The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1919-10-10
By
Booth Harrington
eSeSeSeSeSeSeSeSeS1 eSeS@eSeSe9eSe


munity-for both the daily newspa
pers thus described Mrs. Foster when
she founded the Women's Tennyson
club; and her word upon art. letters
and the drama was accepted more as
law than as opinion. Naturally when
"Hazel Kirke" finally reached town
after Its long triumph In larger places
many people waited to hear what
Mrs. Henry Franklin Foster thought
of 1t before they felt warranted In ex.
pressing any estimate Of the play. In
fact, some Of them waited in the lobby
of the theater as they came out and
formed an inquiring group about her.
II didn't see the play" she in
formed them.
What! Why, we saw you, right in
the middle of the fourth row!"
YES" she said, smiling, "but was
sitting Just behind Isabel ANDERSON.
I couldn't look ut anything except her
wavy brown hair and the wonderful
back of her neck"
The ineligible young men Of the
town (they were all ineligible) were
unable to content themselves with the
view that had so charmed Mrs. Henry
Franklin Foster; they spent their time
struggling to keep Miss Amberson's
face turned toward them. She turned
1t most often, observers said, toward
two: one excelling in the general
struggle by his sparkle, and the other
by that winning IL not winsome old
trait, persistence. The sparkling gen.
tle;nan 'led germans" with her, and
sent sOnnets to her with his bou-
Quets-sonnets lacking neither music
nor wit. He was generous, poor, we'll
dressed. and his amazing persuasive
ness was one reason why he was al
ways In debt. No one doubted that
lie would be able to persuade Isabel,
but he unfortunately Joined too merry
party one night, ana during moon
light serenade upon the lawn before
the ANDERSON mansion, was easily
identified from the windows as the
person who stepped through the bass
viol and had to be assisted to a wait
Ing carriage. One OF Miss Amberson's
brothers was among the serenaders,
aud when the party had dispersed re-
manned propped against the front
door In state Of helpless liveliness;
the Major going down In a dressing
gown and slippers to bring him In, and
scOlding mildly, while imperfectly con-
cealing strong impulses to laughter
IN oIc In -
brother the next day. but for the
sutton 1t was different matter: she
refused to see him when he called to
apologize. "Yon seem to care q great
deal about bass viols I" he wrote her.
II promise never to break another"
She made no response TO the note. I'm
less 1t was an answer, two weeks
later. when her engagement was an
nounced. She took the persistent one,
Wilbur Minafer, no breaker of bass
viols or Of hearts, no serenader at all.
A few people, who always foresaw
everything. claimed that they were not
surprised, because though Wilbur Min
afer might not be an Apollo, as 1t
were," he was "a steady young bust
ness man and good church goer,"
and Isabel Anderson was pretty SEN
sible-fOr such q snowy girl" But
the engagement astounded the young |
people, and most Of their fathers and |
mothers too; and as topic 1t sup
planted literature at the next meet |
Ing Of the "Women's Tennyson club" |
"Wilbur Minaferr' member cried.
her infection seeming to imply that |
Wlbur's crime was explained by his |
"Wilbur Minaferl It's the
queerest thing ever heard! To think
Of her taking Wilbur Minafer, just
because man any woman would like
a thousand times better was little
wild one night Mt serenadel"
'NO, that wasn't her reason" said
wise Mrs. Henry Franklin Foster. "If
men only knew it--and it's a good
thing they don't-a woman doesn't
really care much about whether
mans wild OF. not, IL It doesn't affect
herself, and Isabel Anderson doesn't
care thingw
'Mrs. Fosteri"
mo, she doesn't. What she minds
Is his making q clown of himself in
her front yard 1t made her think he
DIDN'T care much about her. She's
probably mistaken. but that's what
she thinks. and it's too late for her
10 think anything else now, because
she's going to be married right away
--the invitations will be out next
week. TIN be big Amberson-style
hing, raw oysters floating in scooped-
tut blocks of Ice and a band from out
II town-champagne. snowy presents;
, colossal present from the Major.
Then Wilbur will take Isabel on the
,arefulest little wedding trip he can
manage, and she'll be good wife to ,
him, but they'll have the worst spoiled
OF Of children this town will ever
Iee."
How on earth do you make thct ,
nut, Mrs. Foster7"
"She couldn't love Wilbur. couIdl
he7" Mrs. Foster demanded, with no /.
hallengers. swell, n viii all 20 to
er children, and she'll ruin emp. In
The prophecies proved to be mis- 4
aken In single detail merely: except II
or that her foresight was accurate. u
he wedding W0a of lvnhorcors~ :, II