The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-03-13
A Letter r-Writer'S
BIunder.
By JAMES C. HlLlWELl.

you. What shall YOU do? or course,
know that you arc not presentablc;
how could you be, while engaged IN
washing windows? But he seems so
anxious to SEQ you. could not say
no. There! I've dropped his card
somewhere. Well. no matter. But
II you viii. Dolly-just step In and
speak to him"
Aunt Jane paused TO take breath.
There was timid uuaver. u half de-
precatory tone IN her voice, too, as
though she knew that she was asking
n great deal. but had still resolved
to do her duty courageously.
The room mt whose open door she
was standlng--the best In the old
fashioned farmhouse nesting among
the Pontiac Ilills-looked at present
as though no power could set Il
straight again. II was 80 provoking!
Her pretty niece. Dolly Thorpe, from
the metropolis, had come to spend
the summer with Aunt Jane: and
hardly was she comfortably settled
when telegram had arrived from
Dolly's father requesting Aunt Jane
to receive, for few weeks, par
ucuar friend OF his own, who wished
TO try the effect of the fresh air
upon somewhat delicate consttu-
tion.
The telegram had been received the
day previous, and. Just ut that par
ticular juncture. Aunt James one SER
want had given notice. and taken her
departure. There was no help for
II. The work must be done somehow,
and the best room put In readiness
for the expected guest.
Dolly Thorpe was standing upon n
stepladder IN the CHEEKY apartment
known as "the spare room" busily
engaged In cleaning the windows.
She was n pretty girl, with rogulsh
brown eyes, and mass of curly
black hair. She had been interrupt
ed In her work several times already
that morning, and this last summons
seemed the one drop too much for
her overlooking cup of vexations.
Each demand upon her time and
patience Dolly had met and faced
bravely, for Aunt Jane was just re-
covering from n serious illness, and
was hardly able to get about the
house. Tomorrow the new servant
would come, and Dolly would be
freed from her arduous duties.
In the meantime the expected
guest, whose name her father had
not taken the trouble to mention,
being simply referred to in Mr..
Thorpe's telegram as "a friend of
m!ne"-they knew not whether the
expected guest was male or female
was liable at any moment to drop
In upon them.
All this time Dolly had been stand
Ing upon the stepladder, gaping down
Into Aunt James appealing face. with
intense dlsmay upon her own, and a
piece of chamois in her hand. She
wore q blue calico gown. tied up
above a pair Of little feet In not alto
gether irreproachable slippers; q
pink cap surmounted her curly head.
Yet she was simply charming,
thought Aunt Jane
Just step down a minute, dear"
pleaded that individual, meekly.
Sitting an inward groan, Dolly
turned round, but catching the skirt
of her gown upon the ladder as she
did so, she was left for brief space
suspended like Mahomet's coffin. The
bucket of soapsuds upon the top of
the stepladder grew uneasy, and
came down to see what was the mat
ter; and the scene that followed can
be better imagined than described.
In the midst of the excitement,
while Dolly was struggling with the
refractory stepladder, which had sud-
denly collapsed, converting the bare
hoor into miniature lake, in which
to use her own expression, she was
getting along swimmingly," a tall
form appeared in the open doorway,
q pair of merry gray eyes took ir the
scene, and a musical voice, struggling
hard to stifle burst of laughter
asked sweetly:
"Can l be of any assistance
Why!" in mock astonishment, "if II
isn't Dolly Thorpe."
"Jack!" with a shrill little Shrek
of dismay. Eyes, 1t is I. How dc
you like my get-up? Aunt James
servant has taken French leave;
somebody had to do this
Was it really necessary that all
this should be done?" asked Jack
Bentley, with lurking mischief in his
voice.
Dolly fiared up in an instant. How
dare he laugh at her?
"You know what I mean. Jus,
lift that side of the stepladder, Jack
and be quiet. There! Thanks aw
fully. l shall get out of it somehow
/ feel like the immortal youth wht
stood on the burning deck Jack!'
suddenly emerging from the genera
confusion. and holding out two whit,
hands in greeting, her bright eyei
shining like stars, "I'm so glad to SCI
you. Did you drop down from tn,
skies? What brought you here?"