The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1896-06-18
THE CHAPERON.

Joan was writing letters on pale pink
note paper. She had finished three and
there were nine more to be done.
eff it wasn't for my new muslin
would try to bear it stoically." she said,
and smudged a line with her sleeve;
"'"but the thought of the wasted labor In
these frills will embitter my whole ex-
dstence-botherl"
The concluding expletive was called
forth by the sight of the smudge.
IF only the jellies weren't made"
Ella said. "That's what I mind most.
The pineapple one was really beyond
everything"
In the armchair there was q wet
handkerchief and crumPled girl in
short frock.
It's wicked" she said, ''it's cruel.
The only pleasure of my holidays. I've
dreamed about it every night. And
school next week. No boats. no any,
thing!"
"Bother!"
Joan had smudged another sheet. She
pushed the desk away pettishly. I'm
not going to write any more of the hor-
aid things"
If only you weren's such prudes,"
the girl in the armchair said. do you
Imagine you're in a box and all Aus
tralia is leveling its opera glasses Mt
Sou-who'd care?"
you're only silly school girl, Thea
-thinl1 of the people we've asked-why.
the Delaney girls would faint at the
idea of a picnic without chaperon.
There's no help for it. Do you think
Tn not as disappointed as you are?"
The picnic they had planned and
dreamed of, cooked for, lived for, must
at the last moment be declared "oh."
The lady who was to have chaperoned
the party had been inconsiderate enough
to sprain her ankle just when all ar
engagements had been completed.
Try as they would they could not I'LL
up the place, and among all their &C.
,quaintances in the district there was
not one married lady obligingly disen-
gagged enough to come and play pro-
priety for them on such short notice.
Their father and mother had gone for
q Christmas trip to Tasmania, and
given permission for the picnic, only
.provided it was suitably chaperoned.
Clearly, they could not 60 without 4
lady of a certain age, more especially
as it would be a public holiday, and the
Tarramatta river would be alive with
holiday makers.
'T'd like to know what good they do"
Thea said in a voice so whitening that
even her tears checked themselves.
"'Why, last holidays, at the Gresham's
picnic, there were three chaperons; but
it didn't prevent our Jack from squeez-
ing Nellie Atoms hand, for l saw him. "
'Our Jack" entered just in time to
catch the last sentence and to project u
sofa cushion at the speaker.
"Sheep dog, at your service" he said,
and minced across the room. He was
dressed in a long skirt of his mothers.
with a fashionable jacket left unbut-
toned, and a boa of black lace around
his neck.
There was gray, amazingly natural
looking wig on his head, and surround
ing it black jet bonnet with an aigrette
and long strings. A veil and pair of
eyeglasses and languid smile com
pleted his get up"
Thea fell upon his neck, regardless of
the difident security of the bonnet.
"You darling" she sobbed. "Oh, you
dear. boy, you trump, you brick, Jack y
And that is how it happened that the
party was chaperoned by clean-shaven
boy of %. They introduced him as
Aunt Emmelina, and he bowed beauti-
fully or shook their hands gently and
murmured correct little society moth
.ings.
But at first Aunt Emmelina consid-
cred she had been unfairly used.
The girls had said Esther Hardess.
the present goddess of their brothers
somewhat mutable affections, could not
: possibly come, as she had caught the
/ measles from her little brother and was
= In bed.