Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1897-11-12

have only 10 pound ON the ceiling"
"The-what is it?-quartermaster ?
The quartermaster nightn't like me to
wear out his ceiling"
You tlatter me by the implication,
Miss Bradford. But I'll settle with the
quartermaster if You will only pound
For instance. will you pound tonight,
when you are ready for the hop. 10 which
ii is my dearest wish 10 be permitted 10
escort you?"
Il would be only too delighted, if it
were not that have already promised
10 go with some one else"
why. who on earth can have asked
you already" he cried.
Miss Bradford had a cool little north.
ern air. when she liked. She considered
the captains question in bad taste. So
she raised her eyebrows and smiled
most sweetly. 81 shall hope 10 have a
dance with you. Capt. Soutter." she
said
Might hope TO be accorded the sec
ond and fifth and ninth, Miss Brad
ford ?" be asked.
"Oh! thank YOU" said Bessie. She
was grateful. and he was quite ap-
peased.
Now Miss Bradford was a success.
She had what is known as "A beautiful
time for three whole months. No girl
was remembered ever 10 have received
altogether 50 much attention. She al.
ways had lovers-and the two don't
always go together. Capt. Soutter
loved her. 50 did Lieut.. Paxton. and so
did young Milford. Bessie loved young
Milford y girl who prefers cit ."
clothes to a uniform is peculiar, to say
the least. Bessie didn't say or show
whom She loved. except 10 Milford. She
had told him. She refused Paxton. and
she was warding the captain off. But
the last she could not do much longer.
The captain had good opinion of him.
self.
lie also had dignity which was not
10 be tritlcd with. Mrs. Gallatin was
by no means sure Miss Bradford. So
one day she spoke 10 her. The process
Of being spoken 10 can rouse the worst
in girl. But Bessie was i'm a broken
and contrite frame of mind. She and
young Milford had quarreled. and She
didn't care what became of her. She
might as well marry any old man and
sacrifice herself for her family. She
made a most affecting picture of her
self as an Offering on the altar of matri-
mony and filial duty. She would pine
away picturesquely in year or so. and
VIII Milford-well. perhaps he would
go TO the devil. She hoped so. Ii was
under this pressure that she solemnly
promised and sworc 10 Mrs Gallatin 10
marry Capt. Soutter if he asked her.
What Miss Bradford promised and
swore she never broke.
So as soon as she and young Milford
made it up she set about wondering how
Capt. Soutter was to be kept from ask
ing her Yet She could not arrive at
any plan. The captain was an impetu
Gus sOutheruer and he was neither over
Well-bred nor nicely discriminating
Bessie was worried. If il had been
that she had promised and sworn any
thing 10 young Milford and had had
10 choose which VOW TO break she would
not have hesitated. But she had teased
him and had only answered maybe"
For which she now suffered.
But fate came to 4 r aid-as it al
ways should, and always don't in the
case OF very pretty girl.
She was going To another hop, and
she was going with Capt Soutter. He
had invited her at the time that she
was practicing for the martyr role. As
She couldn't therefore 90 with Mil
ford, she would wear the gown he
liked, which was white silk. For il she
had to.have white gloves, and her white
gloves were soiled. Therefore they
must be cleaned. Miss bradford was
an adept at cleaning gloves. She pre-
pared a special mixture OF a number of
chemicals and powders. The mixture
had to be whipped up-as if II had been
the white of egcs-yery light and
frothy. It had a most unpleasant odnr
but il was pretty TO look upon. Be
cauS" the odor was 50 unpleasant Miss
Bradford opened tie door into the hall
way and stood just within il. beating.
There was air I'm the hallway. and
there was none i'm the Galatians quar-
ters. as the baby had cold. Capt.
Soutter had a cold. too-a frigh tful
one. IF ne had not had he would have
noticed the smell Of Miss Bradford'S
mixture. He came through the hall on
his way to his own quarters on the
floor above. Col. Milford was with him.
The captain didn't like the colonel par
ticularly. on account of his being his
sons father.
"Ah! Miss Ressie! What a pretty.
housewacly picture we make" said the
captain.
Bessie smiled encouragtnglv.
what are we doing? Whipping
cream? How good it looks. II Hebe
would but feed us with ambrosia."
The colonel smelled the ambrosia, but
he held his peace.
"I'll give You taste, captain, i you
want it very, very much. Open your
mouth-wi-i-de. Shat your eyes"
She put heaping forktul in his
mouth The horrible taste made him