Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1905-10-05
At the Court
of Rex
BY FANNIE HEASLIP LEA
Copyright, 1905, hp Fannie Hcdsltp Ira

with quantity traElc mir.
She stood back against the window
Of n big department store on Canal
street and scanned the surglng crowd
before her. 1t was Mardl Grns day IN
New Orleans, and the pretty maiden
had been I'm town only three hours. two
of which had been spent in hotel
IL have lost my mother" she said
again as If to Impress the fnct upon
herself and my fnthcr" then she
added rs mn afterthought, "nnd my
purse"
In the street the people crowded each
other for more room, nnd there was
constant stream of maskcra, gay dom.
ihoed fellows with tlnklnu bells ana
swapping whips, and The pretty maiden
watched them from the entrance 10
the department store aud her ldens
quite lost their balance nnd topplrd
over Into the mnd whlrl Of carnival
am glad I'm lost" she said to her
self "thpy'l know Was separated
from them by the crowd hhd they'll be
fpaffully worried, but after awhile
they'll ilhd me, ana meantime feel as
n something were going ~ hhppeh=a
wild adventure perhaps Ohr / love
carnival I'm glad I came"
A drum thf6bbad HubtF IA The die
iahgel tha crowd HuFgpd ~ che aiga ~
tho bahauettp, then sufgpd back again
with easy laughter for h9 parade apa
peaFad.
hAhI" said some enc Rt the pretty
malien's elbow, ~ heg your pardon
but ! thought | was never going ~
md you, tho crowd Is 80 thick"
The pretty maiden stared. A young
man, clean shaVan and emiRentiy pre-
sentahle, was regarding her hat IN
hand,
I'm afraid you don't remember me-"
he suggested, trlfia orestfallen. Isn't
this Miss rrestanF
The pretty maiden's eyes Widened,
To herself she cried, "The adyentureW
but aloud she said quite c0aly,
I'm afraid the advantage is yours"
I'm sorry," he answered stiffly.
But please don't think me an imperti-
nent stranger. My cousin wrote me to
meet you here, you ana your sister,
She asked me 10 show You around for
the parade. 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 onc-then-
"Oh," she said, with the frlendiest
smile imaginable. you are Bobby Ran
dolphT
"Of course" he agreed checrfully.
ITS been q great while since we saw
each other, but still
$50 It has" said the pretty maiden
cunningly. Let me see, just how long
exactiyT"
Just ten years" said Mr. Randolph;
ten years, three months, seven days,
two hours and, l think, twenty-seven
minutes"
Dear me-" she murmurcd breath
lessly
And. by the way, where's your SIS
teri Didn't she come"
MY sister, said the pretty maiden,
quite astonished. my sister? Oh-er
yes, Of course she came. But she
had fearful headache, and she decld-
ed to stay at the hotel, and l hate to
miss the parade. you see"
''Of course. Too bad she won't see
. - ooI1 NJ
THE trip was so long and tiresome,"
said the pretty maiden incauiously.
1.-TWO hours longl l like that. Why,
it's only forty-eight miles between here
and Pass Christian"
"Distance," said the pretty maiden
with me, at least" she added pru-
IDENTIFY.
"Well. we can have a jolly time by
ourselves, anyhow" Mr.. Randolph as
sured her.
Tho pretty maiden hesitated-that is,
she would haYe hesitated. but Mr. Ran
doIph's cheerful confidence left her no
room to do SO.
They walked on rather slowly. for
the crowd was dense, and Mr.. Ran
do1ph's shoulders acted as a buffer
more than once
We'll have time to go and get some
hot chocolate before Rex gets here"
he calculated cheerfully. Look out
there. will your" This last to line Of
college boys who We're going through
the crowd like an animated wedge.
The pretty maiden laughed deli
ciously.
"You looked so angry" she explain
ed between gasps, then stopped sud
denly because q small red devil, with
battered mask. aimed shower Of con-
fetti at her laughing face.
There was a blare Of trumpe1 down
the street and the long roll of a drum.
A wave Of excitement submerged the
people. Randolph used shoulders and
elbows with skill that bespoke long
experience on the football field and the
pretty maiden found herself in the
front Of the crowd Mounted policemen |
paced slowly past her, a band shrilling |
forth "If Ever | Cease TO Love-" and |
then Rex and his cohorts.
The pretty maiden dimpled and blush |
ed from sheer delight at the gorgeous |
spectacle, and the caperlng maskers on |
the fantastic floats repaid her interest. |
One threw her a great fragrant bunch
Of violets, which she clasped with both |
hands like an excited child; another
tossed an armlet Of brass; a third
box Of French sweets, until young RAN
doiph was hugely proud Of her. Then,
when the last silver tower and shim-
mcrlng veil had melted down the street,
he swung her into the crowd again, her
checks pink with excitement and the
great purple violcts Nesting in the furs
under her pretty chin.
Now let's have that chocolate" snid
Mr.. Randolph. They found n corner in
a pretty tea room, ana he dispatched
waiter for their order, while the room
filed steadily