Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-07-23
CHAPTER XIX.

Yes" whispered Vind,rdrd, ''you kROu
it is you lore"
1t was the claim, therefore, that even
ing that had the go by. Stevens scratch
ing away again for dear life at the hOte
at the dictatiOn of the magnate, who set
furious pace and kept it up for hours.
But finally he stopped, and instantly
his peremptOry manner vanished and
was succeeded by the half amused and
yet sincerely kind bearing which char
terized him Us soon as he touched on the
personal relations Of his new protege.
Stevens was still gathering his papers
together, when the magnate suddenly
leaned over toward him, much as he had
done in the parlor in the morning, and
exclaimed:
She's a nice girl; very pretty, and
looks, too, as if she could bake good
bread I'd go for her. Give her some
flowers. Well. be here at eight o'clock
tomorrow evening. Good night"
Windward, meanwhile, was spending
the evening very differently, though the
claim was having no better attention
from him than from ks truant partner
But, poor thing, it was used to neglect
Windward, it had appeared that night
after dinner, was to devote the evening
to Miss Willis and the theatre, not much
to Floy's liking, for she wanted to go
herself, and she did not care to have her
brother take that Willis girl so often
Possibly she intimated as much to the
lieutenant, who had followed the ladies
into the parlors, or perhaps he OWNED
the unspoken trouble, for MendelsSOhn
did not write all the songs without words.
At any rate he was the sort of man who
when in doubt plays a trump, especially
if the suit is hearts, and so he spoke out
manfully at once:
Suppose we don't let Windward have
all the fun! Let's all four make party
and gor-the quartet taking in Ste
vens, Miss Sophia, Florence and him
self, as indicated by graceful gesture
But then, of course, Stevens had to plead
his engagement with the magnate, and
Miss Sophia was tied up, it seemed, in a
church festival CHE knew it, the hate
full thing I" she thought in not q very
Sanity VI LCoJAhC sDAAAils 81 ~ lGSOlN GU
itself, as it had done before, into coy
little party of two Oh, but the lieuten-
ant was slyl
Hence Mr. Quire went one way to /
dress, and Florence another, and Wind
ward third, while Stevens and Miss
Sophia also went their respective ways,
meditating revenge.
Windward made a very careful toilet
that night, as we are told was the
custom among the Spartan youth, also,
when about to face great danger. Then
he set out, with a bunch of flowers hid
den IN his oyercoat, and reported himself
in good time at the coy home of the be-
witching Miss Clara. She, too, had been
making pretty faces at a twin sister in
quicksilver, until at length the sketch in
the glass had nodded its approval and
declared her perfect to the last ribbon
and feathery spray of foSsy hair. And
then, and not till then, she tripped down
stairs as smiling as a May morning,
though possibly that comparison is hard |
ly fair, either for those same May days |
are dangerous too. Very often they |
catch men off their guard, so that while |
they are eulogizing the balmy weather |
they are contracting influenza colds, |
pneumonia, pleuTisy and a graveyard |
cough.
But there was nothing chilly about |
Miss Willis; she darced with delight at |
the prospect of the good time ahead,
petted the dear, lovely flowers and made |
Windward's cheeks burn with her fond /
looks and speeches And off they went |
into the night, laughing and chatting,
Clara throwing back 3 last, gay defiance |
20 her mother, who stood warning, re-
proving and admiring her from the door
step; away they went, Clara nesting /
under her protectors arm and ''rattling /
on" in her own peculiar and delightful /
style What jolly grill She seemed
made, as the Chinese make their por-
traits, without shadows.
Florence had once slightingly called |
her useless" well, what then? So was
Florence, so were most girls. "As for
me, thought Windward, as he drew
Miss Clara even more snugly under his
arm, 81 want useless girl-as useless as
a rose, or a gem, or a song"
In truth, he had full time for such
dangerous meditations, for Miss Clara's
theories on the division of labor in con-
Versation gave her companion ample
leisure to muse on the charms of the
brisk little lady beside him. As here
tofore explained, his part in the talk
consisted in exclaiming "Indeed!" and
"How very interesting" at the proper
moment, and while to do this well is more
difficult than it seems, and, indeed, re-
quires conversational powers of high
order, it still permitted him to dwell
with silent rapture on merry face, ra-
diant with health and good nature,
framed in its fluffy aureole of rebellious
hair, and TO note the other projections of
the plump, jolly, young witch. How
very, very coy such a puss would look
in the corner along with the other brio
a-braci
1Eis eYsuiag. hoEeEer. TindRara had