The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1907-11-02

I amy CfleC, ana ctuUg 10 uSE StTaliS
er. who did not appear a bit s5rry
that the accident had happened He
conferred the young girl, and drew
her down on his shoulder to finish hey
crying, and took off her hat so that il
would not be crushed-it was Paris
hat-and wound her soft, white
cloud" over her cllrls in such deli
cate and skilful way.
All, we'll. Fanny had lost her heart
to him before the crash and now she
was completely subjected.
After all, it was very delightful
| night. Fanny dozed little, and her
stranger sat beside her and kept her
wrapped up. The other men in the
| car swore over the vile situation they
were in. and occasionally went out on
the platform to smoke cigars; and the
women fretted, and the two babies
who were along squalled at intervals
! all night: but none of this disturbed
| Fanny Shawmut.
In the morning aid came-an extra
| train, with a snowplow attached. and
| els. and baskets Of provisions. The
stranger secured all the incest things
| for Fanny, and she had never enjoyed
anything before as she enjoyed these
sandwiches and seed cakes.
But everything delightful must have
an end, and in due time the train WAS
put on the track, and Derby was
reached.
The stranger put Fanny in a cab,
and went with her to Cousin Bentley's.
and asked permission to call en- her.
and 50 they parted. He had rot
thought to ask her name, neither had
she thought to ask his.
The next day Cousin Martha received
Aunt Hildred's letter, and that eve
ming, when Fanny's stranger called.
oddly enough. Cousin Martha herself
opened the door for him. and took his
card Then she showed him into the
parlOr, and followed him in. and shut
the door behind her, and stayed there
talking with him full 20 minutes be-
fore she called Fanny.
The stranger was introduced as Mr..
Fort, which Fanny thought very sim
Gular name. But then, after all,
whats in a Nance
Of course. they had a very delightful
evening. which was but the beginning
Of series of delightful evenings.
Mr. Forts heart held out just
fortnight and then he told his love in
words too glowing for the cold point
of our cynical pen to write, and the
two young people did Il very desperate
thing-they engaged themselves. and
set the wedding day Just one month
ahead
Fanny wrote her aunt very graph
ic account OF the whole affair, dwell
ing on Mr. Forts kindness and devo-
ton during the snowstoYm, and end
ing with saying that her love" was
so far in advance of that odious Earle
Rochefort in all the virtues and Graces,
that she was sure Aunt Hildred would
be delighted that her disobedient but
ever-lovipg niece did not stay at home
and marry that California bear
When Aunt Hildred read the letter,
she laughed till the tears came and
dimmed her spectacles, and she Rugged
the cat. and shook hands with Betty
the cook, and then proved herself a
true woman, and in her right mind,
by overturning her wardrobe to see if
she had any dress suitable to wear at
the wedding
Fanny came back to Elmwood just
a week previous to this important
event, and Mrs. Ames' house was
turned upside down with the grand
preparations. Fanny declared she
hoped that abominable Rochefort
wouldn't put in an appearance at tho
wedding for she knew she couldn't
be decently polite to him; and thereat
Aunt Hildred would go off into such
commissions of laughter that Fanny
began to look serious, for she was GER
tainly afraid her aunt's brain was soft
ening. So many brains did soften
nowadays.
The wedding dress and veil were
splendid. and Fanny looked like an an
gel in them. Just about five minutes
before the time set for the perform
ance of the ceremony the bridegroom
was announced.
But what was Fanny's amazement /
to see Aunt Hildred rush up to him,
throw her arms around his neck and
call him her dear Earle" and tell
him how glad she was to see him back
And then Aunt Hildred led him tow
ard the bride, and making a low obeis- .
ance, went through with the ceremony
Of an introduction
Miss Fanny Shawmut. allow me tc
have the Measure OF presenting to Won