The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-12-07
A 6'tOenfY-four
Hour Romance.
Icopyright. 100. by n &. Meclure. !

that she had romance IN her soul, but
II would be ungallant 10 add that she
was in the matrimonial market aud
had been ever since she arrived at the
age Of twenty. She had simply wait
cd, She could AFFORD 70 wait and per.
sisted In giving her age as twentyAtye
right along and making herself be.
lieYe that time was standing still on
her account.
Miss Sarah was feeling IN this sc.
rene and optimistic mood when she
was invited by friends 10 be their
guest at a summer hotel on the banks
Of a lake. They didn't consult her ro-
nance as much as their own interest.
They had two children and a dog, and
they figured on making the old maid
work for her board and lodgings She
fell into the trap. but not 70 her detri-
ment. One Of the male guests Of the
hotel, who might not have noticed her
in any other walk, saw her as nurse
and dag guardian and made advances.
This spest was darlly supposed to be
an actOr-an actor who played great
parts aud made a great success Of his
job, but who was there incog. and
wished 70 remain SO. The other guests
were respecting this wish. but follow
ing him about with bated breath.
Actors sometimes get queer notions
into their heads. and Mr. Melnotte got
one into his. II was that Miss Sarah
would make the greatest juliet he
ever saw on the stage. She had the
form, the voice, the eyes, the nose,
the chin and the toes. All that was
lacking were cash and a manager and
the removal OF just one tiny doubt-a
doubt no larger than the head ef a
brass pin. Did She have the neces.
sary romanee7 If she did, then all
was well; II she didn't, then alas II
has been stated that Miss Sarah did
have romance and dotted on it, but the
next thing was TO prove It to the actor
She took two days TO cogitate and then
went ahead The hotel was surround
ed by woods on three sides. One
morning Miss Sarah left the whlmper-
ing dog aud the bowling children be-
hind and started for the green wood
and was soon lost TO sight She
would be missed, searched for, found
and be talked Of as romantic.
Miss Sarah was missed. The idea
was that she had been drowned More
than half the guests turned out to drag
the bottom Of the lake. The actor was
not one Of them. Coincldent with the
alarm he had been told by fat won
an that Miss Sarah hadn't a dollar to
her name
One woman asserted her belief that
the missing female had eloped with a
tin peddler that had been seen driving
past the hotel at an early morning
hour, and IN her excitement another
woman said that any young lady that .
would leave dog and two children to /
weep and wall by themselves should be +
severely dealt with on her return. dead /
or alive. These opinions were express.
ed to the actor for the purpose Of \
drawing him out, but be refused to be .
drawn. He had just sat down to a .
mint julep with two straws in It, and /
why very?
Miss Sarah had entered the wood .
with her heart afame with romance. /
She hustled her way along FOR half a
mile and then halted for the actor to
arrive at the head Of a rescuing party.
He didn't arrive. She waited for an
hour ard then started to walk back
Her feelings we're hurt and she lost
the points Of the compass and became
lost for good. When she discovered
this fact she called and screamed, but
only the chipmunks and the Woodpeck.
ers answered. She ran this way and
stumbled over roots She ran that way
and went splashing into creek
There was romance in the greenwood,
but it was farther on All that long,
long day Miss Sarah was lost in the
depths.
1t was almost sundown when her good
genius finally guided her to a clear
ing with log cabin III the midst Of it
Seated at the door OF the cabin was
middle aged man in homespun. He
rose up and addressed her as marin"
and wanted to know all about it. When
he had been told he declared that IL
was the romantcist thing he had ever
heard Of. In her wanderings she had
walked seven miles She had escaped
bears and "Injuns" and wildcats, and Il
she wasn't what they called heroins
then he didn't know turnip from q
"tater bug
Miss Sarah was tired, and she rested
She was hungry, and he fed her on
pudding and milk. She wanted TO get
back to the hotel and enjoy her tri
umph, and he yoled up his oxen tt ]
the lumber wagon and drove her there
through the moonlight. The guests
saw her coming and got ready to re.
ceive her. There was icy frigidity :
There was q general attitude OF doubt $
and suspicion There were sneers al !
romance. When the Inundated and
embarrassed maiden looked at the {
actor in an appealing way he turned !
his head aside and made it very plain
that she would never prance around
behind the footlights with his conniv !
ance. The farmer had waited for the /
heroics, and he saw that there were 4
none coming to her He saw her T
crushed instead, and be stepped for 7
ward and touched her on the arm and !
said:
"say, gal. they don't pear TO eppre'
riate heroines here. Come and be my
heroine III drive over agin tomor 4
row for your answer" &