Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-04-15

wildly. 1t seemed long before she turned
her face to his with the sWe et smile that
had so often charmed him.
Raymond, I-think-I-Iove you, bui
| must not say more tonight. Il is mol
best to speak the word that might mean
our eternal happiness or blight both our
lives under the spell of this hour. an
not quite myself at this time. Toe
much has happened. 1 am weak and
nervous, now that this strain is over.
But promise me one thing, Ray"
neutrality-suspicious."
"That you will leave no stone unturned
to save the life OF Wilkie Reynolds. The
moan of that stricken woman sounds vet
in my ears. have set my heart upon it.
You can do much to make us all happy. y
"PlI do my best. 1t will be hard
struggle. And il succeed, may renew
my plea of tonight?"
Eyes"
"Wal, next week is Ladies' week, /" an
nounced Jed on his next trip home.
'Yew'Il hev tew put on yewr best bib an
tucker an come back with me Monday,
Edna"
sob, l s'pose SO. Dear mel l dread
IL VI EItGn mana like me.
with freckled face and rough skin, a.
prancin' areound with yewr fine ladies.
1 know we'u be the laughin' stock OF the
whole crowd and prob'ly We'll git in the
papers by some OF oeur clownishness. n
"0h, guess not. find 1 hain't th'
only green one up there. An the more I
rub up against greatness TIL less it scares
me. Folks are pootty much all alike, aft
/ er all, - replied Jed
In fact, Mrs. Alden, when attired in
her becoming rig, was no discredit to her
] spouse, and he played the gallant SO ear
nestly, in spite of his clumsiness, that
Edna quite forgot her embarrassment be-
fore she had reached the capital The
new experience proved most interesting
to her, and she even ceased to worry lest
the chickens shouldn't be fed or the sep
arator washed just as she would have
/ done it. Jed showed her the sights Of
/ the capital, as they strolled about. and
took pride in presenting her to his new
acquaintance. She attended the daily
sessions of the House, and enjoyed being
escorted in stste to a seat on the platform
/ by the polite doorkeepers as much as any
woman does under like conditions. Nor
did the feminine trait of studying the
costumes OF the more devoted disciples Of
fashion to her right and left desert her
II she missed some points in the general
debates, she could report in Kingston
what Mrs. Granger and Mrs. Knowles
and Mrs. Annis wore, and that was a
great deaf more important to her friends
at home.
Mrs. Alden, being rather common and
inconspicuous, missed invitations to the
almost endless chain of teas and recep-
tions given by the super-elite at the CAPT
tai, but this didn't trouble her.
~ s'pose I might git an invite fer We
tew tn Daughters OF tn Revvylution
rackit, sein's yewr great-granddaddy fit
at Bunker Hill, said Jed, awaiting her
answer to determine his action.
"Oh, never mind. Them blew-bIoods
won't miss me. Most on 'em git in,
guess, on the strength of relatives that
they wouldn't care to keep over night il
I they was alive now and reound visitin'
| don't think much of this pedigree aris-
tocracy."
But jed and Edna did get an invita-
/ ton to the grand governors reception to
/ be held at the capitol, and to the ball fol-
I lowing at the Silver Floss.
"Goshl didn't know but Granger'd
cut me dead, as they say up here, after
oeur last interview, which amounted tew
a pootty good spat, but l guess he repent
ed. P'raPs his wife combed him oeut
when be told her abeout it. We're goin',
anyway"
Edna, fascinated by the beautiful
sight, as the richly dressed gathering
slowly filed through the executive cham
Der for presentation to the chsrmingly at
tired ladies Of the governors party, and
Z then made their way into the dazzling
J Ranraae u AZ veal hall ~ fTa an
discoursed the sweetest music, thought it
the finest scene she had ever witnessed,
\ but when she and Jed had gone to the
ball room and from seats in the gallery
had watched for hours the surging
throng upon the floor, first in grand
march, led by Governor and Mrs. Grang-
er, the latter flashing under an array Of
diamonds fit for q queen, and later in
waltz, two-step and galop, a moving
mass of happy humanity, she looked on
spell-bound by the spectacle.
"Jed, It certainly beats all. III never
ask to go to the Kingston firemen's ball
again." she confided to her husband.
l'rd like to stay here forever
''Take it all in" replied Jed. "It's
oeur last chance. We en- think it over
rest of oeur lives when we git back tew
tn farm"
They were not forgotten when the final
shower of confetti came, either, and
laughed with the rest rs they made their
way out, besprinkled with the tiny bits of
tinted tissue. 1t was an event in their
uneventful life, fit to be treasured and
talked over during the years OF steady
plodding to follow.
The senatorship struggle continued
without promise Of result. The joint as
sembly balloted daily, but the vote
showed no material variation. It was
freely predicted that adjournment would
come without a choice and the Democrats
who still stuck to Brigham were in high
i glee over the outlook.
"Pbr' Annis remained on the field, and
it was due to his bulldog determination
that the rout of the Jenkins forces had
been stayed and that element lined up in
solid array. II he could not win, he
would not strike his colors to a mere
, CfOno III.