The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-09-06
= OUR DAILY SHORT STORY

dinner next week But Miss Archer shook her head--she was in Eastwood for rest, and must not let herself he beguiled. Besides she had a charming room--and the woods around about were so enchanting. she hated to stay out of them. She was very grateful, but Mrs. Gray must excuse her. 1t was the same with all the rest Young or old found her, if they found her at all. the soul of graciousness. but elusive. She rode out every morn ing and drove every afternoon, always alone, except for a staid. liveried groom.
 The one thing vulnerable about her washer clothes. Exquisite in cholce, make fit, and material they were all so very~ far from being in fashion. Therefore they bred theories. Nobody really know 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 TO- mances woven about her The favorite one was that she had been either sud- denly bereft of fortune, or that she had inherited a wardrobe, and thNftiiy chose to wear 1t out unchanged The fine fit made rather against that, so much so that the bereft heiress notion was most generally accepted, But
  lost all he~money. She was liberal to a fault in, her expenditures and reckless in matter of tips to her cad- dies--indeed, to small boys generally, whether or no they had rendered her service
 Altheas special friends were delayed, | therefore she in turn delayed her re- turn to the choir. She had no doubt whatever that Benson would take her, notwithstanding she admitted that she and Isabella had been foolish. But how could we dream things would turn out so?" Althea 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 1 thanks?" "of course he can't" Althea said. ai- most tearfulIy, because the thanks are mostly for Cousin Rob, and every 1 body knows he won't care for anything except to hear me sing.
 Cousin Rob was. understand. lieu tenant in the navy. for whose escape l from typhoon and other perils East wood felt called upon to give especial thanks There were other Eastwood men. but they had not been men ] tioned in dispatches for cool and reck- less bravery. Moreover, they had not been promoted. So although they were | included in the roster 1t was well un- l derstood that Lieutenant Robert Star ling was the beginning and the end of | things.
 l 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. l So it was a thunderbolt to have Ben son say grimly:
 l Miss Evans, there is no place for you, I 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 l and tin -pan-y. He shall sing with her
 in the special opening anthem; I 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 1 is the difference. Put Miss Archer in chorus and she would scarcely siTSB
 exactly in key"
 You are an old bear"' said AIthea,
 and ran home to tell her mother.
 Before it came to telling her plan | was all upset, and by no less a per- |
 son than Miss Archer. who game swift | ly to her and said lot, but not in many words The result was when the services of thanks came on there were several surprises. but if truth must be told some severe disappointments. For Althea sang the solo, and in the an
 them, and Miss Archer was no more
 than a cnorister. She subdued her
 voice admirably and kept in the back l ground as much as she might, yet her
 name ran all about from lip to lip. So
 it was not perhaps, through occult di-
 vination that Lieutenant Robert Star ling waited outside the choir loft stair,
 with at least fifty of his enthusiastic
 townsmen hanging behind to see the
 reason of his loitering
 Verify, they had their reward, for
 the lieutenant caught both Mise Arch
 CTS hands and wrung them as though
 he would never let go. He spoke to
 her familiarIy, almost entreatingly,
 and went away with her without a by
 your leave. When they were safe in
 the wray house he said, masterfully;
 "Elinor, darling, tell me what is be-
 hind this masquerade?'
 "Oh, nothing--much," Miss Elinor | Archer Westley. actress and gentlewo-
 man, said with a little laugh "l
 wanted to rest, and people wouldn't let
 me alone, so I determined to play
 Princess Charming again for just my
 self All the costumes were perfectly
 fresh. and perfectly beautiful. H the
 public didn't like them, nor me in
 them. So I've had the play-the play
 that failed five years ago-on again
 all summer. You can't think how in
 teresting it's been And it has helped
 me-oh. such a lot, Without 1t I never could have seen just what your people
 were"
 As if that mattered! As if anything
 mattered-except that we love each
 other" Lieutenant Starling said. "fol
 do love me, Nora, darling?"
 "I ought not to- it will break tn,
 towns heart to have you marry me,
 Elinor responded But I'm nightly
 afraid that I do"
 CCopyright 1906, hy P. c. Eastment..