The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1900-11-01

where he had left her. He hesItated
and went back
You are waiting for some one? Can
! be of service?'
THANK you" What a sweet voice
II am afraid there has been a mistake.
No one has come to meet me. May |
ask you to call eab?"
And when be had done so. when she
had thanked him. when he stood bare
beaded on the curbstone as 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
its way into his office: never had the
reading of the law seemed such u dull
and tiresome drudgery; never before
had the pages blurred into a mass of
meaningless black marks, but, then.
never before had a bewitehing young
face come between him and his books,
a face with reddish gold ringlets clus-
tered around white forehead and shy
eyes the color of woodland violets.
He 'leaped from his seat as a bright
thought struck him. He could hunt up
the cabman. That was the thing TO
do! But, although he hung around the
depot 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
took a plunge at the athletic club, got
himself home. shrugged himself into
his evening clothes, for he was going
out after dinner, and went down to the
parior TO find himself face to face with
the divinity of the red gold rlnglets
and the violet eyes!
ROSS, my dear" cooed Mrs Stat
ford, "let me introduce you to Miss
Chester, whom somehow you managed
to miss this morning. Why, YOU
For they were smiling at each other
-merrily, spontaneously.
"Indeed. no, motherr' Perhaps he
held the pretty hand she gave him
little longer than was necessary. 81
met Miss Chester this morning. Did
she not tell you put her in cabY"
Miss Chester laughed. Ross Stafford
laughed. And the bewilderment of the
head of the house of Stafford, of the
golting son. and the studious son, as
they In turn were presented, set them
laughing again.
Lord bless mer' cried Stafford SEN
Tor. ruffing his hair your father said
you were little GIRL"
"Oh, | shall never be grown up to
papa" cried Miss Chester.
He said" stammered the young
gentleman who was getting up an ar
ticle on the architecture of the tenth
century, ''that-that you were a nice
child"
Don't you think" queried Adele
Chester mschievously, that I'm
niceP'
Whereat Ralph grew guilty red.
Helen Stafford reached home before
dinner was over. Her brothers rap
turous reception amazed her. Never
had she know how they missed herl
Nor could she dream that each of three
young hypocrites was saying to him
self:
She won't go east in such hurry if
she and Helen take to each other"
They did take TO each other. Ross
found 1t was not necessary to keep his
engagement that evening and permit
ted his friend to cool his heels alone at
their appointed rendezvous. Ralph
learned his tenor went wonderfully
well with the pure soprano of their
guest. And Dick was so anxious To
initiate Miss Chester into the mysteries
of hashlight pictures that he made him
self no end of bore. The country
cousin of the Staffords did not 20 east
that week nor the next. When she
did 20, all the mirth and laughter of
the Stafford domcile seemed to 90 with
her. One morning week after her de-
parture Ralph and Dick said some bit
ter things when they discovered that
Ross had found out he must attend to
business In New York and had left for
the city on the midnight train. And
when Ross returned. silent, but sml-
ing and exultant, they were not at all
backward about telling him with true
fraternal frankness their opinion of his
conduct
you were awfully good 10 go to meet
that little country lassie,' commented
Ralph witheringly. 81 believe you
knew all the time she was the prettiest
kind Of girln'
"Kindness-shee kindness on my
part, dear boy. But, as | have striven
to impress ON you. virtue is ever its
own reward"
"Oh, come Off" entreated Dick "You
just got the inside track. and you kept
it."
Ross pulled his mustache.
II assure you in taking my late hasty
trip had only the best interests of my
brothers at heart My sole ambition
was to secure you the most charming
sister-ln-law in the world"
Helen jumped up.
"Oh, Ross Did you-did She
He laughed qulzzlcally. adele gave
me message for you, my dear She
said to tell you that you are to be-
"What. Ross?"
bridesmaid Buffalo Commercial.