Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-03-26

actly In imitation OF MISS ROXY trout tnat
all the girls burst at once into a spasmodic
giggle.
Hateful, forward thing!" sputtered
Louise Hayward. why, she'll spoil every
bit of our funp'
"How dare she obtrude herself uninvt-
ed upon poor Nell EvansS" asked Miriam
Holley.
''She shan't come" said laughing Kate
Kesley. "She shall never cross Nell's
Threshold"
But how will you help it'" said Alice
Appleton.
swer
The next week was a week of glad prep
aratioR for the forthcoming event, and no
one was more difficult to please or more
exacting in her selection Of materials and
her ceaseless calls upon the aid OF the
young ladies than Miss Polly Prout, who
ordered a new bang" Of glossy chestnut
hair for the occasion, which would have
been quite perfect II il had matched her
back braids little more exactly, and had
pair Of green satin sandals made by the
village shoemaker, and mosquito pole
gilded to represent spear by the picture
frame dealer.
Zone likes TO observe all the niceties,"
said Miss Polly, while in her middle aged
mind rose up the delusive idea that perhaps
some mature masquerader of the opposite
sex might perceive ia her some greater at
traction than the youthful roses and girlish
graces of the eight graduating girls
stranger things have happened" COM
placently thought Miss Polly rs she stitched
away at the satin ru~ettes which were to
modernize her green gown.
But in spite Of all her precautions the
first sleighload of laughing girls started
without her while she was tying her fur
hood over the tinfoil helmet.
What, gone already" said Miss Prout
angrily. why didn't they waltz What
right had they to 20 of without notifying
mel"
Don't mind, Polly" said Mime Morini
soothingly. Eight was all the sleigh
could carry besides the driver Michael
says his orders were to bring the cutter for
you"
Orders" shrlly repeated Miss Polly
But whose ordersS Does Kate Kesley
manage this institution, or do land you?
Me crowd into "A cutter indeed-with a star
/ ing Irish lad like Michael to drivel A pref
; ty arrangement
/ But in spite of her Indignation Miss Pol
/ Iy Prout was compelled finally to accede TO
the obnoxious plan.
Drive quickly, Michael, she said TO her
young Jehu, "for its getting dark ALREADY
and don't at all like the woods that.we
have to go through. Why on earth those
I girls couldn't have waited'-
But the jingle of the sleighbells and the
sudden start of the horse brought Nkss
Prout's sentence to an untimely termiha-
ton, and away they went over the frozen
road
Not far, however. just within the dark
some limits Of the cedar woods, where the
purple dusk that still fingered in the open
fields seemed turned to the gloom Of ALSO
Lutte night, a tall, white figure with'a black
mask covering its face stepped forward and
seized the horses head while partially hid
den by the dropping evergreen boughs a
little group Of other figures fingered.
Burglars shrieked Miss Polly Prout,
dropping Minerals gilded spear into the
snow "Assassinsi Masked robbersi Oh,
kind gentlemen, spare, spare my life, and
all my jeweiry is yoursp
And tearing her gold plated bracelets
from her wrists she flung them and her
watch into the road.
rumI" squeaked Mickey, the Irish lad, as
be covered down in the bottom of the
sleigh.
"Descend-and DEPART" uttered deep
voice. Look behind at your perilW
"Wh-where shall we goi" suffered
Mickey.
ITO the place whence you came" was
the stern reply And at the risk of your
/ lives be speedy and secretr
As Miss Polly stumbled more dead than
alive out of the cutter she was turned
briskfy around by the shoulders, so that
she was facing the windward road by which
they had come, while Mickey found himself
spinning around and around few steps
farther on like teetotum.
"Departp' once more uttered the warn
I ing voice, and Miss Prout and Mickey
clinging wildly to each other, plodded away
In an agony of terror
Half an hour afterward the luckless pair
arrived, half frozen and worn out with
fatigue, at the Morini institute, with the
grewsome tale OF having been arrested by
masked robbers, and having only escaped
by the most marvellous good luck from be
ing murdered outright. The gardener aud
two men from neighboring farmhous,
were at once detailed in pursuit Of the rob
beers, but when they reached the scene o.
action all that they found was old Dobbif
shivering by the roadside, with the CUTIE
turned over on its side where he had dragged
it into deep snow
The eight young ladies, however, enjoyed
most delightful evening at Evansdale
quite free from Miss Polly Prout's malev
olent supervision. and, strange 10 say, ex
pressed no sort Of surprise at her nonap
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