Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1911-06-02


who also, pointedly, declined him.
Passing on he presently espied the
Empire Princess among the silent
group of maszers, and he was quite
sure that she would dance with him.
And then, behind him, suddenly
echoed note of suppressed laughter.
AS he turned in the direction from
whence it came a similar cackle
sprang up from the other side. Then
another and another from The elder
and sterner upholders of tradition un'
til score or more were sharin,, in the
unseemly mirth. Tommy felt that
every eye in the great room was fast
ened upon him.
"What's the jolke?" he demanded
pleasantly. ut seems to be on me,
anyway"
He was standing in the middle of
the floor, trying absurd,y to inspect
his own back, the unembarrassed
cynosure of hundred unfriendly
eyes.
AS his lack was turned to the door
lie did not see the Sister of Charity
when she suddenly appeared at the
threshold She stood there second,
taking everything in at a glance be-
fore moving swiftly down the room,
plucking at her mask as she walked.
"Why!" she cried in a voice very
different from the frightened gurSle
of the little Boston stenographer.
"This is outrageous -insufferable!"
Voices rang out all over the room,
"Why, it's Vespasia!-Miss Belden,
upon my soul!"
She came to Tommy with eyes shin
ing, cheeks flaming scarlet; and be-
fore them all, knelt down proudly on
the polished floor and removed from
his skirts a picture that of a good
looking young man delightfully."- daily
ing with a gherkin.
Tommy took it, smiling, and crump-
led it in his hand, as he led the way
into the dimly lighted conservatory,
leaving behind them a roomful of peo-
pie, astonished, somewhat crestfallen,
and even a bit ashamed.
Thank you for coming to the res
cue," Miss Belden," he said, as the
voices died behind them,
81 was frightened she confessed,
"and-indignant. They had meant to
unmask in another minute and catch
you-with Mrs. Vandervoort at hand
to say that you wasn't invited. | want
you to go now.
"Go!" echoed Tommy. "Why, I'm
having a perfectly ripping timc."
But" she limited delicately. there
are other things to be considered than
that"
"Oh!" he flushed, Il understand.
You mean it would embarrass YOU
my being here without a card, and all
that OF course it would never
thought of that! I'll go this minute" F."
when you go home," she said at
last, gently withdrawing her hand,
"you tell your mother from me no,
from a little stenographer that you
were kind to one night-that you al
ready are one"
That | already am ono what?" de-
manded Tommy.
Miss Belden turned away and began
slowly unfastening her Sister of
Charity robe.
81 don't want you to CO. she said
then, in curious voice. I've chang
ed my mind. You promised to give
me supper, did you not? Put away
your absurd black domino. | am go
ing to take you in and introduce you
to Mrs. Vandervoort."
"That would be NICE" he said cor
daily. 81 really owe her an apology,
/ suppose, for coming here unlimited
this way"
Oldcourt is & curious community. 1t
runs strongly to fads, to lions. This
my Driscoll with his splendid alert
ness, his magnificent good looks, his
gay and wonderful innocence, and,
most incredible of all about him, the
fact that he so obviously did not want
to get into society, who was the sue
cess of the season.
But while his visit to Oldcourt was
prospering, Tommy was not unmind-
full of his promise to his mother, who
was not sharing these pleasant things
with him. On the seventh day, at
twelve in the morning, his trunks
packed and gone, his ticket in his in
side pocket, his mission in brief, tri-
umphantly done, he rose for the Sec
ond time in the Belden drawing-room
to tell it's single other occupant good
bye.
Goodbye" said Miss Belden and
her voice now was curiously reminis-
cent of the little Sister of Charity.
"And now," she went on, that you
have done half of-of what your moth
er wanted of you-for even she must
now feel that that part is finished
splendidly-I hope with all my heart
that you will prosper as well with
the rest of It,"
Marrying lady?" laughed Tom
my. "Oh, pshaw! l never think Of
that, of course! I've always felt that