The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1906-06-21
Substitution
And Weddings
By Martha
mcCulloch-W Williams
Copyright, 1906. Jy ". r. CaIdueu


deep green footprints athwart the dew
grayed grass. The line was blotched
here and there where she had stopped
and half turned about, but from the
last and lightest of the blotches it ran
straight to the wicket gate in the
ke. The path to the gate led around.
dssl~oSt under the library windows
Therefore she had avoided it. She did
not want to be spied upon, and, though
the library commonly was empty until
long after sunrise, she had come to be-
lieye there was no counting on where
Miss Prudence Weir would be at any
special hour.
The wicket gave upon a lane shady
and secluded yet a public passway
Notwithstanding both sides of it be-
longed to Elzabeth's uncle, Dan He
had been trying to close it ever since
he bought the old Mears place, but his
rustic neghbors had held stoutly to
their right of way. SO the young man
walking slowly along the lane was no
trespasser, albeit he walked warily,
keeping close to the hedge. Elizabeth
smiled shamelessly to see him. Now
that she had really brought herself to
a clandestine meeting she was all in a
happy nutter and amazed at her own
heSitancy.
Yet she said smiling up at her tall
sweetheart: You must go right back,
Billy-must. Do you hear? Miss Pru-
dence Weir sleeps with both ears and
one eye open. Besides, she gets up
early more than half the time. And
you know she can make Dandy believe
anything in the world, except that he
ought to marry her"
Him. That's a pity! Skepticism
on any other point would be less in
convenient" Billy Medwin painted,
hurrying Elizabeth along the lane to-
ward the woods beyond the main tray
eled road. 1t was not at all the way
he should go to so home, but some
how Elizabeth made no protest.
Soon they We're walking through dew
sweet shade, with birds singing thin
and sweet above their heads. And
presently Billy had his arms about
lips in her hair: 'Honey girl, I've been
thinking-hard. Miss Weir is the lion
in our path, and there's just one way
to get round her
'What?" Elizabeth interrupted. lift
ing her head a little. Billy looked up
among the leaves and colored family
as he answered: ooh, we must show
Dandy how deceitful she is. She's
made him believe it would be sin to
let me have You. Don't YOU think it
would shake his faith in her if he
knew she was willing to take me her
self"
BILLY" Elizabeth exploded, shaking
, laughter, you wouldn't dare pro-
poe to her. Can you live through a
breach of promise suit? If only you
could do it. But you never in the
world can"
'Sure you won't be jealous" Billy
asked, pinching her ear.
She made face at him as she an
swered; Just you try it. Why, even
if the worst happened-if you got tan
gled past getting out should have at
least the Savenly satisfaction of know
ing she had showed herself to Dandy
the cat she is"
Trust me not to get tangled" Billy
protested. What else he said is not
strictly material to this narrative, al
though it sent Elizabeth home at last
with happy eyes and the color of a
wild rose.
Outlines fortune favors the daring.
The execution began with his rescue
of the pudgy Miss Weir from a run
away that was not in the least dan
gerous, but which gave her mortal
scare. OF course he went back with
her to the gate, stopping there to eX-
plain deliberately that he had some
how incurred the displeasure of Mr..
Daniel GoodwOod and been forbidden
the premises. That, of course, gave
him excuse to ask if he might inquire
by letter after Miss Weir's health.
One letter quickly and easily bred an
other, and from writing it was but a
step to meeting, either in the lane or in
the wood beyond and talking of many
things.
Miss Weir was rising thirty, Just five
years Billy's elder, but so light colored
and plump she flattered herself it look
ed the other way. She loved ease and
conseQuence-witness that for five
years past she had been trying deli
cately to marry Uncle Dandy. She had
only succeeded in becoming after a
Tort his social watchdog.
He had a great opinion of Elizabeth,
his heiress, and wanted to match her
well if she was to be matched at all.
Miss Weir had about lost hope of I'm
Gle Dandy when Billy came on the
scene. Billy knew pretty we'll all there
was to know of lOyemaking. This time
he chose to make it in hypothetical
fashion. He began impersonally by de-
scribing a young fellow who had set
his eyes and heart upon one so far
above his dessert he had become quite
hopeless of winning her and had de-
scended to trihing with mere ordinary
gFAs by way Of filing an aching void.
he pictured the lady. Her eyes
were heaven blue, her skin all lily and
rose, her hair like spun sunshine, her
voice flute. But that was as nothing
beside her lOfter charms-her soul, her