Mexico Missouri message., 1909-11-11

"She is calm, / grant you, but bish-
ops wife should be calm. No, really,
since your brother wouldn't have me,
don't know where he could have
done better Besides, she's prodigious-
ly rich, you know. What You didn't
know? Oh, yes, immensely so. My
poor little dot looks small beside hers.
She doesn't talk about It, but
Does she talk about anything?" /
inquired.
Mrs. Dimes shot me an amused
glance over her friends head
SILENCE is an excellent qualification
for bishops wife, I'm sure, Mr.. Twin.
ing; then she isn't always getting her
self and the diocese into trouble.
Now, see here, Henrietta, considering
her looks and her reserve and her
money, surely you might forgive her
for letting your brother run off with
her"
IT'S very good of you to try to
cheer me up" Miss Winstanley re.
sponded, vaguely.
And it's downright foolish of you
to hold out against so beautiful an ar
rangement To my mind this is as
! admirable match all round as have
known of in a very long time. So do
cheer up and be glad. Don't you
agree with me, Mr.. Twining?"
Most heartily, as Miss Winstanley
knows" said !.
That little lady was not, however,
ready to yield herself at once to the
sudden situation.
"To run away" she moaned; "at
Charles age!"
But don't you see that it's a great
compliment to me?" smiled Mrs.
Dimes. Let me get that much out of
| it, won't you? 1t shows how much
confidence he has in my getting what
want. You see, he didn't know
what brought me to America, and, fol
| lowing on the heels of my proposal to
him, it really seemed, you know, that
was coming to marry him, whether
/ or no. You can see for yourself how
the poor dear man must have felt.
Did he imagine, l wonder, that if
| everything else failed / should kidnap
him? Well, l forgive him even that.
And l want you to forgive him, Hen
| rietta. You must. That's good
sensible sister. And now it's quite
time we came back to our mutton
Tell the man to drive us 20 the Hem
ingrays', will you, Mr.. Twining? If
you don't feel up to going in, Hen
rietta, I'll go alone, but one of us
must certainly see Barbara at once"
Then you may let me down at the
Fifteenth street corner of the
Square" said l. 'Ill get along back
to the Office"
AS the carriage stopped, Miss Win
stanley bent forward, looking eagerly
after a fast-disappearing figure.
Isn't that DAM" she cried. Can
you overtake him? He is the one to
take her the word"
l sprang out and caught up with
him within the block although he was
swinging along at an uncomfortably
brisk gait.
"On your way to the house, are
your" he asked when he saw me. 1T
must be pretty nearly time for the
wedding. l was afraid l couldn't
make 1t in time. but l caught a flyer
within the hour after had Barbara's
message"
Miss WinstanIey wants you"
said, nodding to the carriage that had
turned and was bringing up to the
! curb.
He was surprised to see Mrs. Dimes,
and greeted her with a boyish affec.
ton that must have warmed her heart.
All on the way to the wedding?"
he inquired after he had shaken
hands.
There is to be no wedding, Dan,"
Miss Winstanley said, gently.
He had paled before she could ex.
plain.
"Nothing's wrong with Barbara"
he asked, quickly.
No, no; everything is just coming
right for her. Get in"-with a glance
toward the coachman I'VE are driv-
ing to the house now, and Mrs. Dimes
will explain to you. Then you must
tell Barbara what is to be told. Well
walt outside, and If she wants us wen
come right in. II not you must tell
u.s. and we'll go away again. Don't
you-will you"
IT must tell you good-by." l said
AS l started of across the Square,
Miss Winstanley called after me that
she would send for me later in the
day.
But was too impatient to await her
summons, and four o'clock found me
at her door. AS l turned in at the
steps, the door opened and Dan came
out, hurrying down and stopping at
sight of me to wiring my hand. He
was beaming. had not seen him so
much like his old self in months. and
1t did my heart good Somehow it
also seemed to presage we'll for me.
All his buoyancy had returned, and
he was once more the charming, ir.
resistible fellow we all loved.
(TO BE CoNCLUDED)
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