The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1893-03-16
BOB'S PARTICULAR FRIEND.

"Giye me your list now, if you want
to-" said Miss Gardner, stopping ner
writing suddenly and looking up i'm
| patiently.
She was making out invitations to
tea which she intended to give. and
! looked hot and cross. Bob drew tinv
! piece of paper from his pocket, APP
/ preached his sister cautiously, handed
her the paper and retreated to his
| armchair. Once more seated he re-
sumed his cigar, and in half amused.
half curious way watched his sister at
tentively. She scuffled her feet a great
deal and screwed her mouth into all
! possible shapes as she read the names
! to herself thereby affording Bob the
! greatest delight. for he liked to tease
| his sister because she got angry so
! quickly.
Miss Shepard" she exclaimed sud-
denly, turning and glaring at Bob.
| Nv by, Bob" She went or impatiently,
| 81 thought you hated Miss Shepard!
| You are ALWAYS as rude TO her as you
! can possible be. You would rather do
| anything than dance with her at
| party. You say horrid things about
her, and here you've put her down on
| your list. i had left her off mine be-
! cause | thought you hated her So"
Miss Gardner paused TO give her
! brother a chance TO get in word a
thing she seldom did, it seemed to
! him.
Well" he said helpessly. Il thought
! she ought to come. It strikes me that
it is rather hasty of YOU to leave her
| out on my account. Isn't she friend
| of volt's?'
May Shepard is an awful nice girl,
| thing which you may have heard me
say about a thousand times before."
| exclaimed Helen, throwing down her
| pen and getting ready for fight. Bob
| Gardner, you are the most utterly in
! consistent creature! There doesn't
seem to be the slightest use in talking
! to You" Bob tried at this point to
! say No" but his sister ha.d the floor.
! What do YOU want her here now for?
! just to be as disagreeable to her as
as YOU can? don't believe she'd come.
! anyway. because she must want to
! keep out of the way of such rude,
| sublimelv conceitcd-"
Then don't invite her. dearest; but
forbear blackguarding me, becau Sc |
| don't want to 90 to the next Assem- blv
|
Il snail invite her. too; and if YOU
don't treat her deCently You'll wish
you had Furthermore, I'm going to
ask her to pour out, as l should have
in the first place if it hadn't been for
you?"
Hadn't been for-who?'
Helen sat down to write the adj
dresses on her list. Bob smoked his
cigar in silence, with f." 81 istied smile
on his face. as though he ID attained
| success in some cherished project, then
! put on his hat and coat and started
| out Helen wanted to tell him that it
was time for lunch, but did not, un-
der the circumstances. think it best
| TO lower herself to do SO. SO Bob
probably didn't get any
\ week later came the tea-one of
the ghastlieSt ordeals imaginable for
Bob. A word with every body. a sen.
tence with nobody; a bewildering SCI
of black coats, on the shores of whict
were several excited girls serving
sherbet chocolate and tea, and all the
time smiling. laugh ing. frowning at
the solid wall of human beings around
them. By great exerLion Bob man
aged to pierce his way to table more
crowded than the others. where a
slight, pretty girl, with blue eyes and
light brown hair, was serving choco-
late.
DO YOU need anything. Miss Shep-
ard?" he asked in a low tone, bending
down over her.
No, thanks; one of the other wait
ers Is getting things for me-" she said
loudly.
Bob wisely ignored the compliment,
nearly cracked his checks trying to
smile. and finding chair near the
wall drew it up aud began talking TO
Miss Shepard. who seemed to pay very
little attention to him.
I Aren't you tired of pouring outo'
he asked at length, after he had seen
E several quarts disappear. Helen said
she would send some to relieve you
soon"
Yes, | wish she would; l need re-
lief" replied Miss Shepard.
This looked eucourag ging, but Bob
was more or less used to it, Besides.
? as his sister limited. he was eonceited
: so that Miss Shephrd's last remark had
, no perceptible effect on him. y min
q ute later another girl was brought by
| MISS tl4 uutI u dlttHti " tht 'AtSO-
late, and Bob walked away with Miss
. Shepard. They passed through the
dining-room slowly and into the con-
seryatory, which was just now vacant
! and lighted very dimly by the sunset.
but the hum from the other room TILED
: the air.
| "Well?" said Miss Shepard, sitting
/ down hard in the chair ne gave her.
Bob tried to say something and
couldn't.
) Nice weather we're having. Mr..
] Gardner" she said. half derisiyely.
This observation does not always kill
conversation, for on this occasion it
gave Bob's mind the little start it
] needed. Il haven't seen you for some
time"
"No; / noticed you took particular
is pains not to see me on the street yes
IL terday," said Bob.
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