Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-08-09

| stepped forward 10 meet them. just
one second Of siIS1ice inter8ned. then,
an grace and gladness, smiles and cor
Gialitv, both her little hands out
stretched, Mrs. Frank Garrison came
dancing into their midst, her sister
more 9nidly following.
Dear Mrs. Marsden, how perfectly
-kies, 1iss-"deIicious Yes. this is
the baby sister I've raved TO you about
We 90 right on with the Doric; but |
had 10 bring her out with me that YOU
might have just one glance at her.
Why. Mr. Prime! Why, what could
be more charming than TO find you
here? And Gov too-you wicked
| boy. What won't DO 10 you for never
! telling me YOU were in Manila? Ard
Mildred - kiss, kiss-despite a pal
pable dodge and heightened. color on
the part Of the half-dazed recipient.
And you, too, Miss Lawrence ?" Both
| hands, but no kiss-one hand calmly
accepted. "Ah, then know how happy
you are, Mr. Willie Gray" beaming
arched smiles upon that flushed and
fustered young officer Then, turning
again TO Irvine jeweled arm about the
| slim waist of their hostess, to whom
she chung as though defying any eff
fort 10 dislodge, yet pleading for pro-
| lection. who on earth could have
foretold that we of all people should
have met out hereof all places? How
long did you say you had been out here?
A week? And of course, dear Mrs.
Marsden has done everything TO make
it lovely for you. / should have died
without her" And so the swift play of
words went on, the rapid fire of her
fluent tongue covering the movement
of her allies and drowning all posi-
bility Of reply. 1t was an odd and try
ing moment. Mrs. Marsden, well know
ing. as who in Honolulu did not, of Mrs.
Franks devotion TO the young lieu
tenant, barely six months agone, was
striving to welcome the shrinking little
scare-faced thing that blindly and
heIplessly had drifted in in the elder
sisters wake The introductions that
| followed, after the American fashion,
were as perfunctory as well-bred wom-
en- can permit. The greetings were al
most solemn. smileless, and, on part
of Mia, fiuttering to the verge of
faint; and nothing but Witches
plucky and persistent support, and the
| light flow of airy chat and laughter,
carried her through the ordeal. The
| two young soldiers stood stiffly back,
red faced and black-browed; the father,
| pallid and cold could hardly force him
self to unbend, yet his lips mumbled the
name Mrs. Frost" as he bowed al
presentation; Miss Prime stood erect
and trembling; Miss Lawrence, with
| brave eyes but heightened color. To
leave at once was impossible; to re-
main was more than embarrassment.
Most CALAMITY did they battle, Mrs.
Marsden and Mrs Frank, to lift the
wet blanket from the group and relieve
the strain. Reward came to crown
their efforts in strange, unlooked-tcr
fashion. Hoofs. wheels and flashing
lights were again at the entrance gate,
even as Mrs. Frank, sparkling with
animation. distributing her gay good
humor over the silent semicircle. sud-
denly exclaimed: oh. if I'd only known
YOU were here, | could have provided
the one thing to make our reunion
complete. If | were not going on at
daybreak | should do il yet" Then
hoofs and wheels and lights had come
to stop at the front of the house,
and in measured. martial tread mans
footsteps were heard upon the lanai.
Then. all Of a sudden. with a cry of JOY,
Witchie burst in again: should do
it'll shall do it. Said | not / was
the fairy queen? Behold me summon
my subjects from the ends of the obedi-
ent EARTH" And. waving her parasol
as she would wand. gayly pirouetting
as she had that night in the tent at
old Camp Merritt. she danced forward:
'Sound We the trumpets, slaves! Hail
TO the chief! See the conquering hero
comes. Enter Brevet Brig. Gen. Stan
ley Armstrong.-thou his arm is any
thing but strong"
Rowing gravely TO the sprite in front
of him. vaguely TO the group in the
shaded light at the edge of the lanai,
and joyously TO the little hostess. as
almost Historically she sprang forward
and clasped his hands. the colonel of the
Primeval Dudes stood revealed before
| them.
Col. Armstrong. How-when did
YOU get here? What does this mean?
Is your arm quite we'll again? Why
| didn't you let us know YOU We're COM
ing" were the questions rained upon
him by Mrs. Marsden. Immediately fol-
lowed by the somewhat illogical state
ment that She was actually breathless
with surprise.
shall | answer in theirlorder?" said
he, smiling down at her flushed and Joy
Gus face BY the Sedgwick. This aft
ernoon. That | wished TO see you. Do
ing quite well. Because | didn't know
myself until two days before we sailed"
| Then. as he stood peering beyond her.
| She would have turned him to her other
guests had not Mrs. Garrison made in
slant and impuIsve rush upon him.
.As iairy queen or fairy godmother
claim tirSi speech, Size gaylN cried.