Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-03-15

me. May | ask you to call cab?"
And when he had done so, when she
had 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
given to the driver, and he walked off
in towering rage at his own imbecil-
ity.
Never was there so dreary day, al
though the late August sunshine found
| its way into his office. Never had the
reading of the law seemed such a dull
and tiresome drudgery. Never before
had the pages blurred into a mass Of
meaningless black marks. But, then
never before had a bewitching young
face come between him and his books,
a face with reddish-gold ringlets clus-
tering around white forehead, and
| shy eyes the color of woodland vio-
| lets.
He leaped from his seat as a bright
thought struck him. He would hunt
up the cabman. That was the thing
to do! But, although he hung around
the Union depot for two whole hours,
and questioned every jehu within
reach, he could not find the man he
sought. 1t was evidently that particu-
| lar cabmans busy day.
Tired and disgusted, 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 hiself face to face
with the divinity of the red-gold ring
lets and the violet eyes!
Ross. my dear" cooed Mrs. Staf-
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, mother!" Perhaps he
held the pretty hand she gave him a
little longer than was necessary. 81
met Miss Chester this morning. Did
she not tell you l put her in cab ?"
Miss Chester laughed. Ross Stafford
! laughed. And the bewilderment of the
house of Stafford. of the golfing son,
and the studious son, as they were in
turn presented, set them laughing
again.
Lord bless mel" cried Stafford SEN
ior, ruffiing his hair; your father said
you were little grill"
"Oh, l shall never be grown up to
papa!" crieo Miss Chester.
He said" stammered the young
man who was getting up an article on
the architecture of the tenth century,
"that-that you were a nice child"
Don't you think" queried Adele
Chester, mischievously, that I'm
nice?''
Whereat Ralph grew guiltily red.
"A gray gown!" gasped Dick. And
and a hat with gray feathers!"
MY travelling costume Don't you,"
with sparkling eyes, find this becom-
ing?"
This" was a trailing, foamy, be-
rufiied robe, all delicately green and
white as the crest of a breaker, dress
that revealed while concealing the
snowiness of arms and bosom. Becom-
| ing! Ross told her then and there how
| becoming. Not in words-dear no!
| But words are so stupid-sometimes.
Helen Stafford reached home before
dinner was over. Her brothers rap
! turous reception amazed her! Never
| had she known how they missed her!
| Nor could she dream that each of the
three young hypocrites was saying to
himself, She won't go east in such a
! hurry if 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 mys-
teries of flashlight pictures that he
made himself no end of a bore. The
country cousin of the Staffords did
not to 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 departure Ralph and
Dick said some bitter things when they
discovered that Ross had found out he
must attend to business in New York,
and had left for that city on the mid
night train. And when Ross returned,
silent, but smiling and eXultant, they
were not at all 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!" COM
mented Ralph witheringly. 81 believe
you knew all the time she was the
prettiest kind of young 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,
Il assure you in taking my late
hasty trip I had only the best inter
csts of my brothers at heart. My sole