepening blush told Richard
| exactly what she meant; and the change in
| his looks, voice and manner showed so much
| to Julie that after few more words she ex-
| claimed to her sister: "Bess, you are crush
ing me, you roly-poly ball! Let's get out
and 20 to see Miss Lawndes. I'm ready to
face all the world, with my collarette on,
too"
Richard offered to drive her where she
wished to go, but she insisted on being
| helped out, and presently was hurrylng
| down the path with Bessie, leaving Richard
standing within foot of Dolly's ladder
Bessie enjoyed her prominence in the af-
fair of the collarette, so the explanation
| spread fast, and Lily Dale, Richards little
| sister, took pride in showing her doll
adorned with the missing bit of fringe,
which she said she had pulled off of brother
Dicks coat one evening.
So the atmosphere of Sunnydale cleared
delightfully."-, and almost any man may now
wear fringe on his coat button.
George Lane is coming home soon. Julie
is keeping Miss Lawndes very busy, and
Richard, in his meditations upon Dolly now
combines her with ,anebulous arrangement
of white lace and orange blossoms, TO Ut
| worn before long for his benefit.