The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1900-02-10
So Proctor went over to the strongs'

| So Proctor went over to the Strongs'
quarters and found Miss Hadley, got
ten up in the sort of morning robe
that it is not customary to display
To the gaze of several hundred SOL
diers, more or less, in a corner of the
porch with La Roche. Proctor ousted
Linn in about ten minutes. He fought
openly, dwelling upon the charms OF
La Roche's four small children, the
details of the cunning things they
said, and of the last tack of Group
Of the youngest; how | IS Dada" had
nursed it, and how the babies loved
him. Miss Hadley laughed. That hurt
La Roche's self-esteem, and he went
home.
Then Proctor started in to do as he
was bid. 1t was n pleasant game
enough. Miss Hadley could be agree
able when she chose. She was the one
man-at-a-time stamp of girl, and for
the nonce Proctor was the man. He
stayed all the morning, also to lunch
con, also all the afternoon. Part of
the time they played together on the
mandolin and guitar, and for the rest
they talked. Then he stayed to dim
rer, and until some time after taps.
When official duties called him off ne
was back again surprisingly soon.
| OF course there was the chance in
this kind of thing that Miss Hadley
might grow sick of him. But he took
il. There was the better chance that
she would be very much flattered, and
Proctor believed that he was the sort
of fellow who could be interesting for
IS hours at a stretch.
Its not fair" Mrs. Strong protest.
ed to her husband.
You'd have thought it so If it had
been me instead of La Roche" he sug-
gested.
but it's not fair to Ella" she in
sisted. weakly.
ELLA will think it's good joke,
which it is. He has written her the
whole thing. He told me So
But is it right of us? Miss Had
ley is our guest"
"Oh no, she's not; that's a mistake.
We are here on sufferance. You are
useful to order the meals and l to
guard her against intruders on their
tete-a-tetes." He reminded her OF ep-
isodes in proof of this.
HAS she asked you about him?"
Mrs. Strong wanted to know.
! He said that she had, "And told
her that he was brevet bachelor.
Proctor himself came in at the mo-
ment and she dropped it. Now you be
still for day or two and let things
take their course" And they took it,
at a fond-gallop.
| Mis-, Hadley might have guessed that
| one first lieutenant could never have
afforded all the fancy boxes of
flowers and candies that came over Tor
her, in Proctor's name, by about every
poat But she did not stop to reflect.
probcbly; and she was nightly
pleased, both with herself and him.
| Whereupon she was still more dlsa-
| greeable to everyone else.
| But the tiny cloud began to float
across her blue sky. The flowers and
| sweets were many and arrived regular
| ly, and when they wanted Proctor at
the adjutants Office they sent for him
| to the Strongs'. And yet, though the
| week of her visit was drawing to 4
close, he was no nearer to love-makirg
than upon the first day. She grew
tritie uneasy. 1t was not that she want
| ed Proctor, but that she wanted to
| know she could have him. So she con-
descended, in the dilemma, to speak
| to her host. "Mr. Proctor is desper-
Iot Asrt 4 4, ba Il. al
1t was meantfo be light, but twas a
shade anxious.
That would have been Strong's
chance to have put an end to joke that
was going too far. 1t had gotten away
from them, and the man to stop it re-
fused to arise. Strong funked. He
looked mean, and said that he had
never known Proctor to flirt. Ale is
swather in red tape, as a general thing
has notions of duty and the rest of it,"
Then he went off and swore at Proctor
in his own breast. Which is human
nature.
Proctor for his part swore at every
body else openly. I'm so far in it now
that don't know how to get out" he
said; and they grinned and suggested
that he tell the truth and shame the
devil
"And feel more of COMPOUNDED ass
than / do now"
"Consider-you are aveng!ng u.s."
cooed the bachelors.
He said rude things about them. They
asked what he would like them to do.
"Shall we come in body the next
time you are en- tete-a-tete and explain,
or shall we do it while you are absent,
end can't defend yourself? Anyway
you put it you will look a good deal of
cad, you know" They chuckled.
Proctor sulked. "Mrs. Strong has
got to do it," he announced.
Mrs. Strong won't. She feels about
as small as you do. She goes around
with the look of a stage conspirator.
You might draw off gradually" they
advised.
II might make qualified fiat of
myself" said Proctor; "rve done it.
as it is" He departed to keep an en-