Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1901-01-02
A BIT OF BRAID.


and the fitting of her rounded chin.
Clumsy! she said in a voice ringing
with scorn. She caught up her skirt, just
raising it from the ground, and FASTENED
on. But she threw few more or less ac-
ceptable home thrusts over her shoulder
as she went.
They had reached the landing stage
where the boat was moored. The girl
proceeded to take her place in it with the
calmness and ease which only come 20
her sex through practice and long suffer
ing. She was seated, with the ropes in
her hands. before she really looked up at
the man who had followed her-into the
boat by this time.
"You might at least apologize" she
said.
Il do apologize" he replied. Every
humbly." His manner and the laughter
in his eyes did not, however, accord Who'll
ly with such an attitude.
well, really she began, but he in-
terrupted her.
81 will go further-you will grant it is
long way further. will explain"
"There seems room for it,
He was quite a genius at Selling his
chances. He took her words as a con-
cession and dipped his SOULS into the wa
ter at the same time.
II shall be able to talk so much better
when we are moving" he said artfully.
81 fancy my stroke may prove as worthy
of comment as your brothers." he added.
He was still smiling. and he noted, with
growing satisfaction, that so was she.
"Well, of all the
"And you do not even know who am!
Cheek? Oh, don't be hard. Luck, If you
like. l am proverbially lucky. ! am not
to blame for that, am 1? Your brother
told you he was expecting his college
chum, Charles Dean? l was just coming
along. Neither of you saw me. | heard
you send him back for your cape He
paused, with sudden conjunction.
"You are not cold" he questioned anx-
iously. II forgot and | have nothing in
the way of a wrap to offer you"
mo, am not cold" she said as stiffly
as she could.
"You walked on, you know, and then
temptation seized mean evil spirit dis
guised, most charmingly disguised, as
piece of braid-and could not resist it.
was only afraid you would think had
been suspiciously quick for brother"
81 just wasn't thinking" she admitted.
dimpling.
The mood for confession grew on him.
"Or that you might look round" said he.
81 wish
"No, don't say it.. Hear ME out first.
Honestly, l was not entirely actuated by
motives of mere selfishness, as might at
first appear. put it to myself like this:
Here is charming girl going to spend
most perfectly delightful summer after
noon on the river with no more exciting
companion than the brother she has
known from her earliest days, whose
thoughts are as open to her as her own;
who hasn't q popularity, or even vir-
| tue, left undiscovered. l argued with my
| self about 1t. Should let such a paltry
thing as the lack of an introduction pre-
vent me from giving this girl treat
ooh" she cried, you really are
EYES," he said, sit stands to reason
continent, so to speak. A strange young
man in such a case must present himself
| in the light of an acquisition"
Her eyes were dancing. "Why don't
you say such an exceedingly nice young
man while you are about it?" she asked
| mockingly.
81 will go one better" said he, with
your permission. Such an exceptionally
| nice pair~ And he bowed.
"Oh, you are dreadful-dreadful" But
| she did not say it as fact to be de-
| plored. She looked away from the soft
| summer landscape down to the edge of
her serge skirt. with its trimming of
| braid and the fateful loop.
'They do sew these so insecurely," she
said. "You, haven't a pin to spare!'
at seems almost pity" said he while
she busted herself over it, "but suppose
| it will be just as well now"
| The afternoon was, as he had said, de-
| lightful, and his swift stroke left nothing
| to be desired 1t was not cold, after all,
| and she never gave another thought to
| the cape until she saw it, when at last
they got back, hanging deserted on the
| boathouse door, where her brother had
left it when he arrived there, to find her
| vanished.
The brother and sister were very alike
in disposition and took things lightly and
| as they came. So he never openly re-
scented her desertion. Perhaps, as her
new friend pointed out, he, too, had his
more than adequate compensation.
This is just story of the inevitable,
for the man of resource was something
Of a character reader, and he had looked
at the girl before he stepped.
She called it, in her kindest moods, an
| anticipation, but he maintained that he
gave the incident its most appropriate IT,
| tie when he named it "forerunner."
And this it was.
The weather favored them, and his
| visit heightened from a weeks end to
week and more-ample time for man
| of such ready methods to win for himself
girl not indisposed to be won. Thus his
| visit to the brother ended in his marriage
| with the sister-an old tale, but often a
very pleasant one.
| 1t was later in the season, and boating
| interests had given way to the necessity
| of stocktaking in fashionable wearing
apparel and discussions on the relative
merits of new and antique furniture.
81 could almost WISH" she said sweet
ly, shat it was possible TO trim white
satin wedding dress with braid in sort
of squiggly pattern of loops and turns"
"If you contemplate having one loop
pendent to trip me up during the cere-
mony." he said laughingly, II am off"