Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-09-07
GROWTH OF A STORY.

btllllth JSluohtliAp anu NOlG all USUAL dlE
Of silent criticism. The combination
struck several women as pleasant, two Of
them frankly admitting their pleasure
and another, too, almost unconsciously
approving of him. The first two natural
ly became the mans friends and so pass
out of the novelist's ken. The other two
became respectively particularly indiffer-
ent and slightly anxious, either of which
is very bad sign. One of them, young
Hoskins sister, black eyed streak of O
girl, talked very freely to Beauchamp,
and the other, Cissy Bell, listened when
he spoke. So friendly relationship was
maintained, and tho mans summer was
gay to festivity.
But one day, as August glowed and
painted, Hoskins' sister got out of the
yacht first, and turning watched lazily at
Beauchamp's helping Of Cissy Bell. The
man was unconscious, but there was a
look in Cissy's gray eyes as he took her
hand which revealed to the other girl not
only Miss Cissy's inner emotions, but in
cluded in a flashlight her own. Both girls
looked at each other a moment, and then
each knew that the other knew.
So the story began to walk alone.
Young Hoskins' part had been to talk
to Cissy, while Beauchamp held his sisters
open attention and Cissys furtive defer
ence. Being young man who liked to
talk Of himself, it took him some days to
find out that the young lady did not listen
when he held forth. When he made the
discovery, he began to feel an aggrieved
interest In Miss Cissy. From that he
walked across the country of tenderness
into love.
So strong young story sprang up.
With Beauchamp it was presently a case
Of ''how happy could 1 be with eitherl"
as 1t occurred to him to make the most Of
his opportunities. There was keenness
about young Hoskins' sister and fierce bit
Of temper which was peculiarly piquant,
but there were few days, hours even, in
which he did not think Of the way Cissy's
brown lashes lay on her cheeks and her
slow blush, which faded away as it came
On the whole Cissy quietly led.
There were several things which made
the story grow and develop in different d.
rections.
Beauchamp discovered that young Hos
klns also admired the coloring in Miss
Cissy's face.
Young Hoskins' sister suspected that
her rival was gaining ground.
Young Hoskins began to call Beau
champ "the fellow"
Miss Cissy cultivated a lisp of her child
hood, which made her adorable.
So the story came to mans estate,
1t was young Hoskins who did himelf
an injustice and made black spot on the
story. His sister listened with burning
cheeks. 1t was an unhallowed treaty, but
they both subscribed to it. Beauchamp's
character was to be mildly slandered and a
few triaing stories set afoat to Miss Cissy.
A friend Of Hoskins abroad was to be
posed as Miss Cissy's present flance, and
SO on, the usual stupid Safeguarding.
So the story sowed It's wild oats.
There were several acknowledgements, and
the Hoskinses, on whom the burden of
cleverness fell, made fair amount of
margin out of each. The day Miss Cissy
displayed unwonted temper over the loss of
the box seat beside Beauchamp 1t was the
lack of letter from the flance. The "a
hours Beauchamp spent in business in
New York were to dispose Of certain trou-
blesome people. Miss Cissy and Beau
champ were quite easy subjects to work
upon At the end of week both were
distinctly miserable There were even
signs of mutual turning to the Hoskinses
for consolation.
So the story began to know itself.
The conspiracy succeeded. In the bright
gayety Of latter August, with its tennis
tournaments, its yacht races, its picnics
by day and it's moonlight strolls by night,
the people enjoyed every day of 1t, and an
other two tried honestly not to think Of
each other. Beauohamp devoted more
time to young Hoskins' sister, and Miss
Cissy gave closer attention to that young
lady's brother. 1t was presently thought
safe to hint that young Hoskins' sister
had undertaken the reformation Of Beau
champ, with the ultimate intention of
marrying him, while Beauchamp was CIV
en- to understand that Cissy's fondness for
young Hoskins was vicariously given to
the man In Europe.
So the story chose its path In life.
1t was all very well until the day young
Hoskins took Cissy canoeing and Incl
dentally mentioned the fact of his sister
engagement to Beauchamp. Cissy looked
at him moment with quivering mouth,
and then, without seconds warning,
burst into tears That broke up the con-
spiracy. Young Hoskins discovered that
he loved Cissy better than his sister and
better than himself. How he managed to
put things right does not matter. Neither
do his sisters remarks when he protested
plaintively; Hang it ALL Her mouth
Quivered, I tell you 1 felt as If I had
struck baby"
So the story retired into virtuous old
age.-Madge Robertson In New York
Press.