The Lamar register., 1916-09-13
DIPLOMACY
BY CATHERINE cRANmER.

news that luu leutlltu Alily Sbui i'i
many 1t day Particularly did it inter
cst the mothers of marriageable daugh-
tors. ms well as the daughters them
selves.
Practically everybody in town re-
r..d Lewis Farmington's magazine ar
iicieS describing the customs and peo-
pies Of the distant parts of the world
tn which his diplomatic service Ind
taken him.
in all the town perhaps the only girl
Ip kept the even tenor of her way in
IN. general fever Of anticipation was
L,.llu Robb. who continued to enjoy
trunis. allowing her smooth arms to
become suuhurued and her saucy nose
10 gntlIer flock Of tiny brown
fr, cl,les. The afternoon Of Lewis Farm
lu.tnn's arrival, when the other girls
s.tr, either OUT In their smurtest aft
rtnuun logs or were swathed in cold
cream ana beauty sleep as preparation
for possible evening conquest, Lydia
was PLAYING tennis with her brother.
Mother. dear" said Lewis, as they
pissed up the quiet street in the VII
laie bus. lets hive things all to our
selves this summer. I've time only for
you and for my book, and the fewer
functions we have to attend the better
II will suit us both, fancy
Il do want to make the most Of our
first opportunity in years Ia be to-
gether. and even he little selfish, I'm
afraid; but the people In town ara
quite astir with expectancy over your
.rfst sha - t.rpnA arufla mfA
the big. dark-eyed man at her side
flush under his tanned skin.
Invitations to teas, garden parties
and dinners made Lewis Pennington
frar that he would either have TO an
tngonize the villagers or give up all
hope of making any Roadway with his
book.
Early on the morning of the Fourth
Of July, Lewis took his portable type
writer and some blank paper and
camp stool and made for the wooded
banks of the small river half a mile
from town. He found delightful
spot under n big oak tree that stood
IN the river bank.
Gee he unused, II could shut my
eyes and expect to open them upon the
sight of lovely Indian maiden GID
ing down that stream in a canoe" He
closed his eyes and let the picture
stamp Itself on his mind. When he
opened his eyes, a moment later, he
saw II vision lovelier than the one he
had been picturing to himself for
Lydia Robb was drifting down the
stream in a canoe. The beauty Of the
II -. -. - -.
open neck Of a MILDLY blouse had not
been dimmed by Its coat of sunburn,
and the dark brown hair that crowned
the shapely head was FURNISHED almost
to bronze in the morning sunlight. Her
blue eyes looked straight before her,
but suddenly frightened as she threw
her hands wide at either side, while
her soprano voice rang clearly out:
My native country, thee.
Land Of the noble free.
Thy name / lovel
Lewis Pennington felt thrill even
more intense than any that had come
to him at sight OF his country's flag
In faraway land, and. thanking his
stars that he had fairly good voice,
he Joined in the song as Lydia reached
these lines:
love thy rocks and rills
Thy woods and tempted hills,
Ny heart with rapture thrills,
Like that above.
Bravo My countrywomanl !" called
out Lewis, as the song ended. "Your
Fourth of July celebration is worth
while-far more to my liking than the
one they're to have on the public
square tonight"
But l thought you were going to
make speech tonight" The words
came abruptly from Lydia's red lips.
Not l. l never speak in public UNI
less compelled to. I'll admit, though,
that the committee did urge me to
speak"
"They asked me to sing, too, but I
refused" said Lydia.
well, I'm glad to be the one privi-
legged person who heard you sing just
now, but don't you think you owe me
that much for having been so unneigh-
borly during all this month. I've lived
only block from you? Mother has
spoken of you a lot, but you've some
how eluded us except that morning
you brought her the raspberries, and l
half believe you thought then that /
was out hiking"
''Yes, l did, or / wouldn't have come.
/ haven't meant to be unneighborly,
but 1 was determined not to join in the
general pursuit OF you"