The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1905-10-12
Tas souarH cnApEsoM.

pserpors Clsytar ard Mrs kilpafrick snd
thar s,uunlng Mrs Beach. With tbe knghsh
accent and The red hair and the wonderful
froess, she,s quite TOO pisiful.
Rat ~hy DO you call her The fourih
chsperer, Aiict Perhaps she's the hrs''
No. she isna. Iknow all about y. Dick
Sunderland told me WHEN II was decided
that the boys should move ont OF the ira
,errisy hcu.e and give IL up to the girls,
net only for the night OF the Iup'or mop
bot over the next night ~ well, 90 - 70
take 10 the gies4 club concert and every
,i,ng, II was thought best 10 have more
than two cbaperons. One might fall ~ OF
something, and that would give the re-
mslnins one rather too much to do. so
Mrs. Beach was ssked--ihe boys just bare
ly 40, her in time. The Beta upsiIons
we're Wild to get her. And then II seemed
veil 20 have forth. Chspefons 20 best
ia pairs, 4 suppose. 10 they were casting
.bout for some ore, and Dick Sunderland
..sed Royal Walden II bis mother couldn't
come. You Know she's . writer. The
bo,s said ROYAL seemed little EN- bArrAss-
"a. but there was really nothing for him TO
do but write and ask bis mother, since she
had been proposed. And 10 and behold she
sece pted. ard here she 1.-THE oldest little
creature that ever tried to chaperon sixteen
up-to.dste damselt
Well. said Florence Evelyn, meditatise-
ly. I thought she looked very sweet and
gifiisb.
Sweet and girlish! broke In Alice Cas-.
tieberry, simpstieDtly, shaking her haif
down about her shoulders. What qualities
are those for chsperon--
Hut some one knocked at the door then,
and wIabou. waiting for an snswer hung IL
open. 1t was Edith Hswtry.
q girls. she said, forgot | bad to be
sswed up 10 this gown, and ! haven't
brought so much asa spool Of thread with
me! Isn't It ridiculous!
No-only natural--for you, my dear, said
Florence EVELYN. Come In, beauty, and
~, he your maid. I'm always being your
maid. IL seems to me. who's going with
you to the hopf
why, Royal Walden. Have you met
him He's a sophomore--this is bis hrst
J. hop. He's in agreat state OF excitement
don't believe he's known quite 80 much
Of society az some Of the fellows. But he's
a bright fellow, and handsome, too.
His mother Ia one OF the chsperons, be-
lleve.
The Girl flushed little. Yes, she is.
Rovsl Il lust trife annoyed about It. Ihat
Is, he says It's out Of his mothers hne,
rather. She's always lived very quietly,
think. Her writing has kept her very
busy.
There was rustling Of silken skirts IN
the corridor, and tb' girls, turning 70 iook'
saw the fourth chaleron making her way
down the hall. She was gowned In baby
blue Grape, which matched the blue Of hef
ewes. and about her neck was an OLDHAM
,oned necklace OF garnets. In her hair,
where the silver shone among the ricn
brown, was one red rose. She looked INTO
the room with q smile, half.paused - II
.hout 10 offer assistance, flushed and went
on They saw her examining the pictures
Of graduated and forgotten classes, moving
about from one to another with soft rust
lings.
It,s inst like her to be dressed an hour
too soon, whispered Alice. ] knew % soon
A | saw her that she WAS one OF the Kind
~ women who are dressed an hour TOO
soon. They are reproach and a public
nuisance.
Edith gave nod Of thanks to Florence
,or her services, and gathered her volumin-
ous draperies about her.
You'll be an hour behind time, honey
she said, II you don't concentrate on the
subiect In hand,' as Miss Reynolds used 70
say. ,,
She ran on down the corridor and paused
for moment beside the fourth cnaperon'
I'm sfrsid you'll think US oil very lazy,
or yery vain, she said, lightly. fouli nno
ve are much longer than you about making
our toilets.
why should you hasten 7 askedlthe other
in = voice which It seemed to the girl va.
4. full Of excitement As her own. A GOOD
mart OF the fun Of party 10 In the getting
ready, isn't III
Now that's Just what ! have always SAID
cried Edith. ,
After Edith had gone on the little cnap
Ierou rested against the cushions ana ms
tened. From the different rooms came tn'
sound OF RirIish voices--the voices that DC
,ong 70 that expectant and enchanting noul
before the party. After . time the ooor
began to open and the occupants 70 ex
| change visits, consulting together aoou
,he last touches to their costumes. Inc!
had ,ba, frank vanity which belongs y
youth and happiness, and they atoned 10
| n with their even more ardent admirstiol
~ each other. None Of them noticed thA
the little chsperon hsd eyes ~ excited ADJ
:. CLOSING A their own. They hardly no
ticed her = oil.
Then presently there wssa great nois
In the hall below. The escorts had arrived
The carriages we're without There was
lls,t look in the mirrors, fuai eatner'n'
up d, fans, gloves and cioaks, and dow
the stairs, like nock Of strons-winse
birds. swept the girls.
Dear me, sIsculated the. languid Ar'
Beach, hos violent they are And 30
trsiled slowly sitter them.
Mrs. Clayton And Mrs. Fitzpatrick ~
already gone down. 1t was only the iittl
accidental chsperon who fingered 90
stood leaning over the bsnisters, listenin
With ! curious, poignant happiness 70 70
laughter and the taking ihst came up
her Then she heard Mrs. Beach say;
} Ic.ns imagine Why she ID waiting. She