Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1913-04-16
CHAPTER Xxx.
March Hares,

calIed the nead-Wa1ter and thanked
him for the attention given it, and laid
a generous tip upon the cover. From
the dining-room the two young people,
outwardly calm but inwardly filled
with the Great TumuIt, went to the
managers bureau and arranged for
Fortunes room. This settled, Fortune
went down to the cavernous entrance
to bid George good night. They were
both dif1dent and shy, now that the
great problem was solved. George was
puzzled as to what to do in bidding
her good night, and Fortune wondered
if he would kiss her right here, before
all these horrid cab-drivers.
II shall call for you at nine," he
said. We've got to do some shop
ping"
A tinkle of laughter.
These ready-made suits are begin
ming to look like the deuce"
do you always think of every
thing?"
"Well, what I don't remember, the
clerk WILL" slyly. "Till recently / be-
lieve I never thought of anything.
must be off. It's too cold down here
for you" He offered his hand nerv-
ously.
She gave hers freely. He looked
into her marvellous eyes for a mo-
ment. Then he turned the palm up
ward and kissed it, lightly and lover
ly; and she drew it across his face,
over his eyes, till 1t left in departing
a caress upon his forehead. He stood
up, breathing quickly, but not more so
than she. A little tableau. Then he
damned his battered fedora upon his
head and strobe up the Corso. He
dared not turn. Had he done so, he
must have gone back and taken her in
his arms. She followed him with
brave eyes; she saw him suddenly
veer across the street and pause at the
parapet. 1t was then that she be-
came conscious of the keenness of
the night-wind. She went in. Some
how, ali earth's puzzles had that night
been solved.
George lighted a cigar, doubtless
the most costly weed to be found in
all Naples that night. The intermit-
tent glowing of the end family out
lined his face. Far away across the
shimmering bay rose Capri in a kind
of magic, amethystine transparency.
A light or two twinkled where Sorren-
to lay. His gaze roved the half-circle,
and finally rested upon the grim dark
ash-heap, Vesuvius. Beauty, beauty
everywhere; beauty in the sky, beauty
upon earth, in his heart and mind. He
was twenty-eight, and all these won.
derful things had happened in a little
more than so many days!
Goods in his heaven,
All's right with the world"
He flung the half-fnished cigar into
the air, careless as to where it fell,
or that in falling it might set Naples
on fire. 1t struck roof somewhere
below; splutter of sparks, and all
was dark again
Il shall come" All through his
dreams that night he heard it. ST
shall come"
Next morning he notified the cap
tain to retain their cabins. After that
they proceeded to storm the shops.
They were like March hares; irrespon-
sible children, both of them. What
did propriety matter? What meaning
had circumspection? They two were
all alone; the rest of the world didn't
count. 1t never had counted to either
of them. Certainly they should have
gone to a parsonage; Mrs. Grundy
would prudently have suggested it.
The trivialities of convention. how
ever, had no place at that moment in
their little Eden. They were a law I'M
to themselves
Into twenty shops they went; mo-
d1ste after modiste was interviewed;
and Fortune at length found two mod
els. These were pretty, and, being
models, quite inexpensive. Once,
George was forced to remain outside
in the carriage. It was in front of the
lingerie shop. He put away each re-
ceipt, just like husband upon his
honeymoon. Later, receipts would
mean as much, but from a different
angle OF vision. He bought so many
violets that the carriage looked as
though it were ready for the flower
carnival. He laughingly disregarded
her protests. 1t was the Song of
Songs.
"My shopping is DONE" she said at
last, dropping the bundles upon the
carriage floor. NOW, it is your turn"
"You have forgotten warm steam
er-cloak," he reminded her.
$50 have!"
This oversight was easily remedied;
and then George sought the tailor
shops for ready-made clothes. He had
more difficulty than Fortune: ready
made suits were not the easiest things
to find in Naples. BY noon, however,
he had acquired a Scotch wooden for
day wear and fairly decent dinner
suit, along with other necessities.
well, say!" he murmured, struck
by revealing thought.
"Have you forgotten anything?"
mo. On the contrary, I've Just re-