Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1900-12-13


slght bend of the head and vivid
bluSh' Half way up the stairs he
glanced back and saw her standing
where he had left her. He hesitated
and went back.
You are waiting for some one3 Can
| be Of Service?"
THANK your What sweet voice.
y am afraid there has been a mistake.
NO one has come to meet me. May
ask you TO call a cab?"
Ana when he had done so, when she
hau thanked him, when he stood bare
headed 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
us way into his office; never had the
reading of the law seemed such dull
ana tiresome drudgery; never before
had the pages blurred into a mass of
meaningless black marks, but. then,
never before had bewitching young
face come between him and his books,
lace with reddish gold ringlets clus-
tered around white forehead and shy
eyes the color of woodland violets.
lie 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 C. mans
busy day.
Tired and disguised, Ross Stafford
took 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
parlOr to find himself face to face with
the divinity of the red gold ringlets
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.
''lndeed. no, mother!' Perhaps he
held the pretty hand she gave him a
little longer than was necessary. II
met Miss Chester this morning. Did
she not tell you put her in cab?"
Miss Chester laughed. Ross Stafford
laughed. And the bewilderment of the
head of the house of Stafford, of the
goIfng son. and the studious son, as
they in turn were presented, set them
Laughing again.
"Lold bless mev' cried Stafford SEN
Tor, ruftiing his hair, your father said
you we're little girl!'
@Oh, 4 shall never be grown up to
paaY cried Miss Chester.
He said" stammered the young
gentleman who was getting up an ar
tile on the architecture of the tenth
century, "that-that you were nice
child"
Don't you think" queried Adele
Chester mischievously, that I'm
niceP'
Whereat Ralph grew guiltily red.
Helen Stafford reached home before
dinner was over. Her brothers rap
turous reception amazed her. Never
had she know how they missed her!
Nor could she dream that each Of three
young hypocrites was saying to him
self: ...r .
''She won't go east in such hurry II
she and Helen take to each other"
They did take to each other. Ross
found it 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 flashlight pictures that he made him
self no end of a bore. The country
cousin of the Staffords did not go east
that week nor the next. When she
did go. all the mirth and laughter of
the Stafford domicile seemed to go 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 smil-
ing and exultant, they were not at II
backward about telling him with true
fraternal frankness their opinion of his
conduct.
You were awfully good to go to meet
that little country lassie," commented
Ralph witheringly. 81 believe you
knew all the time she was the prettiest
kind of girl"
"Kindness-sheer 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-in-law in the world"
Helen jumped up.
sob. Ross. Did you-did She
He laughed quizzically. adele gave
ne a message for you. my dear. She
Ill 100 n,