The herald., 1912-09-12
Fate Of Elfrida

Elfrida Mooner had been well
brought up. Her mother had seen
to that with the painstaking care OF
one who herself has learned through
experience.
Elfrida knew at once when con-
fronted by boutllon spoon that 1t
was not a cream scoop and she had
a great scorn for a young man who
walked on the wrong side of one
upon the street. She always signed
her formal letters Most cordially
yours" and spoke of her mother as
m -mah," and with the accent care
fully placed on the last syllable.
So 1t is easily realized that tre-
mendous self-contIol was required on
Elfrida's part to endure the young
man who sat next to her at the dance
given by the Royal Order of Brothers
of Something Other In Elton Cor
ners, where she was visiting some
hitherto unknown cousins.
When the young man at the dance
had broken the Ice by saying that
1t was a pretty party Elfrida had re-
coiled. He had not been introduced!
Everybody seemed to know everybody
else in this town and she could not
get used to such situation.
There was something familiar
about the young mans face as FL
frida stared at him, but when the
full sweep of recollection rolled across
her and she recalled wildly that she
had seen him in Reston's butcher
shop Elfrida almost choked. He was
nice looking young man. Dimly
she recalled that his father was Res
ton, who owned the shop. Perhaps
this young man cut off steaks and
sliced bacon!
81 think not" Elfrida said family
when young Reston asked if she would
dance that waltz.
4 "All right; the next one, then" ne
said as a matter of course. Then
he went to hunt for another partner
Elfrida's cousins listened wonder
ingly a moment later to her fire OF
/ questions and her tale of woe.
why on earth shouldn't Ned Res
, ton ask you to dancer" they inquired
HE goes with every one, and we've
grown up with him! He went to the
college across the river and is good
looking! Why shouldn't he go to the
same parties as WEI"
, Her sense of being wronged wat
hard to maintain, because young Res
ton had proved himself good dancer
when he had come back and taken his
waltz. Elfrida had touched his arm
with the tips of her fingers and had
tried not to breathe as she wen
( through the ordeal.
The next night Ned Reston called
E and her cousins seemed to assume
that the call was meant for thefl
guest, for they gradually disappeared
, and left her the burden of entertain
; ing him. Only a strict sense of dut!
. to a guest under ones roof prevented
+ her from rising and bidding him good
q night. She resolved in kind o
! cold fury to have it out with hel
cousins after hs left, and 1t was whel
she was taking out her hairpins late
/ that she realized with a start tina
: she had forgotten to do so. She hat
been thinking about a western stor,
+ that Reston had told her. In angr.
disgust she admitted that he coult
: talk well. Still, the faint of tn
bucher shop hung over 1t all.
Elfrida writhed the next day whel
\ her cousins frankly joked her abou
e her catch" She felt disgraced.
= When there were picnics and othe
festivities to which every one wen
: in crowds Ned Reston singled out E
: frida as a matter of course and nc
!; body acted as though 1t was in tn
/ least extraordinary. Nobody tried t
o help her evade him. 1t was impo:
e sible to make her cousins realize tn
o fine line of distinction which mad
a 1t right for her to evade him.
Elfrida felt her brain tottering, esp,
Is cially as it grew harder and harde
: for her to realize in Ned Reston'
i company that the situation was In
h, possible for well brought up youn
p girl. Finally the young part val
d pushed the we'll brought up sectio
+ Of Elfrida's nature and with a littl
n thrill of exquisite horror she realize
that Ned Reston was making love I
r. her and that she liked it.
1t was some time after Elfrida
n mother was told that her daughte
Is was going to marry Ned, whose fathe
~ was buying him half interest |
n the leading hardware store in Elto
~ Corners, that she discovered the dar
n fact that this affluant parent owne
rs the village meat market.
We'll never, never speak of It!
be she gasped to Elfrida in anguishe
~ dismay. The trousseau was nearl
50 finished and she really couldn't brea
'' OF the match. my poor child! Ho
r. could you, how could you'll"
n Elfrida regarded her mother in me-
ID itative curiosity as though recallin
o. o. the time when she, too, had felt tn,
e way. Then she laughed-not a we
n brought up laugh, but an amuse
Of chuckle.
~ my goodness" she said recklessl
nd Things like that don't seem to NAL
no q bit of difference to me nowl"-
" Chicago Daily News.
no