Smyrna times., 1905-08-09

Il am LOST" said the pretty maiden
with a quantity tragic air.
She stood back against the window
Of big department store on Canal
street and scanned the surging crowd
before her. 1t was Mardi Gras day in
New Orleans, and the pretty maiden
had been in town only three hours two
of which had been spent in hotel.
81 have lost my mother" she said
again as if to impress the fact upon
herself-"and my father"-then she
added as an afterthought, "and my
purse"
In the street the people crowded each
other for more room, and there was a
constant stream of maskers, gay DOM
inoed fellows with tinkling bells and
swapping whips, and the pretty maiden
watched them from the entrance to
the department store, and her ideas
quite lost their balance and tOppled
over into the mad whirl of carnival.
I'm glad I'm lost" she said to her
self; they'll know l was separated
from them by the crowd and they'll be
fearfully worried, but after awhile
they'll find me, and meantime feel as
if something were going to happen-a
wild adventure perhaps. Oh, 1 love
carnival. I'm glad 1 came"
A drum thrObbed subtly in the dis
tance the crowd surged to the edge of
the banquette, then surged back again
with easy laughter, for no parade ap-
peared.
"Ah," said some one at the pretty
maiden's elbow. Il beg your pardon,
but l thought l was never going to
find you. The crowd is so thick"
The pretty maiden stared. A young
man, clean shaven and eminently pre-
sentable, was regarding her, hat in
hand.
'I'm afraid you don't remember me-"
he suggested, trihe crestfallen. Isn't
this Miss Preston"
The pretty maiden's eyes widened.
To herself she cried, The adventurev'
but aloud she said quite coolly:
I'm afraid the advantage is yours
{ 'I'm sorry" he answered stif1y.
But please don't think me an imperti-
nent stranger. My cousin wrote me to
meet you here, you and your sister
She asked me to show you around for
the parade. I-my name is Robert Ran
dolph," he finished awkwardly.
The pretty maiden hesitated a bare
moment, but the carnival spirit was
strong within her, and the trick that in
her natural environment would have
been impossible unfolded itself like
magic in this atmosphere.
The moment was bare one-then-
''Oh," she said, with the friendliest
smile imaginable, you are Bobby Ran
dolphT"
''Of course he agreed cheerfully
''Its been a great while since we saw
each other, but still''-
$50 it has," said the pretty nader
cunningly. LET me see, just how lont
exactly?"
"Just ten years." said Mr.. Randolph
"ten years, three months, seven days
two hours and, think, twenty
minutes"
Dear me-" she murmured breath
lessly.
And, by the way, where's your sis
ter? Didn't she Gomez"
MY sister? said the pretty nader
quite astonished. MY sister? Oh-e
yes, Of course she came. But sh
had fearful headache. and she decid
ed to stay at the hotel, and hate t
miss the parade. you see"
'Of course. Too bad she won't Sc
it." said Mr. Randolph regretfully.
''The trip was so long and tiresome,
said the pretty maiden incautiously.
1.-TWO hours long! l like that. VIII!
it's only forty-eight miles between her
and Pass Christian"
Distance" said the pretty maide
sententiously, sis not a matter of mile
with me, at least" she added pr
IDENTIFY.
We'll, we can have a jolly time b
ourselves, anyhow" Mr.. Randolph a
sured her.
The pretty maiden hesitated-that 1
she would have hesitated, but Mr.. RAJ
dolph's cheerful confidence left her I
room to do so.
They walked on rather slowly, (,
the crowd was dense, and Mr.. Ra
dolph's shoulders acted as a buff
more than once.
"We'lI have time to go and get son
hot chocolate before Rex gets here
he calculated cheerfully. Look o
there, will your This last to line
college boys who were going throui
the crowd like an animated wedge.
The pretty maiden laughed de
ciously.
'You looked so angry" she explai
ed between gasps, then stopped su
denly because a small red devil, wi
battered mask, aimed shower of &C
efetti at her laughing face.
There was blare Of trumpets doN
the street and the long roll Of dru
A wave of excitement submerged
people. Randolph used shoulders a
elbows with a skill that bespoke 10
experience on the football field, and
.~oktx- rno4Iox fn.,nd horcoIf In