The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1906-11-29

Indeed. to - 10 }oy q aafaliy waeth.
er or no td hail rendered her a
service.
Althea's sprcia frlend5 were delayed;
therefore she ia Naru delayed her re.
turn 10 the choir Slo hHj 10 doubt
whatever that Bcrsoa would nike her.
Notwithstanding she admitted that she
and Isabella htd been foolish But
how could we drem things would turn
out soY Althea asked of Isabella, who
In turn queried:
"Who wouid have thought Benson
could do without you? And does lie
think he can keep on doing without
you when they have the service Of
thanksY
"Of course he can't" Althea said. al.
most tparfuily. because the thanks are
mostly for Cousin Rob, and everybody
knows he won't care for anything OK
cept to hear me sing"
Cousin Rob was, understand, a lieu
tenant in the navy, for whose escape
from typhoon and other perlls East
wood felt called upon to give especial
thanks. There were other Eastwood
men. but they had not been mentioned
in dispatches for cool and reckless
bravery. Moreover, they had not been
promoted So although they were In
cluded in the roster. it was well under
stood that Lieutenant Robert Startling
was the beginning and the end Of
things.
Althea thrilled to think Of herself
singing TO him, with the multitude
hanging breathlessly upon her voice.
there in the church. all bedight with
flags and oaken boughs. Flowers were
held out of place for these hearts of
oak. She knew she should do her best.
She must, with such inspiration.
So 1t was a thunderbolt to have Ben.
son say grimly;
Miss Evans, there is no place for
you, am sorry to say. Besides. Miss
Archer sings, oh, much, much better!
Her notes are gold, where yours are
scarcely silver. Tommy Bell has the
only voice hers does not make thin and
tin-panny. He shall sing with her in the
special opening anthem. | have myself
arranged it. You might be in chorus
later OH, but you do not know enough.
You would try to drown the rest with
your big notes. There is the difference
Put Miss Archer in chorus, and she
would sing exactly in key"
"You are an old bearr' said Althea
and ran home to tell her mother
Before 1t came to telling her plan
was all upset. and by no less a person
than Miss Archer. who came swiftly
to ner and said n lot, but not in many
words. The result was when the serv-
ice of thanks came on there We're sew
eral surprises, but. if truth must be
told, some severe disappointments. for
Althea sang the solo and in the anthem,
and Miss Archer was no more than a
chorister She subdued her voice ad-
mirably and kept in the background as
much as she might, yet her name ran
all about from lip TO lip, so it was not
perhaps through occult divna ton that
Lieutenant Robert Starting waited out
side the choir loft stair. with ut least
fifty OF his enthusiastic townsmen
hanging behind, to SEQ the reason Of his
lettering.
Verify. they had their reward, for the
lieutenant caught both Miss Archer's
hands and wrung them as though he
would never let so. He spoke to her
familiarly, almost entreatingly, and
went away with her without by your
leave. When they were safe In the
Wray House he said, masterfully. Ell
nor, darling, tell me what is behind this
masquerade"
"Oh, nothing much" Miss Elinor
Archer Wesley. actress and gentlewo-
man. said, with little laugh Il
wanted to rest, and people wouldn't
let me alone, so | determined to play
Princess Charming again for just my
self All the costumes were perfectly
fresh and perfectly beautiful If the
public didn't like them nor me in them,
so I've had the play-the play that fail
ed five years ago-on again all summer.
You can't think how Interesting it's
been, and it has helped me--oh, such Il
lot. Without it | never could have
seen just what your people were"
"As if that mattered, as If anything
mattered, except that we love each
other" Lieutenant Startling said. "You
do love me- Nora, darlingY'
II ought not to. 1t will break the
towns heart to have you marry me-"
Ellnor responded. But I'm nightly
afraid that do"