The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1916-09-21
81 CONSENT
BY FLORA A. MONTY.

is By FLORA A. MONTY. I
Eloise did not dress to suit her type.
She suited her type to her dress, and
thereby kept her friends guessing as
to her moods and manners.
In the days of her small girlhood
the Shelbys had lived next door to
her at Yorktown, and had later moved
to Norfolk. Now Eloise was making
her first visit in many years to Miriam
Shelby, and instead of being enter
tanned, owing to the piquancy of her
ways and dress, she was herself the
entertainer.
Big, breezy, man-of-the-world Tim
Darcy invited her to be his guest at
the races within half an hour after he
met her. Miriam's brother, Dick, told
her about hearing Darcy remark to
Edgar Herdon that he was going to
have "s0me locker" at the races to-
morrow. "Drop around to the box and
meet her"
In answer to the invitation Herdon
dropped around" during lull in the
activities, and found big Tim, for once
In his life, i'll at ease and obviously
anxious. The girl who was his guest
was "some lookers'' round-eyed, ador-
able. timidly endeavoring not to up
pear shocked at the dreadful spec
tacle Of horse races and betting. Dick
Shelby, who had made it a point to
be there, realized that she was having
the time of her life in playing the
unsophisticated, sheltered damsel that
she appeared today. =
Herdon, who, although close friend
Of Darcy, was, strangely enough, man
of the old-school type, and his heart
warmed to the quaint maiden he had
just met. She refreshed his soul, and
he promptly begged her to attend q
studio tea that he was giving on Sat.
urday to group Of dignified friends
of his mother and his stately married
sister.
On Saturday the older guests Assem-.
bled early, and to them Herdon boast
cd Of his find, dainty, fragile bios
som Of q girl, absolutely foreign to the
usual type Of society butterfly, and all
innocence and unworldliness.
When she entered everyone gasped
for golden, glittering siren glided in
striktngly arrayed in next seasons
style. Her dress was Of shimmerine
golden silk, smartly short. Around the
ankles of her silken hose were EN-.
hroidered tiny green serpents, and her
left wrist was Enclosed by a bracelet
wrought in the semblance of q ser.
pent. Her hat was the last word in
Paris style, and accentuated the dark.
ness of her alluriry eyes.
The bored, Indifferent male members
OF the party nearly annihilated each
other in the effort to devote them.
selves to her, in spite of the frigi6
manner IL tie ladies present. Dick
Shelby kept in the background an6
made no effort to talk to her. But
when she arose to 60, he, with quiet
assurance. presented himself as hel
escort. For moment she hesitated
and then. bowling accepted his arm.
Now look here, Eloise! You are q
sumner, and you know it, and you've
got everyone up in the air about you.
but there is no sense in making people
think you regular Lorelei, and
that's the Impression you gave them
today. A joke is all right, but I'm
not going to have that kind of q no.
ton spread about you. If you're do.
ing it for excitement, let me provide
you with some of the real kind for tn.
morrow"
"All right, Dick! What time shall
1t be, and what shall we do?"
"Good!" was the response so fervent
that it startled her. "Ten, sharp, in
the morning. AS to what-that is the
excitement. You are not to know
until the time comes"
Promptly at ten Dick swung his run.
about around to the veranda, and was
pleased to find Eloise already there.
trim, quiet and more enhancing than
eve-, in simple tailored suit that
made her look like seventeen-year-
old schoolgirl.
Dicks satisfied gaze enveloped her
like caress. Eloise felt herself Weld
Ing to the insistence of it. As the car
sped away, and along a cool country
road. she tried to recover her poise
by monopolizing the conversation.
Suddenly he stopped the car. They
were near the entrance to a lane that
led to country church.
I'm glad you are ittingly dressed
for the trip, Eloise."
1.-THE trip?" she questioned, puzzled.
"Our wedding trip" he explained.
"Our WHAT" Her eloquence failed
her.
"We're going to be married. Won
know. I've arranged everything. The
minister is up there at the church
now. and after he's said the words
we'll jaunt along to our cottage at the
Dells."
"Dick Shelby, you despfcable crea.
ture!' Her wrath blazed white. $50
this is your boosted excitement! A
cheap kind, call it. I'll never marry
sou, and want you to take me hack