The Topeka state journal., 1916-08-10
EVENING STORY
The Littlest Bridesmaid.
(By IzoIa Forrester.)

taller, Sne might do, Marjorie glanced
at the youngest member of the Ra-
leigh family speculatively. IT do
think it was perfectly fiendish of Dell
to disappoint me right at the very last
minute. She knew I never could get
another girl way up here in the noun
tains in time for the wedding
Don't you care. Marge," Nancy
spoke up generously. "I'll be the res
cue party. I can wear your high
heeled slippers if 1 stuff the toes and
I'll do my hair way up high. I don't
mind a Bit
Listen to the magnanimous kit
ten.' laughed Marjorie. It's the
chance of your young life. and you
know it, too. 1 don't mind, but how
about mother and Aunt Suzanne? Do
you hear them saying yes?"
''I'll bet cents to a collar button
they'll have to- Nancy returned
slangily. She sat curled up on the
window seat in the girls favorite room
for confabs, the little room at the
head of the stairs that looked out over
the broad mountain view below Stony
Henge. And she was most indus
| triously cleaning her tennis shoes. for
there were no personal maids In the
Raleigh family. Maids and "sich
like" didn't matter, Nancy was wont
to remark hopefully. Not when one is
the youngest of a bevy of beauties
Winifred, safely married well IN
Washington; Kitty, wife of young
Captain Brainerd in the navy, and
now Marjorie, bride-elect of Lansing
Phillips, the consulting engineer for
the big Graham-Stokes interests.
"You know I shall have to marry
somebody perfectly wonderful to keep
up the family record" Nancy would
often say. 81 can see him waiting for
me, serene and splendid, with dads
consent and mothers sweet smile, and
all you girls wishing you'd waited for
my chance. It's much nicer being the
youngest. You can profit by the
others experiences"
Marjorie had gone down to the ver-
anda, where her mother sat planning
the final arrangements for the we'd
ding the next day, and presently
Nancy heard the familiar voice call
her down likewise for close inspection.
The postman was just coming up the
walk with the afternoon mail
THE high heels would add to her
height" Mrs Randall said musingly.
''and there's a little dress you wore at
the Farley lawn party. You remem-
the overdress of white null flowered
in pink roses. With her big dropping
white hat and pink roses-but have
we any fresh enough?"
Use real ones" suggested Nancy.
"Oh, I'd love to, real lovely fresh ones,
mother, dear, all around the brim and
tucked in my waist, couldn't I p
"It would be rather quaint. You
could carry pink roses, too, and the
other girls wear pink. 1t won't be
noticeable,
So it was arranged, and Nancy trod
on air in the seventh heaven while
the dress was altered to fit her slim,
alert figure. The wedding was to be
at ten in the little UNCOVERED chapel
across the winding road from the Ra-
leigh estate Nancy, she came
downstairs with the other girls, intent
on her slippers and new dignity,
heard one of the men saying that
Andy was late as usual. And it meant
nothing at all to her who Andy was
or why he was late. She almost
tripped on the veraEda steps, but
caught her balance.
You tore the lace Vera Kennedy
whispered-the girl just behind her
and Nancy, taking one backward
glance at the te1ltale shred dangling,
slipped out of line and made for the
sitting room for pin. 1t did seem
as if every pin had vanished. She
searched wildly, keeping one eye on
the window where the bridal process
sion could be seen moving sedately
through the spacious ow-bordered
| path to the chapel.
| Ibid you lose something?"
Nancy was on her knes before the
lower desk drawers when the new
guest, she thought, yet a very desir-
able one. Yes, even at first sight, very
| desirable. He was tall and athletic
and just dusty and rumpled enough
to look refreshing after the groomed
perfection of the others.
Have you a pin?' asked Nancy. ct
tore my skirt
Indeed 1 have,'' he retorted heart
lily. Right here. Can I help the
flower girl?''
I'm not the flower girl" Nancy an
swered haughtily. II am one of the
bridesmaids
THE littlest one" he added gravely,
as she rose with the ruffle pinned
safely in place Can you run? I've
got to, because the rings in my pocket
and I'm Late
Nancy's blue eyes danced with sud
den mischief They went down the
steps and the path on run like chill
dren.
You're Andy and you're always
late" she said.
Then she thanked her lucky stars
Marjorie could not see her, or her
mother, as she slipped back into her
place just as they reached the chapel
And he, this dilatory Andy, went
around through the vestry door and
appeared, calm and capable. besides
her future brother-in-law as best man.
/ 'You know Nancy" Mrs Raleigh
1 Se1lu d lew ldlCTs Wnen II was
| all over and Marjorie started on the
crest of matrimony's tide, "you looked
! very winsome and sweet and acted
| very nicely. I was glad you didn't
make yourself conspicuous at aIln
''Yes'm." said Nancy. demurely. And
then, oddly enough, she went up to the
little hall room, she the last of the
Raleigh daughters. and just jumped
into the cushions ON the window seat
crying because Andy Kincaid had call
ed her the Httlest bridesmaid. The
hair done high and the slippers and
grown-up dress had not deceived him.
He had smiled at her amusedly and
4 had been nice lust to please her in her