The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-05-02

estckcd the oid fft~efi scurry int,
be back door, TAN, after an interval
he cello spoke once more, sweeter
oolder. more winsome than ever And
rom her piano she answered It in kind,
her courage rising as the response
anne floating promptly back through
he open window, her heart ahre as she
Interpreted the impassioned meaning
Of the old ballads Of love and war
After that she tried in ner demure,
maldenly way to meet him in the Wiz
lage streets, but though she saw him
often and once almost came face to
face with him at a corner near the
postoffice, he seemed to evsde her
with an ingenious confusion that en-
HANGED his exalted character in her
partial eyes. No doubt he could rot
trust himself TO look freely at her
patrician beauty; he must have recog-
nized the innate nobility Of her poise
and bearing; aristocrat that he was,
he would not presume upon the oppor-
tunities of lonely summer resort to
gain her acquaintance unconventional
ly. At her wits end for some plausible
subterfuge. poor Celeste was at last
Obliged TO connde, tentatively and
cautiously OF course in her mother
IN borrow something from BoEss,
cried the old lady, and then I'll invite
them 70 teal
1T was a happy thought, and bore
quick fruit, for that afternoon the
widow ran home with a new light in
her eyes and said: Its done, Celeste.
| didn't borrow q cup of sugar; they
don't cook or eat In the cottage, but
live, that is eat, 1T the Hotel Florence.
Oh. they must be rich. The old gentle
man, BogEs is his uncle. The nephews
name is Belferd, Porter Beltord, and
they're coming over this evening"
They came, the old man togged out
In rusty suit Of black and the nephew
diffident but handsome II she had not
been already in love poor Celeste
might have wondered at Bslford's awk-
wardness, the limitations of his COM
monplsce conversation and the evident
gapcheries Of Uncle Boggs. But she
could see no deeper than mis- splendid
beauty, hear nothing but the rich
barytone of his low voice, think Of
nothing but the wondrous music OF his
charmed cello And so at last, when
they had left the table and the talk
was languishing, Celeste turned to her
idol and coyly whispered:
May we not hear the cello, Mr.. Bel
ford?"
Certainly" he answered, blushing.
Boggs, get the cello"
Boggs not only brought the instru-
ment. but, without so much as an nvi-
tation sat down TO play IT, Clesie
could scarcely force a word of praise
when the old fellow, smelling loudly OF
tobacco and alcohol, laid down the in
strument and grinned at mamma like
some ancient ape The girl turned
quickly TO Belford and murmured:
Now, you1l play, won't you, Mr..
Bel-?"
Il? Why, no -
For my sake" Celeste wac whisper
ing, but mamma broke in with an in
sistent voice, which made the bashful
young man blush like a girl
"But l cant play" he said looking
helplessly from one to the other. 81
never get time to try anything like
that Boggs learned while he was
night watchman He gets all day to
practice. You know he's night watch
man up at the Florence"
"And you?" the voice Of mamma
clinked like steel trap. The silence
OF the room was cold and dense, and
the aristocratic girl in the corner felt
her teeth chatter with an unspeakahle
horror as Belfords voice grown sud
denly harsh and raucous. said;
q? Oh, I'm head waiter u ne saae
hotel"