The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-07-17
HE LADY
GWENDOLYN
By ANNE STORY ALLEN

y CoT.r7oht. 1903, by 7. c. Mcclure o.
OsOsososososoososOsoeosoeo
The Lady Gwendolyn stamped her
foot and declared, "Dwendolyn wiIlr'
Then she poked her white bonnet out
OF the do',r and listened. They were
still talking. She could hear Mrs. Rea-
gan's voice, high and shrill.
"Shure. ye can lave II here" she was
saying. ''and IL they's any more come
while ye're out I'll taken 'em for We.
My, but it's fine. And all OF 'em from
Miss Van Tassel. Well. wellr'
1t could be borne no longer. Aunt
Julia might stay and talk with Mrs.
Reagan as long as she liked and about
all the stupid things they liked.
'Dwendolyn willr' she announced
again. and Gwendolyn did.
Along the hall, past Mrs. Reagan's
half open door. down the stairs. step by
step, and so on to the sidewalk.
The Lady Gwendolyn was an impul-
sive person, and, being Of a mind to
view the trees OF the park, clothed, as
she had been told. in the snow blankets
woven by the fairies the night before,
she had determined to wait no longer,
but to start out by herself, which was
Of course contrary to any precedent ever
established Clad In her white coat.
marked down and snatched up by Ellen
at a hargain-her white bonnet-Aunt
Julia had found 1t in a Third avenue
shop, and you couldn't have told It
from q Sixth avenue-her white NIT
tens and ieggings-bought trifie large
hast year with a view to shrinking
Lady Gwendolyn started on her way.
Both Of her ladies In waiting and the
head groom of the chambers were igno-
rant of her desperate venture. Now,
the first lady in waiting was nearly al
ways IN attendance on the Lady Gwen
dolyn and usually planned 30 that her
duties as housekeeper fitted in nicely
with the demands of her other position.
The second lady in waiting. having
been promoted from the menial rank
of cash girl in Rush & Hurry's big
Fourteenth street shop to serve In that
firms lunchroom. found her hours a
bit easier and her weekly envelope q
trifie heavier, two things that made
possible even more devotion ON her part
to the service of Lady Gwendolyn.
1t would take too long to recount the
incident, or accident, through which
the head groom Of the chambers had
arisen to The dignity OF wooden faced
footman, tight booted and befurred Of
collar, who flung himself with most
satisfactory recklessness on and from
the seat of Miss Van Tassel's brough-
am.
"He's a star, that kidw Miss Van
Tassel was wont to exclaim when, In
company with other blond ladies. she
would leave the stage door after re-
hearsal And Miss Van Tassel, her
self a star Of no mean magnitude.
would enter her carriage amid chorus
Of more or less envious assents from
| the lesser lights of her constellation.
The coachman would touch the bad
| tempered cob and leave the star groom
| to alight beside him after a flying leap
over the wheel.
Although the head groom Of the
| chambers had become the footman of
Miss Violet Van Tassel. who had the
| reputation OF being the most graceful
| dancer as well as the biggest hearted
| woman that a music hall audience
| ever split its gloves for. still he was
| faithful to the house of Ryan. and the
Lady Gwendolyn could never complain
Of disloyalty.
| Christmas was at hand. and Miss
Van Tassel had made known to her
| footman a few ideas of her own on the
subject of Christmas trees In general
and of one in particular that was in
tended for the special benefit Of the
Lady Gwendolyn.
Nearly all her spare time for two
DAYS had been spent in driving from
shop to shop. and the address given
for the sending of the parcels had moi
been Central Park West. but Second
avenue. On issuing from one Of the
shops, more noticeably the toyshops
Miss Van Tassel would hold consulta-
ton with her footman- Advice, sug
gestion, description. seemed TO pass be
tween them, together with many mods
and smiles on the part of Miss Van
Tassel and many touchings of the hal
on the part of Tom
All unknown to Miss Van Tassel she
became an angel with a very yellow
halo and brilliant garments. All un
known to Tom he became to Miss NaI
Tassel the image of the young brother
who had died a small pauper before
ever the twinkling toes had brought
fame and wealth to his adoring sister
By dint of judicious tagging Of vari
ous people who seemed to be going II
the right direction the Lady Gwendo
lyn reached the park under the chaper
onage of two unconscious nursemaids
whose charges were engaged in making
faces at each other from their re
spective chariots. Arrived at her des
tination. she managed to Chamber on t.
one of the benches and surveyed thu
scene before her with delighted eyes.
The afternoon sun was warm, ant
yet it had not quite melted the snow
mantle on the shoulders OF the bil
statue opposite. The trees wore thei
snow blankets. and the grass was al
most entirely covered with the whit
carpet she had been so anxious to see
Now, 1t is one thing to fare boldl.
forth upheld by a sense of injury an,
the novelty of adventure, and it 4
quite another thing TO wend ones wa.
homeward when ones sense of injur.
has utterly vanished and novelty ha
/ l.