Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1929-12-13
CHAPTER II-Continued

In her arms were roses, heaps OF
roses, soft-petaled and fragrant. Mar
jOry's face was flushed. her eyes were
twin stars, her red lips tremulous with
sheer delight. Eddy Jackson bore
trophies Of her conquest, great low
Ing cup, pieces of silk and lace, SHIN
merry silver, golden chains. But In her
own hand Marjory held small purple
box that bore the prize, fifty dollars
In gold.
'Tt-was- she STAN
mered, with shy pride.
The two evildoers above, rapt,
speeches. and spellbound. had forgot
ten their mischief as they crept to the
stairs, noiseless, without breathing,
hearing every Notwithstanding every
heartbeat, softly, softly, down the top
step, the next and the next, nearer
and nearer, irresistibly drawn by the
currents Of Joy that surged through
the shabby parsonage.
Helen kissed her sister rapturously,
and Horace Langley, finging peda-
gogical dignity to dhe winds, clasped
her in q boisterous embrace.
'sThis Is my sister Helen-and Pro
lessor Langley. Helen, this is-every-
body" Marjory introduced, almost In
coherently. "Where are the girls?
Where's father?"
"Angels," cried Eddy Jackson, gaz-
Ing suddenly up to the curve Of the
circular staircase. "Or are the god.
desses coming down from Olympus to
gaze upon, and envy, Beauty?" He
pointed dramatically to the stairs
where Ginger Ella, with Miriam fast
on her heels, crouched In quivering ex-
element, the wedding gown forgotten
forgotten, too, the yelling curtain, the
canvas gloves, the Happy mules.
"Ginger-runl !" cried Miriam, In
sickening realization.
But Ginger, trapped, was not one
to fly before confusion. She proceeded
calmly down the stairs, even strut
ting little.
II didn't hurt It bit, Helen," she
treasured her sister. "It's-oh, just
IA rehearsal"
"Why, it's little Cinderella-just got
a fall from her pumpkin" chortled
Eddy Jackson, and a ukulele caught
its cue and whined into the wedding
march.
But Ginger turned away from them,
scornfully, bit too scornfully, for one
Of the tapping mules, too, large for
her, slid from her slender foot. Gin.
ger, as she felt It slipping, In sudden
CONSERVATION, hesitated for the barest
fraction Of q second. It was too long.
Eddy Jackson saw and seized 1t, and
ran to kneel mockingly at her unslip.
pered foot.
"Cinderella, the prince returns your
glass slipper"
In the midst of their merry laugh
ter, the ukulele's sudden hush silenced
them.
"See here, somebody ought to intro
duce me-" protested the player, plain.
lively. "You forget I'm a stranger
I wasn't even invited" His eyes wan.
dered to the bottom step OF the circu
lar staircase where Miriam sat just
as she had dropped In that first shock
ing moment, still, rapt and GREATNESS
"Oh. l forgot" apologized Eddy
Jackson. "Everybody's supposed to
know everybody In Red Thrush. This
Is our old friend Tub Andrews. He
went to school with US when he was
kid, but they moved to Detroit, and
now he's come back to help run the
First National bank. Janitor, aren't
you, TubT"
Assistant janitor," said Tub An
drews pleasantly. "But next week
they are going to promote me to
stamp-licker. Pleased to meet you"
He dropped down on the step beside
Miriam. "Why didn't you 60 into
the beauty pageant and give your sis
ter a run for her complexion"
1T" Miriam was shocked with
amazement. "Shew
"Sure. ! was one Of the Judges,
Your sister had 1t easy, the way 1t
was. But II you had been against
her-well-me-I'm one gentleman
who DON'T"
"Don't whatr Miriam followed the
tovial young banker With some diff.
Guilty. but With interest.