Bridgeton pioneer., 1907-02-28

but you did look so funnyw She gig
gled again at the recollection.
made no reply in words, but 1 lei
her see that forgave her.
Where did you come from? How
did you get here? Why haven't you
written to me in all these weeks?" l
asked as soon as / felt sure she thor
oughly understood my mental attitude
regarding her.
Mime. Brenner's, New Haven. Skip
ped with the show Saturday night.
Couldn't write. Watched every min.
ute.'' she answered with unwomanly
lucidity and brevity.
Elfrida always was different from
other girls. This was why 1 made
such a fool Of myself over her last
summer after my junior year that the
governor was afraid l never would
stand for the senior grind at Harvard.
Ii he had remembered that / was on
the crew, he wouldn't have been SO
scared. 81 could not love thee, dear, SC
much loved l not honor more" l had
quoted solemnly to Elfrida the night
we said goodby.
That was why she was packed off to
that beast of a Brenner when she
should have been queening it in Al
bany society. She was so original that
when there was no immediate danger
of her ,eloping with me her father was
afraid that she might take up slum-
ming or typing or insist on going to
the Philippines to nurse the soldiers
Brenner had doubtless been apprised
of these contingencies, but apparently
the possibility of Elfrida succumbing
to the ordinary schoolgirl variety Of
stage fever had occurred to no one
Consequently with her power of re-
source it was mere childs play for her
to "break JAIL" as she expressed it,
during the relaxed vigilance of the Sat
urday evening recreation hour and
subsequently to coax her way to the
managers presence. AS far as he was
concerned, to see was to engage. Did
1 mention that Elfrida was a ripping,
tearing beauty? Well, such is the
case, and she confided to me that she
was paying for her own costumes.
"You must go back at once" said
| sternly as soon as we had compared
| notes on the numerous exciting events
| which had occurred since our parting.
"And give up earning my own liv
ing" demanded Elfrida Indignantly,
| can do it?''
you've only been at it two days." !
| remarked, "and as it is the 4th Of the
month L suppose you still have most
| of your allowance"
Instantly 1 saw my mistake. Elfrida
| turned her back on me, and for fully
| two minutes every one of my usual
methods of effecting a reconciliation
| failed utterly. At length a brilliant
| idea came to me.
eff you will leave the company to.
| night, I WILL" I said in the tone of one
making the sacrifice of lifetime.
| Elfrida displayed signs of interest
| She didn't of course know that my en-
gagement, like that of a dozen other
| fellows who were members of the
| queens guard, was only for the cur.
| rent week.
| "You are willing, then, to forego the
! pursuit of the queen?" inquired Ell
| frida, quoting from the play with mock
| intensity. l detected, however, an un-
dercurrent of real anxiety in her voice
and fastened to reassure her.
| Anything that l gave up for your
sake would be the next moment for.
| gotten" replied dramatically.
| She allowed me ito kiss her.
81 will do it," she said after mo-
ment's deliberation. But we will botl
have to forfeit our salaries"
glanced at the clock. 1t was quar-.
ter after 9, and l knew by the noise
outside that the first act was just over
Selling the fourth lady in waiting un
tremendously by the arm, hurried
her down the corridor to the ladies'
dressing room.
| Borrow a long dark coat If you
haven't got one,'' I whispered, "and
pin that fummery under it. 1 will
have a cab here in five minutes, and
| you can get the $40 for New Haven"
She obeyed my directions, and TWEEN
ty minutes later l stood alone on the
station platform disconsolately watch.
Ing the rapidly disappearing train that
was bearing her Brennerwards.
| I got back in time for the third aci
all right, but didn't succeed in meet.
ing Miss Ellsworth after the perform.
ance, nor any other time, for that mat
ter, for l kept my promise and quit
that night.
IN this case, however, virtue me,
with substantial reward, for when
the episode came to the ears of my ia
ther and of Elfrida's they were so i'm
pressed by my mastery handling OF
the situation that they permitted oul
engagement to be announced.
French School Meals.
In some of the rural districts of
IrNnyN ri IN nIN ~,