Middletown transcript., 1906-07-28
BOTTLE BABY
TcoNrlSuED FROM LAST wEEK1
HENRIETTA G. ROWE


60, a good bright, lovable young
fellow, could not be denied. AS
he passed through the successive
stages Of college life, his sisters
never failed to share bis hopes,
his fears, and not infrequently
his mistakes and blunders. And
thanks to this uninterrupted in
timacy, they, as well as he, grew
to a better knowledge of the
world outside their own little
village, its breadth and wisdom
as well as its snares and pitfalls.
And the great day came at last
to which, in all those years Of
patient waiting, the sisters had
looked forward with mingled emo
tions of hope and fear. II Boy
should fail at the last moment,
should blunder or stammer, or be
seized with stage-fright before
all those people The thought
was too dreadful to be cherished
for a moment. and yet-he was
enly human after all, young, and
inexperienced in public speaking
and it would be a terribly trying
ordeal TO stand up there and
speak before all those staring
eyes and critical ears.
They must be there to encour-
age him by the sight of their
dear, sympathetic faces; but after
long consultation, they had de-
cided to say nothing to him about
their intention of being present
at his graduation. For, if any.
thing should happen, Miss Betty
said, that we couldn't go, the dis
appointment would naturally up
set him, and he wouldn't do as
well on account of it.
So, b her last letter, Miss
Amelia said not word Of their
projected visit, only winding up
with tender words Of encourage
ment, urging him to do his best,
and speak just as boldly as if he
had only his sisters for an audi
enco instead of Chat gaping crowd
of uninterestsd strangers.
Perhaps if the sisters could
have seen theh boy, laughing and
CHATTING with the prettiest queen
in the bevy of sisters, cousins and
sweethearts assembled to do.
honor to the graduates, they
would have put aside their fears
that.this handsome, self possess.
ed young fellow would be in the
least daunted or troubled with
ge-frigbt when his hour should
come.
Miss Garlotta was radiant with
youth and beauty, and the pleas
ant consciousness that her squire
for the occasion was not only one
of the finest-looking, but one Of
the brightest students in his
class. Her mother, too, looked
indnlgently upon the pair, for the
fact that Jack was the possessoI
of a comfortable fortune had
somehow reached her ears
through channels known only to
the ehaperon of the society girl.
Old Yale was at its best and
brightest, with students and their ,
lady friends everywhere. Rib
bons and laces tinttered in the !
breeze, while bright eyes looked !
smilingly or miscbievously into
5he answering eyes of gallant !
seniors, or ambitious Juniors who |
lgI
we're in training for the coming
years. festivities, when they, in
urn, would be the heroes of the
lour.
Everybody seemed to have
somebody to talk to except a
couple of middle aged ladies, evi-
lently from the ceuAtry, who
lad just alighted from a car, and
low stood solitary and bewildered !
evidently at a loss to know where
o 60 and what to do in the con-
usion ofNhe gay crowd.
Miss Carl0tta, with a girls
luick instinct for the odd and
first noticed them.
Do look, Mr.. Martin, at those
wo funny old bodies over there!
They look as if they had stepped
ut Of a fashion book century
i'd.
She laughed lightly, but as
lack, turning his head, caught
light Of the so1tary figures, his
ace suddenly frightened, and
lastily excusing himself, he hur-
led away elbowing his way
trough the crowd toward them.
What--who?
And Miss Carlotta's pretty lip i
vore D NEST becoming pout, that
'elaxed hto q half smile Of be
gildered amusement as Jack S
hum, who was providentially at
,as4a avf,loirh7 hot.