The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1896-07-18

-
dear" Aunt Emmelina said, in thin.
old voice. She retained the hand, in its
white suede glove, with all The solicit
tude of chaperon of 40 years stand
ing.
"Oh, no, it was Edith who caught
them-my sister, not l." Esther said.
She managed to get her hand away
and moved across the veranda, to be
instantly surrounded by the officers
and the bank clerk.
Aunt Emmelina went through the
French window into the breakfast
room, sullSy look on her nice old face.
Aunt Emmelina stood in moody
silence, her back to the freless CRATE.
They came in. all arms and legs and
beaming smiles.
where's your corkscrew?" she said.
"Why, what's the matter, Jack?" The
last word was whispered.
80, confound it all" Aunt Emmelina
said, and pushed up her veil, regardless
of consequences.
Thea went up to him and put her lips
to his ear.
1 u y ii}tf, ISL L II she SAUL
"Mind your own business" he an
swered, and turned sharply on his heel,
forgetful of his dress tail.
| But Thea followed him up.
| sometimes chaperons kiss the girls
good-by," she whispered, and fed out
again among the others.
Aunt Emmelina put her veil down
carefully, she arranged her curls with
diligence, and set her bonnet straight.
There was a smile in her eyes behind the
glasses. After all there might be some
enjoyment in the position.
Esther had evinced careless disregard
for his ardent admiration lately, though
once she had received it almost gra-
ciously.
AS Jack" he would have been pushed
aside TO make room for the squatter, OF
whom he had suspicious, for the officers,
even for the bank clerk
| As aunt Emmelina" he might have
the felicity of touching thatwhite, beau
tiful hand of hers often; heAmight even
erly kind of way.
So they set out. And surely in all the
annals of chaperondom there had never
been quite such charming. gentle, en-
tertaining old lady as Aunt Emmelina.
"Come and sit here, my DEAR" she
said, as Esther was guided carefully
into the boat by the bank clerk. 'Come
and tell me about poor little brother"
Esther took the place rather unwill-
ingly. She had promised to sit on the
same seat as the squatter while the bank
clerk rowed.
There were three other boats, and
Jack had seen that the good rowing men
were equally distributed in them. In
his own, however, the bank clerk was a
very poor oarsman, and the squattep a
great deal out of practice, so they were
left somewhat behind.
just past Hunters hill great sailing
boat came bearing down upon them and
a steamer was close behind, but no one
had noticed such details until it was al
most too late.
Then the bank clerk grew pale and
splashed frantically with his oars AMI
the girl with the steering lines lost her
head and forgot which side she should
pull.
The young Delany girl with beautiful
wisdom stood up in her place and
screamed. Esther gave a little gasp and
chung to the friendly arm beside her.
But Aunt Emmelina thrust her rough
ly aside and almost fell across the boat
to the middle seat. She swept the bank
clerk out of his place into feeble and
astonished heap, seized the oars, and
with a couple of powerful strokes
swung the boat round out of danger.
Afterward the bank clerk had a con-
fused remembrance of being called a
COMPOUNDED young IDIOT" and he re-
scented it with an air of dignified sur
prise toward the chaperon for the rest
of the day.
Aunt Emmelina resigned the oars TO
the squatter when they were in clear
water again, and seemed much troubled
because she had burst her black kid
gloves. She smiled at the surprise OF
the party at her act, and said simply
she had been used to the management
Of boats since her earliest youth.
When the meal was over Aunt Emnc-
lima felt very much what is popularity
Known as "out Of it."
Aunt Emmelina was dying for a
smoke. If she could have talked 10
| Esther she would have sacrificed the
desire, but as it was she merely anatt-
ematized the squatter and kept finger
ing the pipe and tobacco pouch she had
carefully put in her pocket until she
could resist no longer.
would you like to come out in a
boat with me, my child?" she said, at
last, gently, to Thea, who was feeling
somewhat exhausted after prolonged
attack upon cream cakes.
Everyone remarked how well the old
lady pulled, and Ella waved relieved
farewell from the shore.
Aunt Emmelina rowed at rate that
l e., .,rx IL Al