Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1912-05-16
MAJOR AND
MAID
By Martha McCulloch- Williams
copyright. 1871 by Associated Literary Pres.

aFe 10 happen TO them. This is not
saying plain maids are barred from
romances, but subtle setting forth
of the mystic fact that somehow
sometime, every maid has her hour OF
minute of charm.
With Elise the hour was always
She lay down delightful and rose up
enchanting. What chance, then, had
the Major? -the Major who born sus
ceptible, had improved the talent by
assiduous cultivation?
He had made love in five languages
in pretty well every corner of the
globe. His title was real enough-he
had held, once upon time, com
mission in state troop that was full
of patronage for any sort of mere reg
ulars. Rich, a bachelor, more than
fair looking, and fastidious, yet ardent.
1T was marvel that he had come to
forty-flve with no more than an occa.
sional singed wing
Elise, at something more than sweet
and twenty. had begun to weary of
mere men. Those of her own age
seemed to her immature. She wished
IN her idle moments-they were very
very few-that princes and potentates
ranged America in disguise, the same
as they did in wonder-romances Pres
idents could not do such things-hard-
~ even governors or judges Each
and several they were too well known
besides they rarely came to hear
the liberal education of matrimony.
She was beginning to suffer from the
passion for distinction" which some
body says is the strongest of human
impulses. Therefore the Major ap-
pealed to her enormously.
They met at Glenly. Nora Page,
hostess there, had vowed for two
years they were meant one for an
other. She was by way of seeing her
prophecy come true, when Fate gave
twist to things. The mildest, most
ridiculous twist-but, after all, there
are no trifles either in life or love.
Notwithstanding, Joe Bassett was
human, commonplace friend to
Nora's brother and, like him, law
yer struggling to get foothold, who
had been asked at about the thir-
teenth hour, when three more eli
gible fellows had been held from COM
ing. The house party had begun mid
week, the extra men coming down
for Sunday. Thus the major and Elsie
had had three days wherein to ap-
praise each other, and find the re-
suit satisfactory. His mind had been
made up, indeed, as early as Friday
luncheon that here was the predes-
tined Mrs. Archibald Wayne. Elise
had not been quite so precipitate, yet
there was more than leaning in her
consciousness toward the major.
Then came Joe Bassett, and after
him heavenly Sunday. 1t was too
fine altogether to be wasted motor
ing-besides, Elise was tired of whir-
ring past fields knee deep in lush
June grasses, past roadsides starred
with sweetbrier, snuff the earth-fra-
GRANGE, idle deliciously in shade or
sunlight, solely according to her own
vagrant fancy. Therefore, she let the
cars go off without her, setting forth
herself little after with only the
major and the Fratton girl for COM
pany. The Fratton girl presupposed
her iance, Ben Martin-but Elise
knew well that an engaged couple
though quite sufficient for propriety,
were practically the same as nobody.
She strolled lightly forward, laugh
ing and chatting, conscious that the
Major trembled if she did but look
at him, conscious also that the other
pair was well out of earshot, in fact
hardly in sight. She was at her best,
creature of within, of charm untold.
The Major wanted to kneel, and lay
himself and his fortune at her feet.
Seasoned though he was, he was
much in love-so much that he was
awkwardly self conscious. To speak
plainly, he was suffering the pangs
he should rightly have undergone in
his sallow youth. Like other youth
full ails they sit i'll upon maturity.
Therefore, he had been calmly, au-
daciously masterful with women.
Elise daunted him-worse than an
army with banners.
He had been fearless of all save
one thing-namely, cattle. But he
had forgotten his fear-as he had
forgotten all else upon this smiling
Sunday save the fact that he was
walking with the girl he loved When
the way ran presently across stile.
into stretch of grassland, he re-
joiced-the stile gave him excuse to
take Elise half in his arms. AS he
set her upon her little feet, he
breathed hard-and murmured hoarse.
y:
"You-you-must know what you've
done to me-what you mean! Tell
me-have I-any-any CHANGER"
Elise answered only with dainty
half smile, and darted across the turf
toward clump of magnificent
beeches Widespread boughs drooped
about them-thus she did not see that
the shade tent had an occupant two