The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-10

feet came DOWN in a hurry, ana ne quick
|, approached the window.
do you remember me?" exclaimed a
severe and highly disappearing voice.
A look of infinite amusement flashed
over the managers face. Then he bowed
and answered courteously as he handed
her checks to a carrier, Il remember you,
madam There is no charge"
II suppose they will go safely" still
suspiciously.
quite safely, madam" he answered
grave.y; but as soon as madam" was
gone he burst into long laugh.
Madam" however, considered that she
was the victor, so was quite content; and
the incident was soon forgotten by both
parties:
house party was in progress In the
suburban residence of the wealthy
Fences. There were a few middle-aged
couples, and many gay young people; but
the favorite was Oilla Rodney, and her
special admirer was Lee Laurence, with
his broad shoulders and six feet of hight.
To tell the whole truth, the house party
would ever be a memorable occasion to
these two, marking their betrothal under
the friendly beech trees in the grove.
One stupid day, when no particular en-
tertainment was on the programme, some
rash, inventive genius proposed the dan
gerous pastime of each recalling the most
amusing personal incident of his life.
Although truth was, of course, stretch
cd to the utmost, the stories moved very
smoothly and blithely on to Lee Lau-
renee. He was considered quite wit and
the best story teller about town; so he
plumed himself for the effort, feeling that
he had gotten up a very relishing bit.
Il want to give an example OF the
triumph of strong mindedness and wo-
mans rights which came my way two
or three years ago, when I was manager
| OF my fathers main Office.
| "One day a highly independent Miss
bore down upon me at my ONCE window.
| Determination was throned on her brow
and conquest was in heI eyes.
Sir said she in a lofty tone, you
| VIII, L presume, hasten to rectify this
| excessive charge which has been made
on my baggage by your driver
"Of course, I expressed my amusement
bowed with extreme politeness and exam
ined our order book. Will you believe
me, she had three trunks, and insisted
we promised to carry them for 50 cents
Yes, she insisted and contended, and told
me l wasn't a gentleman; and that II
was a gentleman who took the order: so
I called old Joe, whom everybody knows
is the ugliest man in the world and I
told her I guessed he was her gentle
man
well, she was mad. Oh, the char
acter 1 got. 1 had to phone to father
to find out what to do with her, and to
promise to take her baggage home free
of charge when she returned, whereupon
she called me a sassy chit, who'd very
likely be in Jerico by that time and
when / accidentally called her little
girl in the message to father-she wore
short dresses and her hair in a braid
she drew herself up So" suiting the ac-
ton to the words. land said In a con-
temptuous tone that would have withered
Jupiter:
az am not little girl. I was IS last
month and 1 have Travelled everywhere
and never before been insulted by mere
| baggage clerk
Lees story ended in a gentle gale of
merriment. He glanced down at his lady
to see how she had enjoyed it, and for
| the first time became aware that there
was a curious tinkle in her laugh, Pc
GUITAR bloom on her cheeks, and that one
| shoulder was pointing uncompromisingly
| in his direction.
| He gasped The truth flashed over him
| in one overwhelming rush as he realized
| the situation, and the magnitude OF his
| sin.
Jack Branson happened to be sitting
| very close to his sister-in-law, so close
| that he could make remarks to his with
out being overheard by any one else.
He said, soto voce, in a reflective tone
to nobody in particular as he gazed at
| the ceiling:
"'Our acts our angels are
Or god or i'll,
Our fatal shows
That walk by US STILL
Then, as the mirth was subsidinE, ne
M ia4N
| as If he had just discovered the point,
and the company was off again.
Under cover of this second laugh Lee
slipped out, and his friends attributed his
disappearance to modesty.
However, they became aware of some
thing curious in the atmosphere the next
day; for Oilla Rodney totally ignored her
former favorite. Every one except Jack
| Branson felt very uncomfortable. Jack
went about declaring on every possible
occasion that he had never been so thor
oughly happy in all his life before, not
even when listening to Laurence's delec-
table story about the triumph of-"My
dear Laurence, don't frown so, we all
know your modesty, but that was really
the best one 1 ever heard
Oilla was unapproachable. Lee tried
for three days to see her alone. At last
he accidentally came across her In the
per spread out around her on the bench,
leaving no room for him to sit; so he
leaned up against the trellis work and
locked down at her, saying, penitently:
%What have done?"
She paid no attention to him.
Forgive me, dear. l know It was I'M
pardonable, but 1 never guessed that 1t
was you. OF course, / added to It fear
fully; but, when a fellow tells a funny
story"
Lee paused. He had keen sense OF tn,
ludicrous, as had Oilla also, and the ut
ter righteousness of the whole thing ap-
pealed to him irresistibly. Although as
penitent as it was possible for one man
tc be, he was shaking with laughter.
AS if suspecting the truth, Oilla look
ed up. Her lips twitched; she turned her
head quickly and struggled desperately
with the temptation, but yielded and
laughed so merrily that Lee dared TO Join
| Ter.
When they had sobered down he tried
again more hopefully.
DO pardon me this time, Oilla, little
girl, and never will again"
Never will what AGAIN." asked She
suspiciously.
Lee took the cue at once he knew
better than to further connect her with