Sunday morning globe., 1901-09-15
CHAPTER XIV
BELLA, THE MAGNIFICENT.

BELLA, THE MAGNltltENI
met Mr. Baxter at the door Of the
Vienna. He was in his usual good
humor
"say, you are smooth people" D" he be-
gan, as we we're seated.
"whats the nature Of the crime"
I inquired.
Telling people you are an innocent
from the West. Why you forget more
each month than the average Washing
ton women will ever learn, given a
span of a century. You fixed Stiyers'
He told me next time I met you to
tender his regards and say he would
not press you for that Compromised
evening. He evidently thanks to your
persistence, finds congeniality at home
now"
'Pm truly glad Of it, put in.
"But what impressed me most was
your ability to keep still while Zaida
vas telling about her failure to meet
stivers at the Columbia. And you are
the girl to whom she gave the tickets
he added. with a hearty laugh, In
which Joined. eyes, stivers will be
a good boy, at least until another
zaida strikes town, which event Will
take place way over in the future.
"Wasn't she nice? She told me a
long story about a gentleman-he was
a printer. believe-taking her up and
educating her. She fell in love with
him. Same old story-the artist and
his model, only in this instance the ar
list wouldn't play; and she took to the
road: became a bird Of passage as
she prettily puts it,
"And how has friend Rhoda peer
getting along?" he inquired
"a bit lonesome, l must confess
letter from Olga to Mrs. Grant tells u'
she is doing quite nicely in the Col
orado country I told you about mel
marriage with Nat?"
ue nodded
"Mrs. Edenworth, too, has left us
She married that man she went court
ing with a pillow. When they Wer'
seated on the parlor sofa she woul'
put a pillow on her lap, he would Ia!
his head thereon, and she would coml
his hair, what little he had left, Witr
her fingers, as they talked, l thinf
ru take to hiking again. Don't sup
rose I can have your company? lo'
turned me down once when l proposed
we should take bicycle ride
"That was only because you were
beginner. We might enjoy SPIN ON
of these September evenings Moou
Iigbt and romance, you know, 90 nan'
I'm hand" he added, as we left the res
His words proved a prophecy. Tit
very next evening a romance came U
Rhoda. Following the teachings
Zaida. I invested in some good clothes
Not that my apparel was what mlgh
he classed as shabby genteel' Du
then every girl 1 suppose, has an am
hilton TO possess az least one dress 10
state occasions. I am not an eACepsloi
10 this rule, and could not resist In'
temptation TO purchase when MISS ASH
ton spread on Zaida's center taole
dove.colored dress pattern. The pIlGT
would buy clothes for myself ana hJtl
girl for an entire year.
ct will be like putting money IL
the bottom Of your trunk said Lalud
at my elbow.
Miss Ashton gave me a note OF lu
PRODUCTION 10 a G-street modiste' an
I fancied l would look swell IN IN
Luperlative degree on the completion
Of the garments.
A few days previous I had selecte
a neat bicycle costume at 'Ihe fasI
ion. one Of the large department store
on F street. II was a peculiar shade
something like terra cOtta-and .dt
sired some ribbon to match. SO, ate
dinner. [ ran my wheel up TO the cur
In front of "The Fashion and was
the door before I noticed the estat
Usbment was closed ] had forgotte
an about the early-closlng movement
A gentleman was walking away IToI
the door, going 10 the sidewalk 10 90
his wheel He discovered, before
could reach the curb, that In my hast
I bad succeeded in entangling the IRON
fork OF my wheel In the spokes OF hi.
"I am connected with The Fasi
lon, he said, as he proceeded to dl
entangle them OF left my wheel her
when / started back 10 look after SOM
thing, just as the last clerk was lea'
ing the building"
"I am somewhat disappointed, wa
my reply However tomorrow atte
noon / will endeavOr to come earlier
Il was afraid he would not motto
how well my suit fitted me, so I pr
ceeded 10 call his attention to it by az
nouncing that it was a Fashion pu
chase. We continued chatting Will
he trundled the wheels TO the cornc
above.
while ] live at the opposite end