The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-03-16

CHAPTER TX.

=, our day and generation has declared
that the truest blessing a girl can
4 have" Is "thc ingenious devotion of
. young boys heart" Nine mothers in
ten will PROBABLY take issue with the
/. gifted author on that point, and though
no longer young girl in years, what
ever che might be in looks, Margaret
Garrison would gladly have sent the
waiting gentlemen to the right about,
7 for, though he was only 20, Gov"
q Primo, as n junior at Columbia, had
been ingenuously devoted to the lit
3 tie lady from the very first evening
he saw her. A boy of frank, impulsive
nature, was "Gov"-a boy still in spite
+ of the budding mustache, the 20 sum
mers and the barely passed "eXam"
that wound up the junior year and
entitled him to sit with the seniors
when the great university opened its
doors in October. Studies he hated. but
tennis, polo cricket, riding and dane
ing were things he loved and excelled
in. Much of his boyhood had been
spent at one of those healthy. hearty
English schools where all that would
cultivate physical and mental manhood
was assiduously practiced, and all that
would initiate against them was as
vigorously "tabooed."
s At the coming of his twentieth birth
day that summer his father had hand
ed him his check of $5OOO-the paternal
+. expression of satisfaction that his boy
had never smoked pipe, cigar or cigar
ette--and the same week Gov" had
carried Off the blue ribbon with the
racquet, and the second prize with the
single SOULS. 1t was during the Tex
ans" the first week in June, when
{ dropping in for five o'clock tea of some
girls whom he had known for years,
he was presented to this wtching lit
tie creature whose name he didn't even
Z catch. 1--WE met her way out at an
army post in Wyoming when papa took
us to California last year." was whis-
pered to him, land they entertained US
so cordially, and of course we said If
ever you come to New York you must
be sure to let us llnow-and she did
but" and there his informant paused,
dubious. Other callers came in and ii
began to rama sudden, drenching
shower, and the little stranger from the
far west saw plainly enough that her
hostesses, though presenting their
friends after our CHEEKY American fash
Ion, were unable to show her further
attention. and the newly presented
almost al women, said $50 very
pleased" but failed to look il. or other
!. wise to manifest their pleasure. She
couldn't go in the rain. The butler had
'phoned for a cab. She wouldn't sit
there alone and neglected. She DELHI
erately signaled Mr.. Prime. The la
dies are all busy" she said, with a
charmingly appealing smile, "but
know you can tell me. l have TO dress
for dinner after | get home, and must
be at One Hundred and Tenth street
at 1880. How long will it take a car
riage to drive me there? Oh, is that
your society pin? Why, are you still
In college? Why, I thought"
That cab was 25 minutes coming,
land when it came Mr.. Prime went with
lit and her, whom he had not left an
instant from the moment of her ques-
Ition. Moreover. he discovered she was
NERVOUS about taking that carriage
drive all alone away up to One Hundred
and Tenth street, yet what other way
could a girl go in evening dress? He
left her at her door with a reluctantly
given permission to return in an hour
land escort her to the distant home of
1her friends and entertainers. He drove
to the Waldorf and had Il light dinner
with a half pint of Hook, devoured her
with his eyes as they drove rapidly
,northward, went to Il Harlem theater
iwhile she dined and forgot him, and
was at the carriage door when she
yrame forth to be driven home. Seven
fhours or less had done the business"
Vso far as Gouverneur Prime was con-
terned.
IL was the boys first wild infatuation
las mad, unreasoning, absurd, yet in
Tense as was ever that of Arthur PEN
tennis for the lovely Fotheringay. Mar
yaret Garrison had never seen or known
y he like of 1t. She had fascinated others
,or time, had kindled love, passion
ind temporary devotion, but this-this
was worship, and it was something so
weet TO her jaded senses, something so
ich and spontaneous that she gave
herself up for "A day or two to the de-
light of studying it, Rere was a glori-
N,us young athlete whose eyes followed
her every move and gesture, who hung
tbout her in utter captivaton, whose
Voice treinbled and whose eyes i'm
p,lored, yet whose strong, brown, shape
Fy hand never dared so much as touch
hers, except when she extended it in
hsreeting. He was to accompany his ia
hher and sister to Europe in a week, so
What harm was there? He would for
f,et all about it. lie knew now she was
married. lie was presented to Nita,
h,ut had hardly word and never look
or her when Margaret was near. lie
ygas dumb and miserable all the day
they drove In the park and later dined
liz Delmonico's with Col. Frost. He was