The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1911-09-01
THE GHOST
OF A CHANCE
From It There Came a Double
Wedding.
BY MARTHA NC. WjLLiAMs.

United sina." bcss answered, with
toss Of the head. "All our sins mus
be uncommitted. I'm sure we've bee,
brought up more strictly than eve
) nuns were. Sometimes when ! thiul
over 1t all I get fairly afraid for ,,s two
We've been SO proper from our cradle
we must break out after awhile
Hush! Aunt Wilton would have j.;
fit IL she heard you" Selma said. I'D,
you think she was ever young, Bess
I can't fancy her less than sixty an,
severe, yet do believe she means only
to be kind and really wants us to BIZ
happy"
"Ycs. in her way, which isn't mine
nor anybody else's." Bcss broke oul
passionately. Her way is 10 have
everything just so 365 days In the year
We have NIL sorts Of material good
things-we eat well, sleep well. dress
well-but no liberty to get the good OF
them. How many times did we wear
our best frocks last summer Not
once! And it's going to be the same
this season. People never ask US ia
things any more because they know
| we wont come"
II don't mind that 80 much as the
flowers. Shouldn't you like. just once,
to run riot in the garden. pulling what
ever you liked?"
"You hereto. Aunt Wilton would
have serious doubts as to your sanity
II she heard that. think she loves
flowers. not because they are flowers
and beautiful. but because they are
her own
'The same as her Mieces." a deeper
voice said from an ambush Of lilac
hedge. Next minute the hedge shook
violently. 1t was old and gnnrly. he.
Ing Il party hedge and therefore be.
yond Wilton control. The end ut the
shokings was young man. slim and
merry eyed. who bowed very low to
the two young women. then said depre.
cntingly: Don't freeze me because I
eavesdropped. know how bad 1t II,
but really this time the end justifles
1t. I'm committee Of one. self ap.
pointed. to find out just why the incest
girls In town stay out OF everything"
"Will you listen?" Bess adjured Sc
lima. whose eyes were dancing. though
her face was prcternaturally grave az
she answered, Everybody overlooks
Joe Hartwell's tibs. he flbs so nicely"
Hartwell laughed. His father being
Aunt Wtlt'u's lawyer. he knew the
Ford girls, Aunt Wilton's nieces, bet.
fer than anybody in Caswcll town. It
was knowledge that ran back to the
mud pie period, although the Forfls
know no more Of mud pies and their
making thnn could be gathered from
watching him envionsly through cram
MES Of the hedge
Now. for two years he had been
wondering how they had escaped their
bringing mp. Selma. he was sure. was
full of mad longings for lite and free.
dom. Alw"f Bess he was not so sure.
She sang nd laughed like n human
snnhcnm-s" ng aud laughed herself
Int" the dc"ucst depths of his heart.
Therefore ' resented bitterly her iso
'atfon. IT, sisters would some day
Inherit Aun' Wi't"n's more than com. |
Portable fr"tu" 1t CALLED him to I
think that p""p'" would say Hess had
married him through lack Of other
lovers: maybe also that his fntl,er had
encouraged his client to keep her heir
esst'S so secluded ont uf regard for The
interests "f Nj. son Isryopd all that
though. WAS tn" rebellion against TINS
winning by default How could I...ss
be FUR" she really loved him wlr, SIN.
had had n" chnm"r Of u,":,s,,ri,,v him
against "tlrr towers:
1t was will, ~ hop" Of giving her that
chance he had asked his rl,u',, IMnui
son. for II 'Hn,','S visit IrnniSo:, was
handsome. witty and wi,.ni,,. His
coming. duly advertised. had set so .ia|
C''sw"ll all ntluttrr There were II!
ready things planned for all TIN. tjr~f
fortnight S"Iinn and I;rss hid In..:.
d'Sr'lSsing '" most spectacular rf
them. the lawn purity AZ the old vrr
non pa :" u WAS to come OFT l,y nlOnn
'ichl. hI'hd and nlmtt"d 10y Japanese
lanterns 'i!r'r" would I,r dancing. Of
course, n;d >''ri"l il, the vi. ball of
TN" d"S"rl'''! mansion Everybody was
TO 80 In 'nSin'n" and masked Ey.~p,
FOR that SOLAR and I:rS>: might have
'''~ ''''''' ''I"> S''Il .Nttil( W iiVDl = |
farc WAS Gin' toward mE.Skin. 1,
to Der much Of acting nn,
the thratrr.
III Har, welt had known that - bu,
speculation Is idl" He Looked blauk
indeed when Selma let hi.., see how
IN" land lay. And got 1t up mostly
70 you might dance yonr ill.," l,r said
'orrowfully. How | wish | could
wash the slate clean and begin III!
'ver: Such ~ great lark hoped wc
night have. and now to ,hink"--
Such great lark wr will havc."
'ried Bess. springing up and whirling
about In front of the garden bench.
stared at her. Selma looked
puzzled. Eess stopped short in her
lancing ~ put her finger Oh her lip
md say. nodding sagely between thn
words: Promise not to faint when
'ou see us. Joe. think we're coming.
hough we have Just the ghost of