Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1902-07-04
she needed grooming IN modern matri-

cuo hSSucu 6AoohiS ~ ihouSAh mouA-
monial ideas. 49, "
But Mrs. Taylor showed hopeless
lack of Interest In her nieces matrimo-
NAL prospects and no disapproval
whatever of what the porch brigade
termed her scandalous fiirtations.
1t happened on the heels of nasty
hot spell, when even the Springs yield
ed to the influence of the torrid wave.
Just beyond the fence which rose close
to the rear Of the hotel We're some
small cottages, occupied by the people
who found work among the hostelries
Of the resort. For two days and a
T.. ii, the incessant wall Of a child had
Travelled across the high fence, and on
this day directly after luncheon Elsie.
with her coterie Of admirers. sat on the
rear porch, jesting and laughing,
Suddenly the girl rose to her feet and
said impatiently:
II wish the mother of that child
would be forced to do something for it.
That crying nearly sets me crazy. The
proprietor Of the house ought to look
into the matter"
As she disappeared In the direction
Of the office the men looked at each
other, shrugged their shoulders and
smiled. "Yes, decidedly Elsie Taylor
was jolly company, but
"Heartless cat" murmured pale
blond with appealing eyes, Then the
group scattered for the afternoon sizes
ia.
Later in the afternoon one of the
men, seeking shady corner on the
upper porch, stepped no!sily through
his window. A hand was raised in ST.
lent warning. 1t was the hand of Tom
gazing across the fence down into the
laborer's cottage. The other man tip
toed to his side and caught his breath.
Then he tlptoed back and hurried
down the hall to the billiard room. The
game was stopped, and half n dozen
other men Joined the tiptoeing army
and gazed through the vines.
What did they see? Just tall, slen-
der girl in n long, lace trimmed white
wrapper sitting in the corner of the
porch Of that little house. On her
knees lay baby, the one that had
been crying, and beside her was
bowl filled with water. She bathed
the tortured little body and showered
1t with healing powder. Then she took
a brush and comb and made tiny
cleaning curls all over the small head,
while the baby's big eyes studied her
softened face. And all the while she
talked cheerlly to the mother, lying i'll
Just inside the door. Then when the
babys toilet was completed and he
had been fed she rocked him to sleep,
singing not the jolly college songs and
ragtime melodies which the listening
men had heard from her lips before,
but sweet old fashioned songs.
The feet of the men on that overhang
ing balcony grew numb as they stood
breathless, afraid to break the spell.
Their cigars, all unnoticed, went out
and when she laid the baby in its era
die and slipped through the small gate
in the fence the men Strengthened up.
looked oddly at each other and shook
hands. But they did not speak.
There was hop that night, and for
the first time In the season Elsie Tay-
lor was gowned all in whlte-clinging,
creamy crepe de chine. And the men
who had hung over the vine clad bal
cony that afternoon-all but one
asked for private chat with her dur
ing the course Of the evening. The |
answer In every case was mo"
The one who did not join the army |
Of suppliants was Tom Lyons. 1t hap |
pened that he had forestalled his rivals
by taking Elsie for walk directly |
after dinner, and his answer had not
been mo"
The engagement created tremen-
dOus sensation. The women who knew |
nothing of the hidden witnesses on the |
upper porch marveled greatly and said
that Tom Lyons would never be happy |
with the wearer of crimson gowns and
French hosiery. But, then, men are
even more inconsistent than women,
which Is saying great DEAL