The Elbert County tribune., 1908-09-03

every imaginable luxury was provided.
After little interchange OF pleas.
antries in the spacious hall our black
haired friend raised her voice In a
stentorian shout, In answer to which
brisk, elderly lady came down the
mahogany stairs and welcomed us
cordially. She was introduced as "our
aunt and chaperon, Mrs. Armistead," !"
amid peals of laughter from the girls,
although we couldn't see any Joke We
then went to our rooms, which con-
tanned everything we could possibly
have desired, and when we CAME down
to dinner the footman told us that
Mrs. Armistead and the young ladies
were awaiting us in the drawing room.
We crossed the hall. and when the
heavy curtains that separated It from
the huge drawing room were lifted to
admit us. we saw at least 20 girls
ranging in age from is to 23, standing
or sitting around the room in attitudes
o. expectancy. | found out later that
there were really only six of them. but,
at the time, there looked to be &c.
They were all pretty. all wore evening
dress, and all were talking at once:
but as Vincent and l entered they
stopped and Mrs. Armistead came for
ward and presented us to the three
girls we had not yet seen.
The first of the new three, Agatha
Fourth. as Vincent and l called her
later. was tall and very fair, with won
dertul blue eyes and beautiful figure.
That our bewilderment and astonish-
ment increased when she also was pre-
sented to us as the Honorable Agatha
Wyckhoff may be easily understood.
The next one had light-brown hair
with gold lights In 1t and her eyes
were golden hazel AS she, too, was
introduced as the Honorable Wyckhof
bowed mechanically. as did Vincent,
not daring to trust myself to utter a
word or repeat the name. Then, turn.
ing from Agatha Fifth, we met the
Honorable Agatha Sixth and last, and
l thought she was the prettiest of all.
Delicate and small she was. but every
inch an aristocrat from her small
charming head to her dainty little feet
Her eyes were dark brown, her com
plexion clear olive. and her hair
straight and soft and jet black. | took
to her at once, though I thought she
looked rather sarcastic.
The introductions over, we went in
to dinner, and such meal as that
was! At one end of the table sat
Mrs. Armistead. while sat at the 9TH
er. Agatha First sat on Mrs. Armi-
stead's right, next to her sat Vincent,
and next to him, Agatha Fourth-the
q q oir-h mi hna arfu do
scribed them at length so that 1t Is
not difficult to keep them apart. Next
to her. on my left, sat the plump little
girl with the blue eyes. Agatha Third.
Then on my right-oh, fortunate mel
sat my little lady aristocrat Agatha
Sixth, and next to her Agatha Second
her unruly brown curls somewkSe
subdued, and looking very fetching in
a costume of pink and white. l should
have thought that these girls we're
American had I not had reason to be-
lieve that they were English: there
was that breezy simplicity and becom-
ingness about their gowns which
seems to be distinctly American.
But have omitted from my cate
CORY Agatha Fifth. the Agatha Of the
hazel eyes. I will not now take time
to do justice to her many charms, but
shall do so later for reasons which will
soon appear. Mrs. Armistead's sec
retary. who came in late and slipped
into the seat at Mrs. Armistead's left,
completed the number of persons at
the table. She was quiet young woman
dressed in severely simple gown of
gray. and her hair. which was done
very plainly, was distinctly red in
color. Mrs. Armistead introduced her
to us as her secretary, Miss Marsh.
(rO RE CONTINUED)