The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1906-11-29

her at all, the soul of graclousness, but
elusive She rode out every morning
and drove every afternoon, always
| alone except for a staid liveried groom.
The one thing vulnerable about her
was her clothes. Exquisite In choice
make fit and material, they were all so
very far from being In fashion. There
fore they bred theories. Nobody really
knew more of Miss Archer than that
she had come to the Wray house with
unimpeachable credentials from two of
last seasons star boarders. So there
was some excuse for the romances
woven about her The fayorite one
was that she had been either suddenly
bereft of fortune or that she had in
herited a wardrobe and thrifty chose
to wear 1t out unchanged. The fine fit
made rather against that, so much SO
that the bsreft heiress notion was
most generally accepted. But Miss
Archer could certainly not have lost
all her money. She was liberal to a
fault in her expenditures and reckless
in the matter of tips to her caddies-
indeed to small boys generally, wheth-
er or no they had rendered her Q
service
Althea's special friends were delayed;
therefore she in turn delayed her re-
turn to tho choir She had no doubt
whatever that Benson would take her,
Notwithstanding she admitted that she
and Isabella had been foolish. But
how could Se dream things would turn
out SOP" Alshea asked of Isabella, who
in turn queried:
"Who would have thought Benson
could do without you? And does he
think he can keep on doing without
you when they have the service of
thanks"
"Of course he can't" Althea said, al
most tearf1llly, because the thanks are
mostly for Cousin Rob, and everybody
knows he won't care for anything eX-
eept to hear me sing"
Cousin Rob was, understand, n lieu
tenant in the navy, for whose escape
from tyIhoon and other perils 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 tho beginning and the end of
things.
Althea thrilled to think of herself
singing to him, with the multitude
hanging 6reathessly 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 it WIS thunderbot to have Ben
son say grlmly:
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. l have myself
arranged it. You might be in chorus
later on, 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"
"YoT ere an old bear!' said Althea
and ran home to tell her mother.
Before it came to telling her plan
was all upset, and by no less a person
than Miss Archer, who came swiftly
to her aud said lot, but not In many
words. The result was when the serv-
ice of thanks came on there were sew
eral surprises, but, If truth must be
told, sofae severe disappointments, for
Althea sang the solo and in the anthem,
and Mirs Archer was no more than a
chorister. She subdued her voice ad-
mlrably and kept in the background as
much az she might yet her name ran
all about from lip to lip, so 1t was not
perhaps through occult dlvination that
Lieutenant Robert Startling waited out
side the choir loft stair, with at least
fifty OF his enthusiastic townsmen
hanging behind, to see 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 go. He spoke to her
Familiarity, almost entreatlngly, and
went away with her without by your
leave. When they were safe In the
Wray House he said, masterfully, ELI
nor, darling, tell me what Is behind this
masquerade"
"Oh, nothing much" Miss Elinor
Archer Wesley. actress and gentlewo-
man, said, with little laugh. IT
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 II the
public Didn't like them nor me In them,
SO I've had the play-the play that fall
ed five years ago-on again all summer
You cant think how interesting it's
been, anti it has helped mech. such a
lot! Without it l never could have
seen just what your people were"
"As IL that mattered, as II anything
matterei, except that we love each
other" lieutenant Startling said. "You
do love me. Nora, darlingT