The Washington herald., 1908-01-20

late afternoon. but whether late or early,
fate favored him. Esmeralda was al
ways there. now m0ldiug butter with
swift touches Of her deft fingers. now
pulling up tiny marauding weeds from
the thrifty flower beds. And as always,
her talk beginning where IL might ended
with the perpetually fascinating topic oI
the city Again and again he was
forced u describe it for her, while Es-
meraida listened with uHEaggIug atten-
uEeness, but when. To amuse her. DE
talked lightly and cleyeTly of the sum-
mer colony al Berkeley. She paid little
heed. Till he mentioned the flower Cytil-
Hon, and then she was Ike "a child IN
her eageTness.
Would you ike 10 go2T asked Fan
shaw, without waiting 20 consider the
wisdom Of the impulse.
Esmerlila was radiant, though Mrs
Farley was dubious concerning clothes.
Yet when FaushaW rode over next
morning it appeared that the question
had been joyfgily settled and Esmer-
aloa called to him from the upstairs
window that If he would only wait she
and Mrs. Farley would he down. After
q short pause they came Mrs. Farley
first, iu a brown silk dress whose sleeves
and panuieTs had graCed fasli us that
held sway some ten years ago. while
Esmeralda's pale blue cashmere belonged
90 am even earlier period.
They were So inu0ceutly pleased with
what Mrs Farley termed their HXugs"
that H0IIster FansLaw had not the heart
To- protest. He tactfuiIy suggested that
the road to the hotel was long and dusty.
and would work havoc with such hnery.
and that he simple sprigged muslins
that EsmeT Ida wore every day would
do equally as well wheTest Mrs. Farley
merely smiled and produced two long
black b0mbaziDe Cloaks autedatiug even
the brown SILK and blue cashmere. These.
she said. would cover them from head 10
foot so closely that not a spegk of dust
could penetrate.
For a moment Fanshaw weakened He
had a h-etng vision Of these two alb
surdly old-fashioned figures among the
ultra-smaTt crowd az the Hiubrook. Then
his eyes met EsmeraId8' $50 a-sparkle
with anticipation and De inwardIy called
himself a coward and q suob. Whatever
the outward symbol Of dress might DE.
there was not a girl At Hubr0ok who
could compare with this princess OF curds
and cream.
The night Of the dance was clear and
cool A breeze swept across upland and
meadow Even the loquacious Mrs. Far
ley seemed 90 feel the summer silence.
and on the way from the farm to Hill
brook spoke hardly a word. Esmeralda.
too, was quiet. From the folds of her
all-enshrouding black b0mbazine cloak
her neck rose. white and slender. Her
cheeks were family flushed, her eyes like
stars. Never thought Fanshaw, had she
looked more beautiful.
Some people on the broad hotel ve-
rauda paused curiously TO watch the ar-
rival Of follister Faushaw and his guests.
The moment that passed while Mrs.
Farley and Esmeralda removed their
wraps was a miserable one for him. The
world was full Of snobs. Suppose his
dairy divinity should be sighted, patron
lied?
"Jove"' cried a man at Faushaws ell
bow, 7 thought that Miss Van RCmsyn
was at Newport"
Fanshaw stared. There coming toward
him was d princess Of curds and cream
the cream Of white glisteniug satin. the
curds of billowing lace
oh" he gTOaned beneath his breath.
"what an uumitgated fool I've been.
More stupid than the dullest dullard"'
Yes said Miss Van Remsyn. nod
dins, dull enough to prefer the society
Of poor little country girl! Dull enough
10 be chiyalrous, 20 ignore her inexperi-
ence, her ridiculous attempts at dress"
Dull enough to be madly in love with
her, cried Fanshaw, in half savage hope
lesSneSs.
Il shouldn't call that dull" murmured
Miss Van Remsyn, with a humorous up
ward glance.
"Do YOU mean that thercd be a ghost
of a chance for me?" stammcred Fan
shaw, suddenly joyful
"Oh, Hollister, are YOU quite quite
blind?' said Esmeralda the second.
Copyright, 1907, By NJ ~ Cunningham