The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1907-09-07
.FRANCESCA'S
ANSWER
=. By CARROLL WATSON RANKIN.
copyright, by Joseph 3. BoWles.)

Aoooooooooooo oooooooooepo
Copyright, by Joseph 3. Bowles.)
Let me see,' said Francesca, count
ing on the prettiest of fingers, docs
that make Is, or 29?"
"Twenty-nine what?" asked bewil-
dered Bob.
"Twenty-nine proposals. said Fran
cesca, showing dimple. Francesca's
Gimples were sight worth seeing.
"Have 80 men proposed to you?"
demanded Bob, with indignation writ
ten upon every feature.
"You flatter me, Bobbie, but no such
luck. I've been singularly unfortunate
in the matter of declarations, when
one takes all my charms into consider
alton. You'll admit l have charms,
won't you, Bob?"
| Eyes, I'll admit that More than
your share into the bargain. But
about those proposals?"
'Just this: One man, Mr.. Robert
Wharton, by name, has offered me his
hand and heart % or 20 times-1 really
can't remember which"
/
lieved, E'is that all?"
"All?" mimicked the girl. Isn't
that enough? Twenty-Five times in
three weeks! At first, you know,
used to write them all down in my
diary. Then I made ditto marks. FL
nally I left it out altogether, it got so
monotonous. If you would just change
the form
perhaps 1 would better stop alto
gether. You don't appear to appreci-
ate your blessings"
WELL" said Francesca, smiling de-
murely, lit would be more exciting, I
confess, to have some one else do it
for a change Dr. Marsh, for instance,
or Mr.. Skagg. Skagg is such lovely
name. I should love to be Mrs. Hora-
ito P. Skagg. Think how we'll it would
look on my cards"
"Well," said Wharton, stif1y, you
may be Mrs. Skagg, for all I care
What" queried his tormenter,
clasping her pretty hands, has it
come to this? Wouldn't you truly
care?'
"No, I wouldn't. I'm just as tired of
proposing to you as you are of having
me do it. I'll never trouble you again. -
"Oh, what rash threat! You know
you'll do it tomorrow; but shall GER
tainly smile upon Mr.. Skagg."
"Then I'll devote myself to Miss
Marshall I may even propose to her. "
"Just from force of habit, suppose.
You should certainly be able to do it
to perfection by this time. You've GER
tainly had great deal of practice"
MAY have this waltz"
Wharton and Francesca, in the dark
corner of the veranda, started violent.
ly.
ooh, certainly, Mr.. Skagg," said
Francesca, with much emphasis and
rising hastily. Nothing would give
me greater pleasure"
"Confound it! She needn't have told
him so,' grumbled Wharton. Hes
conceited enough as it is.''
Ten minutes later, Bob was dancing
with Miss Marshall, to whom he de-
voted himself, without intermission,
through five dances, while Francesca
was deep in a Irritation of equal length
with delighted Mr.. Skagg. Wharton
could see glimmer of white, which he
knew to be. Francesca's gown, at the
end of the long veranda; Francesca
could see at the other end another
CLEAN of white, which, she surmised
was Miss Marshall.
Mr.. Skagg was in the seventh
heaven of delight, Miss Marshall was
almost as happy, Francesca was yawn
ing behind her fan, and Bob was
struggling with a mad desire to rush
to the opposite end of the veranda tc
j. strangle Mr.. Skagg, when the guests
were summoned to the dining room.
I AS the merry throng trooped into
J, the spacious, oak-paneled room, Fran
, cesca, in passing the candle-lighted
, table, happened in some way to brush
carelessly against one of the unshaded
lights.
In an instant her light organdy
sleeve was ablaze. In another second
| she was enveloped in writhing flames
The horror-stricken guests were spell
| bound, and for a long moment no one
moved.
: With a smothered exclamation
, Wharton tore off his coat, and spring
; ing over all intervening objects
} wrapped the garment about Francesca
whose eyes were wide with terror. He
) seized her by the shoulders and, with
out ceremony, pushed her to the floor
and rolled her back and forth upon the
dusty rug, crushing out the creeping
! flames with his naked hands. Then in
} spite of his smarting, blistered palms
: and Francesca's half-indignant pro
tests, he carried her to the library
couch, where she lay sobbing with
fright and pain. =:
Bob, regardless of his own burns
made fruitless efforts to soothe Fran
! cesca, who was angry as well as fright
ened. Bob, she thought, needn't have
handled her with such unnecessary