News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1913-12-10
CHAPTER ~.

Whoever has charge of the spring
house at Hope Springs takes the news
stand in the evening. That's an old
rule.
After I ate my supper I relieved
Amanda King, who runs the news
stand in the daytime, when she isn't
laid off with the toothache. Mr.. Sam
was right. All the women had on
their puffs, and they were sitting in a
half-circle on each side of the door.
Mrs. Sam was there, looking fright
ened and anxious, and standing near
the card-room door was Miss Patty.
She was all in white, with two red
spots on her cheeks, and l thought if
her prince could have seen her then
he would pretty nearly have eaten her
up.
Mr.. Sam came to the news stand,
and he was SO nervous he could hardly
light cigarette.
I've had message from one of the
detectives" he said. They've traced
him to Salem, Ohio, but they lost him
there. If we can only hold on this
evening"! Isn't that the sleigh?"
Everybody had heard it. The women
sat up and craned forward to look at
the door: Mrs. Sam was sitting for,
ward clutching the arms of her chair.
She was in white, having laid off her
black for that evening, with a red
rose pinned on her so Mr.. Pierce would
know her. Miss Patty heard the
eleighbells also, and she turned and
came toward the door. Her mouth
was set hard, and she was twisting her
ring as she always did when she was
nervous. And at the same moment
Mr.. Sam and both saw it; she was
in white, too, and she had red rose
tucked in her belt!
Mr.. Sam muttered something and
rushed at her, but he was too late.
Just as he got to her the door opened
and in came Mr.. Pierce, with Mr..
Sans fur coat turned up around hts
ears and Mr.. Sans fur cap drawn
we'll down on his head. He stood for
an instant blinking in the light, and
Mrs. Van Alstyne got up nervously.
He never even saw her. His eyes
lighted on Miss Patty's face and
stayed there. Mr.. Sam was there, but
what could he do? Mr.. Pierce walked
over to Miss Patty, took her hand,
said, Hello there!" and kissed her. 1t
was awful.
Most women will do anything to
save scene, and that helped us, for !
she never turned a hair. But when |
Mr.. Sam got him by the arm and led |
him toward the stairs, she turned so
that the old cats sitting around could |
She went over to the wood fire-our |
lobby is a sort of big room with chairs |
and tables and palms, and an open |
fire in the wnter-and sat down. | |,
don't think she knew herself whether |
she was most astonished or angry.
Mrs. Biggs gave nasty laugh.
your brother didn't see you" she |
said to Mrs. Van Alstyne. 81 dare say |
a sister doesn't count much when a
future princess is around"
Mrs. Van Alstyne was still staring |
up the staircase, but she came to her
self at that. She had some grit in
her, If she did look like a French doll.
my brother and Miss Jennings are
very old friends" she remarked qui-
city. l believe that was what she
thought, too. l don't think she had
seen the other red rose, and what was
she to think but that Mr.. Pierce had
known Miss Jennings somewhere? She
was dazed, Mrs. Sam was. But she
carried off the situation anyhow, and
gave US time to breathe. We needed it.
IF / were his highness," said Miss
Cobb. spreading the Irish lace collar
she was making over her knee and
squirting at 1t, 81 should wish my
hancee to be more-er-dignlned.
Those old Austrian families are very
naughty. They would not understand
our American habit of OSCILLATION"
was pretty mad at that, for any
body could have seen Miss Patty
didn't kiss him.
IF by OSCILLATION you meap kissing,
Miss Cobb" said, going over to her,
Il guess you don't remember the Aus
TRAN count who was a head walter
here. If there was anything in the
way of OSCILLATION that that member
of an old Austrian family didn't
know, I've got to find it out. He
could kiss all around any American l
ever sawi"
l went back to my news stand.
Cho1rfno xxy0Illd hard.
ly hold me. All l could think OF was