The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-09-24

at West Point IN making any number
Of sham proposals. when II came to the
real thing | was ready TO sojer with
the most backward man 10 the army.
l put the matter on till the dinner
have mentioned came round. when. sit
ting at table. ! was handed tele.
graphic order direct from Washington
to SAT- on a ship leaving the next morn
ing for Manila.
II read the dispatch 10 the company.
and Of course II created a 6utter 10 the
breast Of Miss Cbatterton. distinctly
visible on her couutenance. Here was
ordered away, and the expected pro-
posal had not been made Mrs Chat
terton, who was dead set for the match,
as soon as coffee was served said that
II I didn't care TO smoke | might join
the ladies in the library. | knew
very we'll that by the ladies' she
meant Margery, and said that
would Join them as soon as 1 had
drunk my coffee.
Il would have left the dining room
with them had It not been for the fact
that sitting so long IN one position. my
feet had become swollen. and the in
elastic patent leather bad held them as
10 a wise ! had slipped on the shoe
that hurt me most and when the
ladies' arose from the table / rose. too,
and stood In one shoe The general
and the adiutant. who was OF the
party. remained. and when the ladies'
had gone felt with my feeu under
the table for the missing shoe | could
not find It. While / was trying the
general said TO his adjutant We must
settle Swlnton's case before sou 70.
and TO me- 1 trust you'll excuse rs.
captain. We've got 40 important mat
ter Oh hand That we must tackle.
Il was mighty gled 70 excuse them.
and as soon as they were gone got
down under the table to hunt for the
shoe While | was there the door
opened. and ! heard Miss Chatterton
exclaim:
"'WeH, I decIareP
II put It TO You as q man. could I
crawl out from under the table and
IN one shoe face the girl who was
awaiting my proposalg knew very
well that hearing the men 20 out. she
had come fl TO SIT with me while /
slipped my coffee. intending then to
guide me to q place where we would
be alone together lay still as a
mouse for a moment when | heard the
dining room door close and knew that
J was agaiR alone.
1T was evident to me TINT ! must
lore no time Ia getting my shoe. end
Miss Chatterton and give her a salts
factory explanation ais to where had
been when she had entered the dining
room. But ia the first place couldn't
end the shoe. aud ia the second I
couldn't invent an excuse 1t occurred
to me that II could get away unde-
tected would have a whole night to
make up plausible story, return in
the morning before sailing. account
for my conduct and do the job A
window opened on to the veranda,
and"
''Why IN the world didn't you walk
right into the presence Of the girl and
tell her the whole story"
why don't you say something
don't know? I've asked myself that
question million times since"
''Why didn't you 90 back the next
"shlp sailed two hours ahead of
time. The only thing I've been able
10 do since has been to let the matter
70 BY default But how do Won know
! didn't 20 back7 And what's the
nessage you have for me?n
'sWeil, at Manila you told the story
10 Jones OF the Eighteenth , Jones
-oId his wife. his wife told mine. and
mine. who is a bosom friend Of Miss
told her, Miss Chatterton
old my wife she'd never marry any
nan hut yon That's the message"
"shake. old mani I'm attend to the
natter at once"