Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-03-14


He led the way to a less crowded
part Of the waiting-roOm.
"She Is charming" he thought, as
he took in every finished detail of her
attire and belongings from her little
thick-soled shoes to the curling strands
Of golden-brown hair.
Thoroughbred" was his final men
tai verdict. Every perfection Of voice,
figure, face and personality Is hers,
handed straight down from those fine
old Huguenot and Cavalier forebears
l wonder who the lucky dog over in
the Philippines can be-"
By this time they were seated, and
he was industriously writing in his
notebook from her dictation.
"All this comes Of my sisters having
buried herserlf alive In the country,
and Of our own brothers having gone
off to serve their country at Manila.
We are forced to borrow those of our
friends" she said. "Oh! by the way,
Mr.. Roberts, how are the children?"
"The children" repeated Dick,
blankly. What children?"
Then he blushed fire red and called
himself all manner Of names 1nwardly.
Why had he been such an idiot as to
forget that he was Roberts, and that
Roberts lived with another sister
whose offspring Minnie adored?
why, Maud's children, Of course"
responded Miss Cloverdale, watching
his confusion with clear eyes.
"Oh, yes" he answered, smoothly,
giving the band around his notebook
a vicious snap. "They are all quite
we'll, thank you. believe they've been
having a time with the-some disease
or other-I forget what"
81 should think So" exclaimed the
young lady, bestowing on him a re-
proachful glance. Minnie told me
they'd been quarantined for six weeks
with scarlet fever"
"Yes, that was it." affirmed Dick,
absently. He had been cudgeling his
brains to recall the names of the
youngsters he saw but rarely. Fielding
-ahat was One-namesake Of his
uncle, of course.
Fielding is a fine little fellow" he
ventured, with quite an air Of proprie-
torship. "He grows more like me ev-
cry day, they all say"
He was gazing openly into the face
he found more attractive, as he made
this perfectly safe remark. The big,
gray eyes were raised to his; their
owner spoke demurely:
Fielding was a girl, Mr.. Roberts,
when saw her photograph last week."
And then she sat there looking straight
at him, grave as a nun to all appear
ance.
Again he flushed scarlet, his whole
attitude and manner expressive of a
discontinue which i'll accorded with
| the personnel Of so elegant a gentle
man. But he made a gallant struggle.
ITO be sure" he assented, ito be
sure she is, bless her sweet heart !! lou
know" he went on, recovering conf
dence with every syllable, Il find it
the hardest thing in the world to tell
| boys and girls apart in these days
when they dress so much alike. Don't
you ever have trouble, Miss Clover
| dale?"
His manner was impressively conf,
Dental.
Never, Mr.. Roberts, and especially
with Maud's children, for they are all
girls, you know"
1.-THE dickens, they are!" he ejacu-
| lated mentally Heavens what a
mess Why can't we switch on to Rob-
erts? l could talk as straight as a
string about him! But, why, I'm Rob
erts myself Jove! I'll try Frank.
II guess l don't know much about
children. to tell you the truth, Miss
| Cloverdale," he confessed, ingenuously.
"But l know Maud's husband to be
the best fellow in the world. Have
you ever met him?"
mo; but I've heard a great deal of
him from Minnie. He mas one quality
l simply adore IN man, and must
| have in all my man friends, and that
is aightforwardness."
The beautiful clear gray eyes were
again looking straight into his, just as
they had done in the photograph. At
first he returned the glance, but big,
honest fellow that he was, he soon was
unable to meet it, and dropped the
fearless blue eyes which never before
had quailed. Another minute and he
would have blurted out the whole truth
in an agony Of self-condemantion and
embarrassment, but at that Instant the
train official marched in and roared
out his endless enumeration in such
voluminous tones that further speech
was out of the question.
MY train," said Miss Cloyerdale,
rising.
They mingled in the crowd pushing
through the gate. He walked beside her
in silence down the long platform.
When, finally, she was seated in the
car, she said, graciously, giving him
her hand: