The state herald. (Holyoke, Logan County, Colo.) 1887-1921, 1893-08-11

'And Is he alive nowp"
"No, me d6ar-both dead long
ago He got himself killed by . tiger
out in India, and It killed her too
Not the tiger. but the loss ~ her
husband. Indeed then. she was far
.s.onder Of him than l ever was. Some
{ ell-off utlcld l6ched after their boy.
Md got him into the T. D. He's been
i Canada these three years, and now
fSe writes me word he's coming home,
IND will be in London next week. So
Git y6 down. Miranda, child, and send
hiItj . card Tor mo dance next Thurs-
day."
Miranda did as she wds hidden lii
a little flutter Of agitation. An
exquisite possibility had occurred to
her. Could this ba the originals
Could Charlie DO Ferdinand
"Is-is he nice. auntiop" sho asked
TREMENDOUSLY.
well, me dear. you'll soc for
yourself Oh, yos! Charles nice
enough. but not SO nice or handsome
as his poor father, me first and only
love. However, that's ancient
history now; and there's no doubt
I shoald have been tried woman.
Goodness ktlows l never grudged him
to his wife, and mayts II I'd married
him / mightn't have grudgod him to
the tiger quite % much 81 she did. -"
Thursday CAME; tho guests came
moro than could ever. get upstairs.
Charlie arrived early and did get up
stairs. His hostess, glorious In green
velvet and diamonds. poG:oed on
Him, took Both his hands and kisssd
fim before the ssaSHbled multitude.
Presently MIL kigsae her ap.
pearancc, and being effusivs1y intro;
duced to each other, they won't on 10
tho ballroom together. Miranda's
heart beat q little faster when they
met; but for one moment she had
seemed 10 recognize tho beautiful
dark eyes Of Ferdinand. But ali, no,
no! That foand foolish fsco Inclined
to be chubby, ttat Hose inclined to
be snubby. that Wide mouth forever
widenod BY schoolbOy grin! Hyper
ion to q satyr! And as for those eyes.
there was no speculation, In them,
and IL would have Been difficult in
decd to find genius and greatness In
their shadows, thought Miranda, rs
Charlie prattlod insanely at her side.
Miranda went to bed that night
vaguely disappointed md unhappy,
and had painful dream OF u dis
tortod Ferdinand photorrsr.s.od on II
spoon. Charlie came to luncheon noxt
day. Miranda was tired and little
eross; she found him horribly unin-
teresting. NiceF How could suntia
say he was niceP He had NOT twd
ideas; he chartered like an apo aid
wis quite rs ugly; bis eyes worc not
tho least like Fcrdinand's. lie was
an impostor; he bored her; sho wished
no would go. He and her aunt had all
the tai to themselves; Miranda sat
BY client md glum. and said she had
a headache. She was only half con-
scious that Charlie was babbling and
Dragging OF his exploits on the ice in
Canada; she only half heard what hc
said when he asked hor aunt II sho
had ever got the photos hc sont bor
tho year before.
mime OF our skating club and the
what do you call it?-you know"
"Oh. yes" sad her aunt; 81 got
thom, and put them all into u photo
graph screen. It used 10 stand oh
table in the third room upstairs. l
dare say it's somewhere up there
Let US 60 and look for it."
photograph screen!" The words
woke up Miranda like q pistol-shot.
| At last-at last! And what was 60
Ing to hsppcnr Was nor sin to md
her out? No. she would never con-
fess; but sho felt very guilty, and
shook In her shoes However, she
managed to walk upstairs In them
behind hcr aunt, with Charlie ut her
heels"
In the third room her aunt pulled
tho drawer OF n cabinet "Hcrc II
lisp" said sho. folded up rs Nat as a
pancako"-snd sho gave II to Charlie,
who unioldod It.
"Yes." cried he. with. his vide
laugh. there We all arc! But. I say,
where's the the - combination
composIte--what d'you call itP Nine
Of us blended into ono. you know
the now dodge. What's become Of
ite Awfuiiy handsome fellow wo
made. too Bit Of Brown. bit OF
Jones, bit Of me. By Jovel What's
tho mAttors Arc you ills Here, sit
down. Where's tho cau-dc-odl ogne sh
Miranda sat down. She did feel d
little faint for an instant while she
realized tho truth, and Ferdinand
melted Into space; but then tho sup.
pressed fun In her slower nature
Jumped up like u Jack-in -the-box on
tho phantom heels Of tho vanishing
Ferdinand. and sho went OF into
pcals on pcals Of incxtinguishablo
laughter. They wcro rathor fright.
cned; her aunt slapped hor hnnJs,
Charlie empticd tho bottle OF eau lido.
cologne over her. and I am afraid
sho slapped him,
"Me poor child" said hor aunt,
"sbc's hystcrical."
I'm nothing Of tho sort" gaspoa
Miranda. trying TO sior laughing
going of again, and speaking In
spusnis. "Oh. oh, oh! It's too. too,
too funny! oh. oh. obi that I should
fall In lovc-with ninc mcn--at once
No. no. no! with nlna--bits u mon
oh. oh. oh! = thing of shrcis and
patches! oh. oh. oh. oh! shall
ever, over. over stop lxughingp"
Miranda wont home In July, a
mcrricr and q Visor girl In October
rhc married her faithful curatc.
whose only rival had boon Ferdinand.