Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-02-21
Observation-Disclosures
4 .BREYET-BAc.HEl0R.
Observation-Disclosures

lie said that she had. And told her
that he was a brevet- bachelor. Proctor
himself came In at the moment and she
dropped it Now you be still for q day
or two and let things take their course"
And they took 1t. at hand -gallOp
Miss Hadley might have guessed TINT
one first lieutenant could never have
afforded all the fancy boxes Of flowers
and candies that came over for her, In
ProctOr's name. by about every boat
But she did not stop to reflect prob
ably; and she was nightly pleased.
both with herself and him. Where
upon she was still more disagreeable to
every one else
But tiny cloud began to fioat across
her blue sky. The flowers and sweets
were many and arrived regularly. and
when they wanted Proctor at the adju-
tant's Office they sent for him to the
Strongs'. And yet, though the week
Of her visit was drawing to a close. he
wasno nearer to lOve-making than upon
the first day. She grew a trifie uneasy.
1t was not that she wanted Proctor, but
q; that she wanted to know she could have
him. So she cOndescended, In the d.
lemma. to speak to her host. 'Mr. Proc
tor Is a desperate nirt. don't you
thinkT' she asked. Ii was meant to be
light. but It was a shade anxious.
. That would have been Strong's chance
to lave put an end to n joke that was
going too far. 1t had gotten away from
them. and the man to stop it refused to
arise. Strong funked. He looked mean,
4, md said that he had never known Proc
! tor to firt. "He is swathed in red tape.
as general thing. has notions of duty
and the rest Of It," Then he went of
| 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 1t 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 n confounded ass
than I do now"
"Consider-yOu are avenging u.s."
cooed the bachelors.
! He said rude things about them. They
asked what he would like them to do
/
time you are en- tete-a-tete and explain.
or shall we do it while you are absent
and can't defend yourself? Any way
! you put it you win look a good deal Of
isc cad. you know" They chuckled.
Proctor sulked. Mrs. Strong has got
to do it," he announced.
Mrs. Strong won't. She feels abom
| rs small as you do She goes around
with the look Of a stage conspirator
You might draw OF gradually" they
advised.
Il might make qualified fat Of my
self" said Proctor: 1--WE done It. as 1t
is" He departed to keep an engage
ment to walk around the island With
Miss Hadley.
| When they started he made the sol
emn resolve that before they cot to
quarantine station she should know all
But she swung into the post as bliss
fully ignorant as she had left it. He
had funked again.
And at this point Fate came to his
mid. They sat on the steps Of the
Strongs' quarters, resting. when an or
derly brought telegram for him and
box for Miss Hadley. The box contain
ed violets. Proctor was pleased to tn NIX
what those little attentions were cost
ing the other bachelors. but lie glanced
at his own card. lying In the purple
fragrance. with loathing. Then he
opened the telegram. and put 1t hastily
| in his pocket.
Miss Hadley asked what 1t was. He
said that it was from some one he had
to meet at the train tomorrow
(Which train?" said Miss Hadley.
1.-The train from the East" said Proc
tor.
She told him that she. too. was going
to the city on the early boat for few
hours I'VE may strike the same one
coming back"
He thought 1t would probably be his
unmentionable luck
And 1t came to pass as Miss Had'ey
had predicted. They struck the same
boat. She came aboard hurriedly: just
as the gang-plank was being drawn in.
and she looked about for Proctor. calm
ly, possessively. as though he must. Of
course, be there. But he was not to be
seen. So she stood and talked to n
group Of post people. rs the boat swung
out into the bay and the foggy wind
blew stiffiy about them. She was not
sensitive. yet she was dimly aware that
they were civil beyond their wont; even
there seemed vague sympathy In
their manner. But she was busy and
abstracted. watching for Proctor. He
might he below deck. or in the cabin.
At length he appeared, from the other
side of the deck. walking with-another
girl. The girl glanced at her with a
half-smile. She was so pretty that Miss
Hadley's lips set. and she forgot what
she had been saying.
Proctor and the girl strolled to the
stern and stood there. Then Proctor
caught Miss Hadley's amazed eye. and
he raised his hat. But she beckoned
1t vas assurance. to say the veey least
but he went to her, leaving the other
girl The group would have been glad
to melt away. but some way it couldn't
Then Miss Hadley's admirable and
perfect cool cheek reached its zenith.
| "Who is your pretty frisndr' she asked.
Brummel could not have been more
superb.
There was a pause. Some one might
have helped Proctor out. but no one did.
snicker came from the group and
turned into a cough. Then the man in
Proctor came to his aid. the realization
that It was all everybody else's fault
anyway-Miss Hadley's In particular.
He looked at her In stern reproach.
"She Is my wife. Miss Hadley."
The very winds and the screw were
hushed. In the silence Proctor's eyes
began to shift But Miss Hadley's own
were on his facs. and they never wsvae