Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1905-11-10
Little Dorothy's
Courtship
By VIRGINIA LEILA WENTZ

alas, was only poor little Cousin Doro-
thy and acting in this particular house.
hold as Joan's mothers paid compan-
ion! So she pretended to be bored
with his lordship's society.
"La-la, la-la, la-la-la," she hummed,
sinking back into the depths Of the
easy chair and stretching her white
arms lazily.
81 say" said the earl, "am l firing
you, Miss IDrothyT
Dorothy stopped humming. mo"
she drawled, with mock mischief, mot
exactly. But'-here she smiled her
sweetest smile upon hlm-"you won't
be vexed, will you, IL l tell you that
I'm bit sleepy and that l must sleep
in the sun? viii you draw this chair
over for me, please" Rising slowly,
she adjusted the tleur-de-lis at her
waist while his lordship drew the chair
to the sunny corner of the big yeranda.
How'll that do?" asked he.
"Splendidly. Now for cushions"
"IIow many"
Hundreds" said she.
He collected as many as he could
carry and fetched them to her.
Here are thousands" he announced.
Delicious" murmured Dorothy, sink
ing back into them with sigh of con-
tent. This is quite perfect"
1T Will be when | fetch you u sun
shade" he amended.
"Sunshader' cried she. go away,
you Goth! / want the SUM-"
You'll be pickledr warned he.
NO" corrected she, dimpling, pre-
served" Her long black lashes lay mo-
tionless ON the wild rose flush of her
cheeks.
The earl chuckled and, pretending
that he fancied her already asleep.
crept elaborately away on tiptoe. Joan
and the rest of them We're in sight.
and he advanced to meet them.
Joan Shannon was unquestionably a
beauty. She had been photographed In
every variety Of pose; she had been
painted by several of the most cele-
brated artists on two continents, but
in spite of this fact she had passed
through the whirl of three seasons and
was still unwed.
"She must be waiting for a title"
people said, as other girls far less
beautiful came out, danced through
season or two, and were led to the
altar by men of their choice.
However that may be, included
among the guests at this particular
house party at the Shannon's big coun-
try place ON the sound was the young
Earl of Stowbrldge, and it was common
property that Miss Shannon already
had found him very attractive.
80 awfully sorry you couldn't join
us in our sail this morning" she began
in her sweet, suave voice, with an ac-
cent which was the result of much
travel. SIS your headache better now?"
"'Pon my honor, I've not given it a
thought for the last half hour. l found
Miss Dorothy reading on the veranda,
and she took pity on me and put down
her book, and-well, somehow she must
have cured my headache! She's got jol-
ly pretty dimples, and she's cousin
of yours, didn't some one say"
"Yes-dstant. Mamma never liked
me to associate much with her family
when we were little, and now, as you
can imagine, we aren't very-er-con-
genial"
"Such fun" observed the earl lacon-
ically. His fair companion turned and
looked at him reproachfully. "And who
would wish to be 'funY" said she.
"Oh, don't know" said his lordship
gallantly.
Miss Shannon found herself wonder
ing for moment as they walked on
whether the earl might not prove testy
after all. Would he be uneasy under
the crushing and ordering about to
which her father and mother submit
ted. If there was one thing she disllk
ed it was obstacular people. She had
been brought up to expect people to
agree with her.
"Of course" she sighed, Struggling
her beautiful shoulders discreetly, Il
feel sorry for poor little Dorothy. Moth
er won't need her after the autumn,
and I'm sure don't know what's going
to become Of her then. Besides, she
hasn't any practical sense. Just look at
her now lying asleep in all that sun.
She'll be simply black with freckles!'
That afternoon when everybody was
resting for q dinner dance in the even
ing the Earl Of Stowbridge wandered
into the library, cool, dim apartment
banked with books and made comfort
able with couchcs.
He had just discovered one Of his
favorite authors and settled down to
read when the sound of feminine
voices in the adjoining room disturbed
his attention. Six seconds had not
elapsed when he became aware that
it was no ordinary Interview and that
he should make Il step forward to an
nounce his presence. 1t was not in his
character or traditions to be an caves
dropper; nevertheless he found him
self curiously unable to move or utter
a sound.
Angling for him-I" 1t was Dor
othy's voice, low and impassioncd, but
with a quick little gasp or two, such
as would come from one who had sud-
denly received an unexpected douche
of cold water.
'Ihere can be no doubt Of that"
came Mrs. Shannon's Icy tones. "Only
yesterday Joan was telling me Of her
own misgivfngs'-
"Misgivngs!" There was still that
tremulous catch in the breath.
'Oh, of course young men will be
young men," continued Mrs. Shannon,
with pur in her well bred tones.
They will pursue the girl who holds
cut the angling iron. You are clever
don't dispute the face; you are clever
and calculating-bu one thing | have
to tell you: If you wish to remain in
this household you must assume diff
ferent pose. And, remember, not an
other conversation alone with the Earl
of Stowbridge while he Is under this