The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1914-06-25
CHAPTER X.
Man PROPOSES.

for an hour before word was brought
down to them that Mrs. Wrandall
begged to be excused for the after
noon on account of severe head
ache. Miss Castleton was with her,
but would be down later on. Mean
while they were to make themselves
at home, and so on and SO forth.
Booth took his departure, leaving
Leslie in sole possession Of the porch.
He was restless, nervous, excited;
half-afraid to stay there and face Het-
ty with the proposal he was deter
mined to make, and wholly afraid to
forsake the porch and run the risk of
missing her altogether if she came
down as signified. Several things
disturbed him. One was Hetty's de-
plorable failure to hang on his words
as he had fondly expected her to do:
and then there was that very disuui-
citing laugh of Sara's. A hundred
times over he repeated to himself that
sickening question: What the devil
was there to laugh at?" and no an
swer suggested itself. He was decid-
edly cross about it.
Another hour passed. His heels
were quite cool by this time, but his
blood was boiling. This was a deuce
OF way to treat a fellow who had
gone to the trouble to come all the
way out in stuffy train, by Jove, it
was! With considerable asperity he
rang for a servant and commanded
MIN to fetch a time table, and to be
quick about it, as there might be a
train leaving before he could get back
II 1t took him as long to find it as
1t took other people to remember their
obligations! His sarcasm failed to
impress Murray, who said he thought
there was a schedule in Mrs. Wran-
dalPs room, and he'd get it as soon
as the way was clear, if Mr.. Wrandall
didn't mind waiting.
IF l minded waiting" snapped Les
lie, Il wouldn't be here now"
AS the footman was leaving, Sara's
automobile whirled up to the porte
cochere
Who is going out, Murray?" he
called in surprise.
Miss Castleton, sir. For the air.
sir"
The deuce you say!" gasped the
harassed Mr. Wrandall. It was a
pretty kettle of fish!
Hetty appeared few minutes later,
attired for motoring.
"Oh. there you are" she said, espy-
ing him. 81 am going for a spin.
Want to come along?"
He swallowed hard. The ends of
his mustache described a pair of abb
solutely horizontal exclamation
points. IF you don't mind being en-
he remarked sourly.
1 don't in the least mind" said she
sweetly.
Where are you going?" he asked
without much enthusiasm. He wasn't
to be caught appearing eager, not he.
Besides, it wasn't anything to be flip
pant about.
"Yonder," she said, with a liberal
sweep of her arm, taking in the whole
landscape. And be home in time to
dress for dinner" she added, as If to
relieve his mind.
Good Lord!" he groaned, "do we
have to eat again?"
I'VE have to dress for it, at least"
she replied.
"I'll CO." he exclaimed, and ambled
on to secure a cap and coat.
Sara has planned for a run to
Lenox tomorrow II it doesn't rain"
she informed him on his return.
Oh" he said, staring. Booth gets
day of on the portrait, then"
Being Sunday" she smiled. I'VE
knock on on Sundays and bank holi-
days. But, after all, he doesn't really
get holiday. He is to go with us,
poor fellow"
He looked as though he expected
nothing. He could only sit back and
wonder why the deuce Sara meant by
behaving like this.
They returned at seven. Dinner
was unusually merry. Sara appeared
to have recovered from her indispo-
sition; there was color in her cheeks
and life in her smile He took it to
be an omen of good fortune, and was
confident. The soft,