The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1919-10-09
"a Double
Wedding
@A<0
BY RALPH HAMILTON


III was not the 1ault OF Mllly, IOr
there was a sharp curve at the street
corner and she could not very well dis
Germ that a noiseless automobile was
rounding the circle. All her attention
was bestowed upon herself, and with
reason. She had just arrived on
the train from her village home to
visit a cousin in the city. She was
on the way to her now. There had
been heavy rain earlier in the day
and the roadway was wet and slippery
and its pot holes were full of muddy
water and slime.
In her neat-ftting new dress, daz-
cling white shoes and stockings and
her dainty hat, Milly was about as
fair a sight to view as one would
meet in a days journey. She sug-
gested just what she was-a lovely
country flower in budding bloom. Her
sparkling eyes and joyous face told
that every motion she made respond
ed to a happy heart. A proud one,
too, for this was the first real full
outfit all new, that Milly had ever
possessed. 1t represented her berry
money of a whole season.
A little frOwn of dismay lowered
above the charmingly-dimple cheeks
as Milly paused at the curb and sur
veyed the forbidding roadway. Then
her eyes picked out a possible care
fully selected tip-tOe route which
might land her across without soil
ing her spotless attire.
"TOot loot! !"
With culver and a SILVER, Milly
dew back, but too late Gracefully
the warning automobile rounded the
curve. Milly was out of all danger
of a collision, but the front wheel of
the machine landed in a deep rut.
Splash"
down, first rubbing from her face the
grimy water that had splattered up.
Her slippers were dotted with specks
and splotches of mud. One stocking
had been deluged. The front of her
dress was streaked and spangled. 1t
was like a reeking brush full of black
paint thrown at a fair canvas and
blotting out all its beauty in flash.
Milly tottered across the sidewalk,
sank to a doorstep and the tears fell
like rain.
Where now. the JOY of meeting and
surprising her cousin, promenading
along a real city street?
The chauffeur of the stylish automo-
bile had come to a halt at a sharp
word from a young man in the rear
seat. Beside him was a lady older
than himself, but resembling him and
evidently his sister. The former
opened the auto door and started to-
ward the forlorn little victim of the
mishap. At once the lady followed
him.
my dear child" spoke Helena
Bland, placing compassionate hand
OF the shoulder of Milly, "this is in
deed dreadful T.. Such a pretty dress
But we will soon remedy the damage
we have wrought. Help her to the
auto, Dayton, get us home at once"
ooh, it was not your fault miss
You see, am not used to the city"
uttered Milly, br0kenly and ingenu-
ously. SO dismal was her plight in
her own estimation, however, that she
was all absorbed in 1t and was in the
automobile before she realized it, and
Miss Bland was wiping the spots from
her pretty face with her handkerchief,
while her brother wondered that no
such artless wild rose face had come
into his life before.
Milly was charmed with the state
~ but warm-hearted Helena Bland,
who took her TO her room at her sump-
tuous home and called in the services
of maid and laundress TO make Milly
almost presentable again.
'You will do very well dear, until
morning" Miss Bland assured her.
"Then | shall call for you and we will
duplicate your damaged outfit from
top to toe"
ooh, indeed. No, no." answered
Milly impetuously. "Why, l can whit
en- the slippers and unless you look
close you can hardly notice the
splotches on the dress. You have
been too kind already" but Miss
Bland not only took Milly to her cous-
ms home in the automobile, but call
ed next morning and showed her a
shopping experience that filled her UNI
sophisticated little heart with delight
Milly was seated in Miss BANDS bou-
doir when for the first time she OBJ
served framed photograph.
"Why, Miss Blandw she exclaimed,
81 know who that ISL"
Miss Bland uttered a gasp and turn
ed pale. "a fancied resemblance,
dear, | think" she murmured in nm
unsteady tone.
sob, no--no" insisted Milly. Thave
seen him often. He is the manager
Of the coal mine down our way. He
does not go around much, but he
plays the organ at the church. Oh, ii
Is Alden Renfrew, surelyw
The lady held to a chair for support.
She questioned Mllly closely. There
was awakened I'm her soul hope, for
two years previous a favored sutton,
Alden Renfrew, had lost his fortune
IN a day, had felt himself no match
for the peerless woman he loved, and
had gone away TO lose himself in the
great world outside
Helena Bland loved him so dearly
rhat within a month they were
brought together again. Dayton Bland
was so cnptiynted with Millv that he