The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-01-21
CHAPTER III.
VIE MISSING PAPERS.


The next morning Miss MalVlhla-
''fence angling" as she contemptuousiy
called her own efforts TO Keep up WIN
local happenings-saw coming TOWARD
her from the Mandeviile direction some
thing almost too bright and vivid tor
that sombre day OF sorrow.
1t was a smart little basket phaeton'
drawn by two satin coated ponies Inc
morning sun. shining through the CLOUDS
of dust that rose I'm the wake OF eight
swiftly patterng hoofs. converted 1t INTO
golden hued mists surrounding the SWIFT
revolving wheels Of the chariot MISS
Malvina gave a little gasp.
"E,ljah's chariot must have looked Just
that-a-way'--Miss Malvina's ART concep-
tions were drawn largely from chronos'
IL is 10 be feared-"only. she mouheu,
''Elijah's chariot wasn't harnessed 10
two satin coated ponies nor driven py an an
extremely pretty girl in saucy sailor
hat and a man1ish shirt waist. Looks
ike she had monopolized all the sunshine
there was 70 spare. our Heayeiiiy es,Es fa'h-
She for whom such celestial partlahty
was claimed was Miss Olivia Matthews;
She certainly made a very VIVA spyt Ua
rapidly down upon the patient ngufe al
Her yellow hair floated away from her
white banded sailor hat In buImished
beauty She occupied the drivers seat
in her tiny phaeton and guided the chest
nut ponies that were hsrnessed 20 IL Win ,.I
q spirited grace quite beyond her years
She was only IA.
BY her side. with his long legs drawn
we'll up to accommodate his demensions
20 those Of the phaeton. sat LAWYER Mat
When the flashing little turnout had
wheeled fairly Into her Line OF VISION
Miss AIalvina mfttered her dtSapprovl.
"tIoodness gracious me! They do, look
dreadfuhy y. gay for going 10 'he mouse
But when the satin oeted ponies, With
the gate, she discovered a compensaung
gloom in the lawyers face It's pro
found solemnity modified her to a degree.
AS for olivss. she was always VIVID.
One must needs have shorn her yellow
name and robbed her laughing lips OF
their cherry ripe mess and nSr 9Sns eyef
sunlight on dancing waters 10 have re-
duced her TO that sonbCeneSs OF aspeN
considered the citing thing for such 90
Seeing they were going to stop. Miss
Malvina opened her front gate and ad-
Good morning to you both. My. but
don't the sun shane just too bright To-Day
tell me-something." she concluded
vasSsly; .!ws a.. ., o.,r unv to IN. hall now
said OlVla- ulnlAlnS uiic Ir,t W ihltS
her yellow mane back over her shoul-
ders Reuben, stupid old thing. broke
papas buggy last night, and so ! had hi,
to bring him over. she leaned pack,
laughing. to give Miss Malyina better
The phaeton does not fit him very well
II stopped said the lawyer, with un-
smiling dignity. to ask II by chance
you discovered any papers near your
gate this morning.
"PaDere?'
.'Yes, in a long official envelope. un-
addressed. | Thought they might nave
fallen out OF my bag last night when 1t
Miss Malvina gazed speculatively over
an area Of several rods OF leaf strewn
earth. THE bag certainly was open. Tor
/ distinctly remember clasping Il az |
didn't see them, and the hard wind that
blew last night would have carried
them away by this time"
Mr.. Matthews had got out OF the phae-
with his head bent. He stirred the leaf
heap with his umbrella as he seerched;
"It Is possible that | did not bring
them away. from Broxton Hail. but
barely possible"
A sow with large family of new
born pigs was contentedly reposlng on
the autumn leaves that filed the near
est fence corner The lawyer prodded
her mercilessly with the ferrule OF his
umbrella. She got UP with an indig-
nant grunt and waddled sullenly across
the road. followed by her squealing prog
eny. But nothing came OF her ejectment.
There was only an innocent pile OF
autumn leaves pressed into a compact
mass under her bulky body.
On all occasions Miss Olivia Mat
thews' patience was easily exhausted. II