The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-05-07

within the United States and being TO
my certain knowledge thoroughly 10y
| al daughter Of the same. saturated with
Democratic ideas, Caroline Bake was
not the sort Of girl one would have ex-
| pected TO find indulging 10 any great de-
| gree I'm heraldic fanc.es.
| In truth one would lot have suspect
ed her OF induging i'm fanCics Of amy
| kind. She was not fanciful but on the
! contrary. particularly accountable
| young wOman-one who could, and some
| times, i'm deliberate, thoughtful way,
would, give clear ana consistent ace
count of her own motlves-a clear-skin-
ned, blue-eyed, brownhaired girl, with
great deaf of firmness I'm the modelling
| of her chin ana much cultivated rea-
soning power under her smooth, brown
| coils Of hair.
And yet she had one fancy which We
| all took 10 be heraldio / suppose 10 was,
strictly speaking, something in that line.
| Ii was the fancy OF haying device and
| a motto not only stamped on her note
paper and envelopes but engraved upon
| every silver top of every glass uicknack
| on her dressing table and upon every one
| Of the tiny spoons on her afternoon tea
| table. Some of the souvenir spoons of
tered no surface large enough for the
| device, but Carrie never seemed to- think
| that a new spoon was really hers until
| she had had that mysteri0usly signih-
cant mark engraved upon il somewhere.
| even if it baa to be on the back Of the
bowl; a sprig of maple showing two
| leaves with the motto. This is my pay"
| Why / have called il mysterious IS be-
cause she never would tell us anything
| about It. It's origin, or its meaning. We
| knew there must be some story connect
| ed with H. Carrie Bake would never
! have taken up such an idea without d
! reason.
| Sometimes a new acquaintance, at one
Of her afternoon teas-which had been
| pleasantly renowned for at least five
years. since Carrie had made her debut
| at the age of eighteen-sOme man or W0-
| man who came for the first time would
ask. as this your family crest Miss
Bake And the answer would be. II
don't think my family ever had g. crest"
| But never by any chance did she tell
us what the forked spray of maple was,
| or what it meant, or give us even a
hint.
| In the end. when we did come to find
| out about il, il was not Carrie herself
who enlightened Us. But We did fnd out.
l. myself was one OF her most constant
clients ! mean. i never missed Wed
nesday afternoon tea in her private den
| Tor anything less serious tnau t0Otn-
ache. And then besides we used 10 meet
at half a dozen other places, and s0me-
times she would let me take her 20 the
theatre There was never any one man
whose special privilege % Was 10 take
Carrie Bake 10 the theatre she granted
that TO four or five friendly and general
~ well-behaved men in rotation.
This being the state of tnugs. / con-
ln 3D.
a new man at one OF her afternoon teas
without nrst asking special i-a.e. 100
this way II was that ! proposed 10 Einst
Ligrid 10 accompany me Go Miss Bake
on the very day after Doe had come 90
take up his abode in oar town. Lisrid
mad brought me very cordial leitei Of
introduction. beyond what the infter toId
me, ] only knew of him that be was
big, athletic NOrseman.
TO be quite candid he elii, when
suggested this plan Of spending the az Ter
noon, 81 rather think / should be a little
out of place Why? Well. not mat 1
affect TO look down on society-nothing Of
the kind. But, to be thoroughly ar one $
ease in the atmosphere OF AN afternoon
tea party. one has to get used to that
sort of thing early In lie. lsl II 80.
II don't know" 1 said. = can only
tell you that ] never miss one II Miss
Balke's afternoon teas myself. If I can
help It, and i never saw any human be- /
ing who didn't seem perfectly at home
there. And / think you'd better make up
your mind TO come. II you md the at
mOspheTe too close, you can easily escape
nothing easier
Iigrid stroked his s1uare-cut. reddish
beard-which always reminded me Of Wo- |
tan IN the Wagner operas-and, smiling, |
said, VERY We'll then.
Carrie received him next day in much |
the same, easy pleasant Nay In which |
she generally received newcomer. she
seemed very glad to meet him. and no /
doubt she was. y tai man Win me
nj al va
"a fine presence" is an agreeable acQui- !
stiOn To any afternoon tea party.
On his side. Ligrids manner was c3- |
tirely conventional except IN one little !
detail When / introduced MIN TO the |
hostess his fine Scandinl. ian eyebrows |
first arched themselves and then tell INTO |
a thoughtful frown. IL seemed 10 me. az |
the time that he was scrudnlng hcr
face very closely, for first meeting.
iigrid was not-is uOf-a very laxative |
man. Still he made himself very COM /
Portable on d little square louhse-ds |
comfortable as his generous proportion !
would allow-sitting by Annette Henry
who was telling him al about cNetyooey
in the room and in the town, as she sNfiE
well could. There was no sign OF 'liH
trying to make his escape as from az
unconcenial atmosphere. Ana tnen ~
course. he had 10 notice the t0rEed ~
of maple engraved on the back 81 o.
New orleans souvenir spoon win "h'1h
he was stirring his conee. a. - tho
lnETH "A
big Norseman had dropped me sn .,,'
from sheer inability 10 hanjle eu' u
So small and dainty Ihen hedIu ~.
uette Henry saw Carrie .lNH.tlr'u' W
vice seems to have startled you' OaH S"u
make out the legendy l., lit. ,.obtn
mo" said Ligrid, mot IN inns IFne, %, ,
ITS This IS my pay; ~ sr ~ 9IIser.d
70 himself aloud. queer
hyes Don't YOU think II an "a h3tto +
Va teke9 Carre Bake Is lust IKE that p
ali over She Is so secreuFe 700. IKE '
not i'm her; IL makes ner pa lante. 30 .
hodv in the world knows What 'hat ue,
Vice of hers means except herself Auu /
sb. has il on everything.
was watching Ligrid and saw MN .
emile as Annette ran on like this.
Then he got up and asked her II she
vonI6 take some more tea. She was
drinking tea, 1 think
When he presented the two empty
ems 10 Carrie heard him ask her. rs
this design on all your possessions. Miss
Balke?" Annette Henry, too. was watch
inc with an interested smile.
Carrie gave him some laughing answer
as usual with that inevitable question
about the forked maple sprig.
II am not going TO ask you TO tell me
the history OF your device" IAgrii so'd,
in his own quiet self-possessed tones
Then you will distinguish yourself by
your lack OF inquisltiveness, Carrie
said Everybody asks about that de-
sign