Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-09-01
THE "SNIP. "

With a sudden jerk which disarranged
the light luggage in the racks above the
passengers heads and made the nervous
travellers tremble for the safety of their
headgear, the O'Clock from London drew
up beside the platform OF riverside rail-
way station. Among those who awaited
its arrival with keen expectancy was an
officer in the Royal Horse artillery, a
small, fair man. who had risen to the
rank of major with unusual rapidity be-
cause of the quick promotion of South
Africa. He scanned the occupants of the
various compartments with careful seru-
tiny, but the one slim figure he was
watching for was indiscernible, and it
was not until light voice said, How
do you do, Maj. Griffiths?" that he real
lied that his carefully planned maneuver
had been all in vain. do you think you
can persuade a porter to find my things
and put them on cab" the traveller
asked.
Pm quite sure 1 can" the major an
swered with reassuTing confidence, "and
and Miss Annerly," he added, my mo-
tor is outside in the station yard. May
drive you down to the river?"
| AS a means of locomotion a swift Pan
hard is infinitely preferable to lum-
bering station fly. "Your offer is far too
nice to be refused" the girl replied, and
her smile was so bewitching, so ire
sistibly sweet and gracious, that when
the soldier had collected the various
packages which constituted her things"
and was at liberty to take his place be-
side her in the motor, he congratulated
himself that upon this occasion he was
| his own chauffeur, and he determined
that the pace he would travel at should
in no way exceed the legal limit.
Il had no idea you were staying in this
part of the world" his companion told
him, as they sped along through the
dust of country lane. when did you
come down, major?"
81 motored down this morning"
| For the regatta ?"
! Mai Griifiths was soldier whose cour-
age and resourcefulness in times of dan
ger had won him much renown; yet now
when no more substantial obstacle than
the shadow of a honeysuckle hedge lay
untried boy of 81.
Il don't quite know" he stammered
81 shant stay unless--unless-
"Unless what, MAORI"
"'Unless Lady Maxwell asks me to stay
on for it," he said.
Are you staying with Marion? She
never told me. | thought the houseboat
was such a wreck this season that she
dared not ask more than friend at a
time"
Lady Maxwell did not ask me, Miss
Annerly. When-when | heard that you
was coming, | asked myself. I"
He hesitated, and the hesitations, the
evident nervousness, so rare in one ha-
bitually so self-contained and self-rely-
ing, surprised his listener. She raised
her eyes, and his, which should have been
fixed upon the road before them, met
hers with an expression which she had
never seen before, an expression of in
| finite tenderness, of rapturous alteration.
Il am very glad" she murmured. He
was Il shy man; she thought she might
| safely venture so much, but the words
were scarcely breathed. He did not catch
them, and, anXiously waiting for some
| sign of response, some word of encour-
agement, for her silence seemed like re-
buke, timely check, to prevent him
from committing further indiscretion.
For the last quarter of a mile the con-
versation tagged a little, but, though
there was quite perceptible increase in
the pace at which the Panhard travelled,
the motorists did not reach their destina-
ton until considerably later than their
hostess had anticipated.
Your train must have been extraordi-
narily unpunctual, Evelyn, or-or was
the majors motor not up to its usual
form" she whispered, when the furious
yapping of a tiny terrier had subsidized
sufficiently to make conversation pos
siblc. There was twinkle in her eve
which was extremely disconcerting, ard.
to avoid replying and to hide a sudden
blush, Miss Annerly stopped to soothe
her cousins little dog to friendlness.
She had a vague idea that her visit to
the Iris would not be quite so pleasant as
she had imagined.
What is the matter with the 'Snip.
Marion?" she asked, few hours after.
ward, when they had dined and the
major ami his host had assembled to the
roof OF tic houseboat to smoke, and she
and Lady Maxwell were sitting below
them in the flower decked stern. idlv
watching the reflections of the lights of
the passing boats lengthening and
broadening across the waters of the
Thames.
rs there anything the matter with
him, Evelyn? | haven't noticed it, and
Arthur says that he thinks he looks far
more fit now than he did n month AGO.
when we had him with Us in Ennismore
gardens"
/ Hes $3.50 snappy at least, he is
with me- Miss Annerly complained.
You forget. dear, he is very shy"
Her cousin laughed You're wrong
there Marion" she said
You have impressed that fact upon
me SO persistently that am never likely
To forget it,"
Then be lenient; be SO kind that in
time he will forget his shyness and never
want to leave YOU"
Miss AuuprlV rava q s,,.,,v,.!;. u.