Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-09-05
DIPLOMACY
By CATHERINE CRANMER.

 pecting her distinguished son for a long visit was the most momentous piece of news that had reached MaYsburg for many day. Particularly cid it inter- est the mothers of marriageablc daugh- tcrs, as well as the daughters them selves.
 Practically everybody in town re- read Lewis Farmington's magazine ar ticleS describing the customs and peo- pies of the distant parts of the world to which his diplomatic service had taken him.
 In all the town perhaps the only girl who kept the even tenor of her way in the general fever of anticipation was Lydia RObb, who continued to enjoy tennis, allowing her smooth arms to become sunburned and her saucy nose to gather flock of tiny brown freckles. The afternoon of Lewis Farm ington's arrival, when the other girls were either out in their SmarteSt aft ernoOn tOgS or were swathcd in cold cream and beauty sleep as preparation  was playing tennis with her brother.
 "Mother, dear," said Lewis, as they passed up the quiet street in the vil- lage bus, let's have things all to our selves thls summer. I've time only for you and for my book, and the fewer functions we have to attend the better it will suit us both, fancy
 q do want to make the most of our first opportunity in years to be to- gether, and even be little selfish, I'm afraid; but the people in town are quite astir with expectancy over your visit." The mothers proud smile made the big, dark-eyed man at her side flush under his tanned skin.
 Invitations to teas, garden parties and dinners made Lewis Pennington fear that he would either have to an- tagonize the villagers or give up all hope of making any headway with his book.
 Early on the morning of the Fourth of July, Lewis took his portable type writer and some blank paper and a camp stool and made for the wooded banks of the small river half mile from town. He found delightful spot under big oak tree that stood on the river bank.
 "Gee,' he unused, 'I 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, moment later, he saw a 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 face and neck that showed above the open neck of a middy blouse had not been dimmed by it's coat of sunburn, 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:
 
 Land of the noble free,
 Thy name I love!
 Lewis Pennington felt thrill even more intense than any that had come to him at sight of his country's flag in a faraway land, and, thanking his stars that he had fairly good voice, he joined in the song as Lydia reached these lines:
 I love thy rocks and rills,
 Thy. woods and templed hills,
 My heart with rapture thrills,
 Like that above.
 Bravo! My countrywoman! called out Lewis, as the song ended. "Your while-far more to my liking than the one they're to have on the public square tonight"
 "But thought you were going to make speech tonight" The words came abruptly from Lydia's red lips. "Not I. never speak in public un- less compelled to. I'll admit, though, that the committee did urge me to speak,"
 '"They asked me to sing, too, but l 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 lot, but you've some how eluded us except that morning you brought her the raspberries, and half believe you thought then that l was out hiking.'
 "Yes, did, or wouldn't have come. haven't meant to be unneighbOrly, but was determined not to join in the general pursuit. of you"
 Both Lydia and Lewis were momen- tarily embarrassed by her frankness, but moment later they were laughing over the whole situation, and he was climbing down the bank at her invita- tion to be taken aboard the canoe.
 A week later, when it became known throughout the village that Lydia had outdistanced all the other girls in town in Lewis Farmington's regard, the vil- lage wag felt impelled to voice his opinion about it.
 "Every man wants the prize that's