The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1908-08-29
An l1npro1rlptu:

by COTTON SPENCE.


Three cheers" cried Kitty Gray
rushing into the morning room, wav-
Ing a letter excitedly in the air.
"Three cheers! They're coming!"
To her surprise three gloomy coun-
tenances greeted her advent.
"Coming!" echoed Eunice, the eld-
est Of the family. "It's just our luck. "
Mary and Isabel nodded their heads
In sad acquiescense.
What on earth is the natter" ex-
claimed Kitty. Il go out Immediately
after breakfast and leave you all in
the best of spirits. l come home at
IL O'Clock and you all look as though
the world had come to an end"
Cooks mother is ill.," Eunice said
in mournful tones, "and she has gone
of at an hours notice. On the top
Of that" =
Good gracious! Is it possible for
still another catastrophe to have
taken place in three short hours"
ut is" Ennice's tones became
sepulchral. The doctor came to
see Sarah and said she was beginning
with ulceration-ordered her away at
once; Mary took her to her own peo-
pie straight away"
What fiasco!" exclaimed Kitty,
with low whistle.
Eunice, as a rule, always reproved
her sister for this unladylike accom-
plishment, but in the family crisis
she let it pass.
And now you come in with the
proverbial last straw" said Isabel.
'You say they're coming"
Kitty rested her chin on her hands
and gazed into space
There must be some way out of
the difficulty" she said.
The others shook their heads
ioubtfully.
What about Mrs. Skue?" suggest
ed Kitty:
"Her legs are bad and she can't
walk"
Bother! Then there is Eliza Ann
Browning"
Eliza Ann has gone to work at
Or. Watson's for a fortnight. It's no
use. Kitty; we've gone over the whole
village. and there isn't soul who
ian come to our relief"
"Oh. why are they coming?"
moaned Isabel. IF only they had
refused. Are they all coming?"
AL Of Them" Kitty assured her,
remorselessly. "Colonel Gerard, Mrs.
Gerard. Miss Gerard, Miss Emily Ger
ard and Mr.. Edward Gerard"
The girls looked at each other in
dismay. Five people to dinner the
next evening, and both their maids
matched away from them at the last
moment.
listen to me-" said Kitty, after a
few minutes silence. There's one
way. and only one. We must do all
the cooking ourselves in the morning,
have things that simply need warm
Ing up at the last moment, pigeon
pies, and that kind of thing. And l
will answer the door and wait at
table"
Your" They gazed at her in as
Even SO. In the first place the
Gerards scarcely know me. Don't
you remember when we first got to
know them in the hotel at Brussels
! was q martyr to toothache? For
three days I was invisible, and then
I only appeared with a swollen face
and shawl carefully arranged over
1t. In the second place I travelled
home with Aunt Jane by a different
route. SO that when you met the ..
Gerards for the second time at Roch-
fort, wasn't with you at all. In the |,
third place. am exactly Sarah's |
height and can wear her black dress !
easily. She won't send for her things
for few days at all events"
The three girls looked at her :
Kitty" said Isabel at last, you're
, brick. I believe we shall manage
gplendidly after all"
Eunice looked doubtful, but finally
gave In. She had a shrewd suspicion
that young Gerard was in love with
her, and was anxious for the evening
10 pass OF well.
Lets 80 and see mother" cried
Kitty. Il know she'll consent"
Mn. Gray had been y great tom !: