The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-10-18

teuueu ny calling once or Twice upon
each of several young women to de-
prive the calls he intended to make
upon Barbara of any look of signifi-
canoe, and now before he had even
begun to cultivate acquaintance with
Barbara he found his small prepara-
tory callings the subject of curiosity
and gossip.
He was resolved not to be baked of
his purpose, however. He saw no rea-
son to permit that. He would go that
very evening to see Barbara, and he
would repeat the visit from time to
time until fuller acquaintance with
the girl should cure him of his fascina-
ton. Acquaintance must do that, he
was persuaded
Barbara Verne was not accustomed
to receive visits from young men. She
was almost too young, for one thing, or
at least she had been almost too young
until about this time. Moreover, her
life was unusually secluded. She de-
voted all her time to her exacting house.
hold duties. Except that she attended
church once each Sunday, she was new
er seen in any public place or any
where else outside of her aunt's house
or the house of her single friend, Mrs
Richards, a retiring matron, who nei-
Their received company nor went out
anywhere. These two-the young girl
and the middle aged matron-were
somewhat more than intimate in their
affection, but apart from this one
friend Barbara visited nobody. The
young women of the town did not
think of her, therefore, as one Of them
selves at all. They regarded her rather
as child than as young woman,
though if they had troubled to think
about the matter they would have re-
membered that she was as old as some
Of themselves.
When Guilford Duncan made his
first call upon Barbara, therefore, that
young person was very greatly aston
ished, but she was in no way embar-
raised. It was her nature to meet all
circumstances and all events frankly
and to do with conscientious faithful
ness whatsoever she conceived to be
her duty. So when Guilford Duncan
called upon her she promptly put away
her surprise and walked into the par
lor and greeted her visitor not without
some lingering trace of surprise at the
honor done her, but with no touch of
foolish embarrassment in her manner.
Barbara was simply her own sweet,
natural self, and when Duncan went
away after his call the glamour of her
personality was more strongly upon
him than ever.
"She, at least" he thought as he
walked toward the levee, twill not mis-
construe my call, as Mrs. Hallam sug-
gests. She is too womanly, too sim
cere, too genuine, for that. I shall
call again very soon, though, now that
I think of it, she forgot to ask me to
do so. Never mind. I'll manufacture
some excuse-oh, by Jove, I have it!
The Coterie' is to give fancy dress
dance week from tonight. I'll invite
her to 60. I wonder if she will &C.
cept. I hope so, but even if she doesn't
the invitation will give me ample ex-
cuse for calling. I'll do it tomorrow
evening"
When Duncan called upon Barbara
the next evening and asked her to at
tend the dance under his escort her as
tOnishment was manifest in spite of
her best endeavors to conceal it, She
had never before been invited to such
a function, and she had not dreamed
of this. That, however, was not her
greatest occasion for surprise. In her
| modesty she had never thought of her.
self as in any way the fellow or equal
| Of the other girls in town, who were
| eagerly invited to attend everything
in the way of entertainments. If any
other young man in town had asked
| her to be his partner on this occasion
she would have regarded the occur
renee as surprising one. To be ask
ed by Guilford Duncan was more as
tonishing than all. She knew the high
place he had won for himself in Cairo.
| She knew that he was everywhere re-
| garded as altogether the superior of
all the other young men Intellectually,
morally, socially and in all other ways
\ She regarded him as an aristocrat
among men, a man who had always held
aloof from the society around him, as
If it were quite unworthy Of his atten-
ton. She had woman's instinct enough,
too, to know how greatly honored any
other girl in the city would feel if
asked by him to any function. The
fact that he had asked her instead of
some other puzzled her almost to be-
wilderment.
| At first she gave him no answer. She
was obviously thinking, and Duncan
let her think on. He thought she look
ed exceedingly pretty while thinking.
He observed slight puckering of her
forehead at the time, which seemed to
him to add interest to her face After
little she said:
"Thank you, Mr.. Duncan, for your
invitation. I am more pleased with it
than can say. But think must ask
you to excuse me. I think can't pos
Eibly go to the Dance"
May l ask why not? Do you not