Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-08-19
looked so splendid yesterday that

| looked so splendid yesterday that
could not deny his request to call.
But Carton is just as handsome. He
reads the service so impressively and
he always seems so much above me-
/ Why, 7 never dreamed of anything of
this sort until I saw something in his
look when 1 stayed to ask his advice
about fasting yesterday afternoon.
II know that look too we'll, and
well, 1 don't know, I'm sure, which
of them | want Sometimes I think
it is the captain and sometimes Car
| ton.
"Just think of the good I could do
as Cartons wife I have led very
selfish life. 7 have never thought of
the poor. Just think how I could
help them"
The Lenten mood was on her now
strongly enough. The idea of Mil
dred padding about damp slums and
getting up for early communion as
general rule would have caused hilar-
ity unspeakable among her friends,
but she did not appear in the least
degree ridiculous to herself.
"It's very hard to choose" she
said. "How much easier it would be
if clergymen were not allowed to
marry. There would be no doubt
| then.
"Still, ought to deny myself some
thing, and l ought to deny myself the
captain, for I am really very fond of
him. And there is that story, too. Not
that I believe it, for I am quite sure
that he would never come and dine
at this house and talk SO beautifully
to me all evening and then go off to
the Carnival with that girl. No, that
story is false on it's very face.
"Still, have to make up my mind.
l do hope those two men won't come
| together That would be awkward.
How am I going to settle the ques-
tion?'
She was a little gambler by in
stinct, and would infinitely rather
make up her mind as the result of
chance happening than as determine
ton reached after deliberation. Even
her predictions did not count very
much with her as compared with the
turn of coin or the picking out of
a card.
But it was Lent, and even her ex-
periments with the blind goddess
should be made in accordance with
the rule which she had laid down for
herself at the beginning of the sea-
son. She would not touch card un,
til after Easter Monday. Had she
not faithfully promised that to her
self in church on Ash Wednesday
morning? Flipping coins savored too
much of the vulgar, for this season,
and besides, it was real gambling. Had
she not lost $1.25 at this game one
evening in the billiard room? What,
then, should she do? An! she knew
now. She would look into her Lent
| Manual, and the first sentence that
she read there she would take as a
guide.
She took her little manual of de-
votions, bound in the colors of the
Lenten season, and ornamented with
pious designs. She opened it slowly.
and the beautiful print, with it's hand
some initial lettering, stared her in
the face. But she did not read yet.
She closed her eyes, turned the leaves
several times, then made stab at
the printed pages, still with her eyes
closed. The paper knife point pierced
the leaf. She opened her eyes and
read: I'm the first place." then fol
! lowed certain Instructions. The ans
wer seemed to be enigmatic enough.
j But it solved her doubt. SIN the first
place appeared to her as the answer
to the unspoken prayer in her heart.
She rang the bell and said to the
servant who answered it Il expect
a gentleman. Show him in here at
once. You need not announce him"
"Now," she said, II shall have to
abide by my resolution. l shall not
know who is coming, and l shall
choose in the first place!"
Within five minutes she heard the
doorbell ring The heavy tread of
man was heard in the hall, and she
could tell that he was taking off his
macintosh.
Even then, if she had been as OBJ
servant as usual, she might have al
tered things, for she would have OBJ
served that the man wore rubbers.
This would have told her, by itself,
that it was the clergyman, for the gal
liant captain never encountered him.
self with those impediments.
1t took minute and half for the
visitor to prepare himself to enter
the room and in that minute and
half Mildred Arrowswaith felt that
her destiny was being settled.
Then the portiere parted and the
Rev. Carton Wilton walked slowly
into the drawing room.
Half an hour afterward another ring
was heard at the front door, and the
servant entered the room to announce
Captain Gilman"
Mildred looked up, frowned, hest