Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1901-08-01

willing to take the first step. Yes,
VIII, I'm coming now! Goodbye.
child. have good time"
AS | belong to the great army Of
work-women, my paths don't lead me
to dances and festivities, SO my knowl-
edge of the events of that evening,
CLEANED from broken sentences over
the phone. next day.
Fanny Leary rang her sister up
again by breakfast time, and fancy
she sounded trife hurried and con-
strained: Thank you ever SO much
for the cloak. Ella. Yes, had very
nice time. What? OH Flowers? No!
my dear. 1t was the oldest thing.
None ever came. Alec came late him
self and bundled me into the carriage
without ceremony. The german had
begun when we got there, so there
was no chance to look around, even.
What? No, he didn't say anything one
way or the other. Most of the girls
had flowers but not ALL. Yes, little
queer, as he always did 1t before.
Thank you again, Goodbye"
Now for explanations, | thought.
and, sure enough. presently Mr. An
drews called up the florist and asked
in no gentle tone If he had send the
roses to Miss Leary. as ordered.
Old Mr.. Mays himself was answering,
but he became rather bewildered, had
TO send for the assistant, and finally ii
all came out-the flowers had gone to
Miss Cary, as | had known all along.
Mr. Andrews INDUCED In pretty
expressive exclamation Of displeasure,
and advised Mr.. Mays to change clerks,
but the mischief was done.
By and by Frances Cary's mother
called for Mrs. Johnson, to ask for
some recipe, and | held my breath to
hear what followed the business talk.
Frances isn't going out, believe.
Mrs. Cary. So she wasn't at the dance
last night?"
mo; she stayed at home; but she
had rather a pretty surprise in a big
bunch of lovely roses which came in
the afternoon"
"Oh! indeed"-a pause, while
fancied Mrs. Johnson gathering herself
up for a question. II suppose 1t would
be indiscreet to ask who sent them"
she laughed.
Yes, rather answered Mrs. Cary.
"A very unexpected source; but won't
tell on her. Two spoons of butter and
one of OIL did you say?"
or course, it wasn't long before Mrs.
Johnson wanted to speak to her sister
Fanny, and in the interval she had
quite settled in her mind that the
roses had gone astray. In fact, she
hit the truth almost exactly.
Now Fanny Leary is nice girl,
but | suppose it isn't in girl nature
to sit still and see another girl come
in for ones own favors. resolved to
do a very unwarrantable thing. When
Mrs. Johnson finished her story, and
was hanging up her receiver, spoke
to Miss Leary myself.
IL beg you pardon" | said-and
confess | felt rather shaky-"but, Miss
Leary, | unavoidably heard your sis
ter and yourself, just now, and | feel
as If l must put in a word. though
it's none Of my business" She started
to answer, but did not give her time.
IL heard Mr.. Andrews order those
roses, and they were for you; but Mr..
Mays man misunderstood, and they
have gone to Miss Cary by mistake.
But, Miss Leary, don't you think ii
may smooth matters over between
those two-and-I know | am imperti-
nent, but l am so anxious for Miss
Cary not to know!"
gasped a little at my own boldness,
but Fanny Leary laughed good-natur-
eddy, and said: "Oh! very well, Miss
Duncan, she shan't learn il from mel"
AS | am neither messenger boy nor
mail carrier, can't say what Frances
Cary wrote in her note of acknowl
edgment to Andrews. My part of the
story ends with telephone call two
days later, and it seemed to me that
ring had a peculiar vibration, but that
may be too fanciful a notion for a Sc
date public official, like myself.
Give me Miss Cary, please. Oh!
Good morning, Miss Frances. Thank
you so much for your note-ah!-what
did you say? Not at all: not at all;
it was worth whole garden of roses!
And may | come TO see you this even
ing, and apologize for past sins, and
be taken back into
But here she interrupted him gaily
s H. 1. L