The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-12-07
A COUNTRY COUSIN
She Cams and Saw and Conquered


The news and the dessert were serv-
ed simultaneously.
"By George, if l hadn't nearly for
gottenp' quoth Stafford pere. He rum
mayed in an inner pocket.
Cant find the letter. Must have
left it at the Office. Anyhow, it's from
my cousin, Godfrey Chester
"Now, Henry" interrupted the mild
voice Of Mrs Stafford in amused eX-
postulation. why will you keep up
that fiction about the cousinship? 1t is
mythical, and you know it!'
ITS certainly remote" conceded the
beaming paterfamilias at the opposite
end of the table, "but there once was
relationships long time ago, l adj
nit But Chester and l have traced
back until we found it. He's a good
fellow, Chester. I've always been ura:-
ing him to manage that our young peo-
pie may become acquainted. He writes
that his daughter will pass through
Chicago tomorrow, ON the way to New
York, and will spend few days with
us. He says he wishes one of my FAM
lily would meet her. Bless my soul,
here's the letter after allw He put on
his spectacles and read aloud: You
can't mistake her. She's curly head
ed little girl in a gray gown and a hat
with gray feathers. She's nice child,
and I'll be glad to have her 1857 your
youngsters. Therew
"a childr' groaned Ralph, who was
% and studious.
He swallowed his cafe noir at gulp
and rose disgustedly.
youngsters, indeed" cried Dick dis
painfully. docs he take us for kin
dergartners"
Ross, who was the eldest, smiled in
quite a superior and disinterested fash
ion. He boosted a 1ourishing mus
tache. He was studying law. Plainly
the subject had no interest for him.
But one of you must meet the
child!' cried the head of the house.
You'll go, Ralph?"
Cant, sir I'm doing an article on
the architecture of the tenth century.
1t takes a lot of research. I'll be all
morning in the Newberry library"
Henry Stafford, huge of girth, roseate
of visage and twinkling of eye, turned
his face imploringly toward his young
est son.
"You, Dick"
"Got golf match on. Can't make 1t,
SIR"
Dear, dear! If your sister We're only
at home
She'll be back tomorrow afternoon"
put in Mrs. Stafford.
But the little girl gets here in the
morning. She must be met. She is
from a comparatively small town. She
would be quite bewildered were she to
find herself alone in Chicago"
He sent the good looking young fell
low with the mustache an appealing
glance.
"I wonder now, Ross, if YOU
Ross laughed leniently. "You poor,
perplexed old chap! Yes, I'll see that
the child gets here all right"
"Goodw said Henry Stafford, with a
sigh Of relief "Goodr'
But when the western train disgorg-
ed it's jostling multitude in the Union
depot the following morning Ross Stat
ford, standing close by the iron gates,
found that he had undertaken a task of
greater magnitude than he had at the
time imagined. There was such crush
of people, stout and thin, tall and short,
big and little. There We're children
professions of them. But they all
seemed to belong to the folks who hur-
ried them along. Never glimpse could
he catch of n curly headed little girl
in a gray gown, wearing hat with
gray feathers. Or was the dress brown?
By Jove! He wasn't even sure of that.
The last laggard group triclled away.
Ross knew the conductor of the Den
yer train and spoke TO him as he came
hurrying along.
"All off your train, Brigham?"
"Surev
"There was a little girl coming to
Chicago-had curly hair, blue dress,
green hat blest if / remember!
Wasn't she on"
"Alone, was she"
yes"
'No, sir. Didn't come. Sure? Course
ann
Ross wheeled around. "Well, I'll tel
ephone the folks that she wasn't on.
Dad can wire her people and find out
1 beg your pardon"
And he suddenly found himself bow
ing profoundly, hat in hand. before a
young woman with whom he had al
most collided in his haste. slender
young woman. n graceful young wom-
an, lovely young woman. as his sus-
ceptible heart instantly acknowledged.
She accepted his apology with
slight bend of the head and q vivid
blush. Half way up the stairs he
glanced back and saw her standing
where he had left her. He hesitated
and went back.
you are waiting for some one? Can
be of serviceW
THANK your What a sweet voice.
Il am afraid there has been a mistake.
No one has come to meet me. May
| ask you to call q cab|'
And when he had done so. whcn she
had thanked him, when lie stood bare
headed on the curEstone AZ the vehicle
rolled away, he recollected that he had
| not listened to the address she had CIV
en- the driver. and he walked off in a
| towering rage at his own imbecility.
Never was there so dreary a day. al
| though the late August sunshine found
it's way into his office; never had the
| reading of the law seemed such dull
and tiresome drudgery; never before
had the pages blurred into a mass of
| meaningless black marks, but, then,
| never before had n bewitching young
| face come between him and his books,
/ a face with reddish gold ringlets clus-
| tered around a white forehead and shy
| ewes the color of woodland violets.
| He leaped from his seat as bright
thought struck him. He could hunt up
the cabman. That was the thing to
| do! But, although he hung around the
deDot for two whole hours and ques-
toned every jehu within reach, he
could not find the man he sought. 1t
was evidently that particular claimants
busy day.
Tired and disguised. Ross Stafford
| IOOk plunge Ut TIC heillc'iS Siu'' So'
himself home, shrugged himself into
his evening clothes, for he was going
out after dinner, and went down to the
parlor to find himself face TO face with
the divinity of the red gold ringlets
and the violet eyes!
Ross, my DEAR" cooed Mrs. Stat,
ford, "let me introduce you to Miss
Chester. whom somehow you mapaged