Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-02-13
CHAPTER XVI.
SUBJECTS FOR MATRIMONY.

Miss kildare gave SDruR OF ner snOul'
ders. YES" she said, 81 suppose it is 6
different me- I've got my hair done ur
and longer skirts and all the rest of 1t. In
fact, like the young person in the book,
I've growed. But don't sec that you We
altered much, except that you've just 9
tiny-iny bit orowsfooty about the eyes.
You haven't even grown a mustache, as
always wanted you to do"
Didn't know was going to meet you,
or might have spared my razor"
~ wish you'd known, then. But fancy
your turning up here of all places 1t il
an extremely small world. There's nc
doubt about that. Well, Pat, as we've
each said at least 90 times apiece how
surprised we are to see one another, sup
pose you come out onto the piazza and tel
me things. We shall have crowd round
us If we stay here in the hall much
longer"
my dear child, what things" asked
Cambel, laughing. "I've been chatterine
history to you ever since turned up al
the hotel"
The girl seated herself In cool cane
rocker and picked up palm leaf fan.
Hundreds of things To begin with,
what are people wearing in town just
now?"
In London' Oh, frock coats rather
longer than ever and narrow stripe trou'
sers and toppers with just twopenny worth
of curl in them, not more. :"
But mean the women"
Fifteen yards to the skirt, and they're
beginning to drape them. The fashionable
deformity at present Is elephantiasis Of
the biceps-I mean gigot sleeves. They
start at the ears and go down to the elbows
some of them farther"
"Ah," said Miss Kildare thoughtfully,
81 used to have good arms. Not quite a.
nice as Mabels, though. But latterly J
haven't been in places where evening dres:
was used. BY the way, do you dance
still?"
keen on it as ever"
"What's the waltz like now9"
"Capering on hot bricks Heaps more
exercise to the furlong. People kill them
selves at 1t much sooner"
"Reversei"
sin the north of England, where they
all dance well, they re like the Americans
and go each way alternately. In London
and the south, where most of them waltz
vilely, reversing is aceldama."
Il suppose, - said Miss Kildare, with hel
eyes meditatively following bronze green
humming bird which was darling about
trumpet vine on the plaza posts, II sup
pose we shall have hop here tonight. J
shan't reverse, and when my partners ask
why shall tell them it's the latest thing.
One always likes to be as English as pos
sible. Tell me something else that It's
tony to dot"
Read nasty novels written by women
you wouldn't sit in the same room with
and then gush about them afterward
That's very fashionable amusement with
the up to date young women"
ugh, Pat, don't be a pig. Besides,
that wouldn't suit my style Bit"
but why want to change, ElsieP Don't
you appreciate yourself as you are at pres
emit? I'm sure other people would"
"That's barney"
"No," said Cambel judicially, II think
it's ordinary fact"
is it really, thought am glad. You
know, I've thought lately my present stock
in trade wouldn't pass muster outside
Florida. I can handle a boat in any
weather, and ride anything that's called a
horse, and dance decently in American
fashion, but I can't do anything else, ex-
cept perhaps talk, If that counts"
Gamble laughed. You are refreshing"
he said But why this inventory Of
stock?'
Because, Pat, I'm wondering how ]
shall get ON in England. I'm going there
this fall. I'm two and twenty, you know,
and 1 can do as l like, and living in the
back blocks is beginning to pail.
stGoinp there nv yOurself?b
mo, I'm not quite so Independent as
that. The Van Liews, the people IN stay
ing with here, spend the winter in Lon
don, and they re going to take me with
Them
And afterward you come back again
to the States?'
Miss Kildare again watched the bronze
green humming bird. "Quien sabef" he
said. Il may be induced to stay"
what! You're going to get married'"
"Why not, if l have an invitation
Twenty two's getting on"
"Ah," said Cambel and set to rocking
his chair.
aYes?"
Il didn't say anything"
You said All Patrick, and that
meant you thought lot besides"
Quite right, did. 1t had never quite
struck me till then that you were a COM
pletely grownup young woman now and
might any day see man to go into per
manent partnership with. It's bit of
jar-I mean it comes oddly to one at first
To think of you as married, Elsie"