Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1894-09-21

to the Littlefeld hospital, and there was
good hope of her recovery. They seemed
to have grown quite intimate in this
half hour of intercourse. Fanny Ashley
had frank, winning manners. How
strange it seems" she said to Edith,
"that we do not even know your name,
and yen are probably unacquainted with
nurs. [ am Fanny Ashley, and this is
my brother Harold. As our acquaint-
ance has begun SO romantically, l am
sure it Ou-flt to continue lido hope you
will let me come and see you"
But | am a stranger in Littleield,
Miss Ashley, and shall remain only a few
weeks, or months"
80 much the more reason why l
should see you as often as possible while
you do remain"
Edith looked embarrassed. She thrust
out her shabby shoe from under the
skirt of her old gown. The sight of that
shoe and of her ragged gloves ought to
have told Miss Ashley the acquaintance
she sought was impossible. Il live in a
part of Littlefeld you may not know
anything about-Ford's alley, near the
railway. | lodge there with Mrs. North
up. If you cared to call of course shall
be pleased. My name is Edith March"
"Ford's alley?" and Fanny looked at
her brother Harry. "Of course" said
he, with alacrity. 1T is that little place
off Grove street, running down to the
station The Northups live in the house
with the pretty garden. | know North
up, conductor on the Applicable line, and
right good fellow"
Fanny opened her eyes with grave
! look of surprise. Where on earth had Har-
ry picked up all this information about
the Northups? Edith managed to escape
rather abruptly, although she saw in
Harry Ashley's eyes that he had intend
ed to offer her his escort as far as the
town. 1t was late twilight when Edith
reached home, and she felt too nervous
| and excited to set to work as usual in
the evening hours. She remained long
time in the dark watching the stars
come out in the sky through her high
window and living over the strange
events of the afternoon. Poor old Celes-
tinas book of poetry lay in her lap, and
she touched it with a sense of pity. She
| had planned to go to the Littlefield hos
pital and inquire after the sick woman
the first thing in the morning. Then
her thoughts turned to young Ashley
and his sister, whom she could not but
! like for these frank kindnesses. She
laughed to herself when she recalled the
| Il, /, 4ln+ ~
| to her brother Willard about the supe-
rior excellence of Littletield society. A
few hours had made all the difference.
From utter loneliness she had leaped into
the best Littlefeld set. The Ashleys
certainly were at the top of the tree.
| And had not Miss Ashley asked permits
sion to call?
Edith March," young Ashley kept re-
peating over to himself as he restlessly
wandered from the veranda to the hall
and from the hall to the library. Where
had he heard the name? 1t seemed to
haunt him. He went over to pile of
magazines on the library table, and Sc
lecting one by chance opened at the Ia
BILE of contents by Jove, here it is,
Fanny" and he dashed into the drawing
room with the book in his hand. "She
is literary, and here is one of her stories. "
"Of whom, pray, are you talking
| Harold?"
"Why of that girl, of course, who
found the old party up in the woods-Miss
March. The name has been haunting
me ever since | heard it. And do you
know l recall now letter had yester-
| day from Stevens, who is up at Tamerack
Camp with young geologist named
March. He says he is a capital fellow
and has sister who writes. OF course
it must be the same"
"Why, Harry" said Miss Trevor, smil-
ing up at him from her reclining chair,
you look as if you had found gold
mine"
Edith had been up three hours labor
ing at her story in the dewy freshness of
the morning when a smart dog cart with
q groom on the back seat and a high
stepping horse driven by Mr.. Harry Ash
ley entered Ford's alley at a lively pace
and stopped at Mrs. Northup's door. The
good woman, when she answered the
summons, was electrified to find a smil-
ing young man on the doorstep who in
ouired if Miss March lived there, and de-
livered to her dainty billet, intimating
that he would wait for an answer She
came painting up the steps to Edith's
room with Margery clinging to her gown.
Edith took the note abstractedly, an
noyed to be interrupted in her work,
but when she had opened it and read her
face colored with blissful emotion. 1t
was an invitation from Fanny Ashley to
ioin a Yachting party on the river for