Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1897-10-28

He looked at her.
"Might I hope to be accorded the
second and fifth and ninth, Miss Brad
ford?'' he asked.
.'Oh, thank you, /" said Bessie. She
was grateful, and he was quite appeased.
Now Miss Bradford was a success.
She had what is known as beautiful
time for three whole months. No girl
was remembered ever to have received
altogether SO much attention She al
ways had lovers, and the two don't al
ways go together Captain Soutter loved
her, SO did Lieutenant Paxton, and SO
did young Milford Bessie loved young
Milford A girl who prefers 'scit."
clothes to uniform is peculiar, to say
the least. Bessie didn't say or show
whom she loved, except to Milford. She
had told him. She had refused Paxton,
and she was warding the captain off.
But the last she could not do much
longer. The captain had good opinion
Of himself
He also had dignity which was not
to be trifled with. Mrs Gallatin was
by no means sure Of Miss Bradford, so
one day she spoke to her. The process
of being spoken to can arouse the worst
in girl But Bessie was in 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 most affecting picture Of herself
as an offering on the altar Of matrimony
and filial duty. She would pine away
picturesquely in year or so, and Will
Milford well, perhaps he would go to
the devil. She hoped SO. It was under
this pressure that she solemnly promised
and swore to Mrs Gallatin to marry
Captain 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 Captain Soutter was to be kept
from asking her. Yet she could not ar
rive at any plan The captain was an
impetuous southerner, and he was nei-
ther over well bred nor nicely discrim-
mating. Bessie was worried. IF it had
been that she had promised and sworn
anything to young Milford and had had
to 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 her 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 Captain Soutter. He
had invited her at the time that she
was practicing for the martyr role. As
she couldn' t, therefore, go with Milford,
she would wear the gown he liked,
which was white silk. For it 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 prepared spe-
cial mixture Of a number Of chemicals
and powders. This mixture had to be
whipped up-as if it had been the white
of eggs-very light and frothy. It had
most unpleasant odor, but it was pref
ty to look upon. Because the odor was
SO unpleasant, Miss Bradford opened
the door into the hallway and stood just
within it, beating.
There was air in the hallway, and
there was none in the Galatians quar-
tiers, as the baby had cold Captain
Soutter had cold, too, frightful one.
If he had not had, he would have no.
ticed the smell of Miss Bradford Is mix
ture. He came through the hall on his
way to his own quarters on the floor
above. Colonel Milford was with him.
The captain didn't like the colonel par
ticularly, on account Of his being his
sons father.
"Ahl Miss Bessie! What pretty,
housewifely picture we make, - said the
captain
Bessie smiled encouragingly.
"What are we doing? Whipping
cream? How good it looks # Hebe
would but feed us with ambrosia.
The colonel smelled the ambrosia,
but he held his peace.
''I'll give you taste, captain, if You
want it very, very much.s Open your
mouth Wilde. Shut your eyes -
She put a heaping forkful in his
mouth The horrible taste made him
gasp. The gasp made him swallow the
froth. Colonel Milford laughed. But
Captain Soutter went to his quarters
without word
Bessie went to the hop that night
with young Milford Afterward, while
she and her sister and Lieutenant Gal
latin were having their supper of beer
and crackers and cheese, Miss Bradford
told them that she was going to marry
the penniless civilian
"But how about Captain Soutter?"
walled Mrs. Gallatin.
"Hushf He might hear you. Oh,
I'm awfully afraid he'll never speak to
me again. And he never did.-Gwen-
dolen Overton in Argonaut