The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1908-12-03
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Future ss BY :
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wv lxSs Gilmore Z
Copyrighted. 1908. by Associated
Literary Press.

e. i'A'ldIy IifSS. .
.:1::::c1.
The judge fingered the dainty note
refiectIvely. narrowed his keen gray
eyes. breatbed q little faster-and star
tied himself by b~lushing. Yet the con
tents OF the missive were very simple,
very commonplace and ran as follows.
Pecan Grove. Oct. 20.
My Dear Judge-Billy is very anxious
to have you run down for the week end
and has asked me 10 write and urge you
10 come.
There Is to be quite a folly crowd-abou
\ dozen OF us-and We are going TO wind
up with a big Halloween ball Saturday
evening. the 3lst.
Come and learn who is to be your fu.
ture wife. With best wishes.
DIANA lands.
Judge Underwood was abruptly con.
scious OF a vain and frivolous desire
To be young again. He even took out
BIS pocket mirror and studied his re-
Election critically, noting the little fur
rows between his straight black
brows with an apprchensive heart.
Would Miss Lands have written so
cordially had she dreamed Of the reck-
less tide Of emotions surglng within
him al the bare sight Of her well re
membered little scra wi? Would she
have written at all? lie thought not
for Diana was hut nineteen. and he
was lowering very close to forty,
Ten years ago he had taught her the
three RS In the village school ut Pecan
Grove, and five years ago she had been
the first to discover the half dozen sill.
yer hairs that had since grown into
the little luft of gray above his left
temple.
Slill. he could no more control the
FEELINGS that ohScSScd him than he
could c'ip cf the years that stood be
VITA an %iHlpulsivc hand he seized "
pen from the rack and dashed down
his answer:
New YORK, oct. q.
en-, ,"o ,,a '",' -" uN'l",.o
you may 10 sure I shan cnloy taL,ng -:
wc't or d."u at the Grove.
nc Pc b,.' OF i'diAi q me p''.'''
ticjnotfon NJ tho Wei, &c ON, ho.i,,t
to need ballast very badly. S.~rcee,g
yours Il" II. UNDERWOOD.
As soon rs he had dispatched hi; 1T
ter the Judge thrust aside the cla...g.
Ing pile of briefs on his desk. pirEc.
up his hat ANA hurried down to mi,
tailors.
When Informed by his sariorill e.
cellency that the pearl gray. just CON
pleted, made him look like Il boy tAe
judge was again so foolish as TO allow
his lace to grow red. but he merely
scowled In reply and ordered the suit
sent to his rooms at once.
The next morning at 8 he left on his
journey. reaching Pecan Grove ut 3 il
the afternoon. Billy Lands was at The
station with II smar little trap. am
they had an celebrating two mile spin
through the hectic autumn woods.
The Judge longed to ask some ques.
tons about Diana, but kept c~raftily
silent. hoping that Billy would present
ly volunteer Il little Information.
And after ~thrashing out every Other
subject under the sun-so 1t seemed to
his guest-Billy finally remarked: 1--WE
nave six GirlS-angels, all of them-and
six of the opposite variety Of brute, n.
Guiding you and myself. Di has plan
ned no end of thrilling stunts for every
day In the week. she and Teddy Car
st IRIS.
The Judge felt his heart drop Ike n
leaden plummet, but he forced him
self to say. matter of factly: IL don't
think ever heard OF the name down
here. Is he
"Of course you didn't" i%nterposed
Billy quickly. They're a nice Eng,
lish family who have leased the add
Joining plantation. Teddy Is the old
est boy. He's Il brick too"
Judge Underwood was keeniy con
scious OF n desire to Kick himself clear
back to New York. Why ever bad he
succumbed id~iotically to the tempta-
o or me moment In allowing himself
TO be mveislcd down here? He had
permitted himself to be made a fool of
by a girls offer or friendly hospitality.
by a tailor's stupid drivel. by his own
arrant imbecility.
Dat ~ - -