Show I Story Sor of me Day av rn jj HER HELPLESSNESS BY FRANCES GROFF Co Copyright 1902 by the S. S S. S McClure Company Compan Le La Froy engineer engineer- of the new street railway company was not at all surprised surprised surprised sur sur- to meet at the euchre party given Iven by the president of his road his landlady's l daughter He was becoming thoroughly accustomed to the democratic social life of this midwest city Moreover he was deeply interested In itt this same landlady's daughter He had heard that her parents the belonged to a fine old PhiladelPhia Philadelphia Philadel Philadel- phia family and had come west when adversity adversity ad ad- crossed their path Certainly all the outward and visible Isible signs In Franks Frank's case Indicated a born bom right to fine linen and idleness Idlene and apparently the fall Inthe in inthe inthe the family fortunes had never reduced her to giving i S up fr either th Le La Froy n thought ll ft her ler gown a marvel maryel of r el elegant a aoi oi simplicity But he was only a man The appraising eyes eves of the rich lawyers lawyer's daughter across the table read a different story Le Froy won the booby prize that night because use he studied the languid droop of ofa ofa ofa a certain brown head and the curve of a white neck Instead of his cards And what the evening under electric lights commenced the witchery ry of the walk homeward in its the moonlight with Frank and her younger brother George com corn The weeks that followed found him hint speculating and drawing conclusions on ong g everything hIA that happened about t tile the louse house He r remembered b that i all the time Ume he had been there the only servant ever seen was the gawky young young- girl who waited wait ed on the table Frank came to her meals daintily dressed languid uld and unruffled very jut tate lat v and Le La Fro Froy began began to to sus gUSh that she was not so helpless as she looked Try as he would he never could discover any traces of what she did Stout sweet motherly Mrs Vinton must be e a wonderful housekeeper and so might Frank be with a a. house of her own But in this comfortable house there was one Bluebeards Bluebeard's chamber the kitchen The entrance to the room dining-room was protected protected protected pro pro- by a double screen From Front that chamber of mysteries there came such rich well weil soups meats Juicy and hot pastry fluffy and delicate as boarder never before put Into his mouth The cook of the was no doubt a treas tress ure How was all this and everything about the he house done with so little friction Even the boots which he true Briton stuck outside his door ea each h night had never been polished so eo well welI but the boots who did them was as noiseless as the dead One morning when La Le Froy opened his his- door and the boots were not there here he suddenly resolved to do a little detective work Boots might give a a a. clue to the rest of the mystery He sat saty by y the door A short walt wait was rewarded by the softest of ot steps on the stairs He lie drew the door to gently until the stealthy footsteps reached It and then suddenly lung flung It wide open and Frank faced Frank holding his great boots at arms arm's length n Her ier hands dropped and tears o of I Ithe lon tion fell r on the J bright gh polished surface u r of the he boots He looked at those glittering drops and then drew her Inside I cant can't talk taik to your in the hall han he apologized and for once In his life he became became became be be- came eloquent Youve polished my roy boots with your tears Ill I'll put them theta under under un un- der dec glass and worship them because youve you've touched them unless you'll let Jet me kiss the tips Ups of ot yours for foJ the rest of my days Ill I'll wait walt on you and take care of ot you and keep you f from harm You'll be bethe f i i he the wit and Ill I'll be the muscle of t the fain fam- ily ly If you'll only say the word And that was how It came to pass pasa that Frank and Le Froy two months later were sitting In a luxurious stateroom of ot ofa ofa ota a vessel about to port In Liverpool Frank a dainty color rising In the pale cheeks a mischievous light In her eyes was questioning her husband You have never told your mother and sisters you married the daughter of your house boarding-house keeper Never remotely hinted at It dar dar- ling 1 Said Sald mother belonged ed to one of ot the most aristocratic Philadelphia families families' Its It's true Yes my star I enlarged on that I found out long ago that most people respected men who worl worked ed but rather looked down especially women who didn't work worl on women who did I know American women and Ive I've heard EnglishWomen English Englishwomen women are worse and If you o oo dont don't o t follow WO orl ri tb my roy directions Ill I'll torment you o to death S Swear on t this book k bl Its the e Yes Now swear This is becoming serious Did I ever break a promise What am I to swear light fellow 1 v of t my eyes eres said the big fond That you'll never neer remotely hint that father made soups and mother cooked the meats and I made d the pastry and did the chamber work and ami b George i washed h t the dishes and fF scrubbed b and this I was the i way your o wife's family were e enabled n to hold their heads vip tp In the world Do you suppose that ff lf-I lf I waited on the table the way that girl did down the street you'd have ever looked at me twice If your our JI sisters kne what v a you k know now r they'd look down g on me tIk tI I I have read that country bred English women are narrow dod and nd what what- I 1 ask rs ft easy your easy your part Now Clumsy swear on the tho book again a double oath Repeat It after meI meI me me- me I 1 promise to let my wife wife Answer all my mothers mother's and sisters sIsters' questions every oneX one one Every one one n l lAnd And X I will never look sur surprised at what she says or orr wink or lift an lan eyebrow eye eye- brow An uAn eyebrow he Iterated delightedly then rubbed hers the wrong way and kissed It That evening saw them seated in the room dining-room of ot t the e fine old mansion on the Le Froy estate The cut glass and old silver sliver sh shone me brightly In itt the brides bride's h hOnor nor She looked delicate and aristocratic beside beside be be- side the large fine red cheeked English lasses They admired her openly with withe their eyes and finally I Maude the younger young young- er cc ventured venture e l edi W Wo thought having a boys boy's n name nime me you'd be masculine ln and self-reliant self but you are exquisitely feminine Your hair hall Is lov lovely ly How do you arrange it so beautifully Astonishment nd gentle rebuke shone In Franks Frank's eyes I 1 never do o my hair Such a time tinie as I had on the steamer My 1 maid was subject to mal de mer It seems and basely deserted me at the last moment moment moo mo mo- mo- mo ment and I would u not t take a girl I know knew nothing o n about Then I thought gt V I might take an art English girl back with me Coming Coming Com Com- ing over one of Ute the stewardesses did my hair but once she failed to arrive arrive ar ar- ar- ar rive nyc and Clumsy tried his hand such a a. bl big awkward one e Clumsy iu di did not wink He did not move an eyebrow but buthe he coughed very loudly J 1 cant can't go another day without a maid continued his wife taking no notice no floe tice l' l Yes Yes dear sad d the new law sister but meanwhile let let me help you Jane and I I the Ithe the the two exchanged glances and blushed when l e when we want o our hair especially ese espe well done e do do- doit it for r each other h And I 1 dare say said the American with an annihilating look at her husband here in this quiet country life of yours there are many little things you turn your hands to Why yes mother believes girls should know something of housekeeping so we have learned to cook a Il little In fact humbly apologetic I made the pastry you are arc eating We were not going to tell you but you forced the confession I You need not be ashamed of It It Is greatly to your credit I wish I were not such a a. helpless creature I can cas hardly lift my hand She lay back In her chair with the languid languid lan Ian guid fine air her husband had admired from Crom the first He lie did not cough this tim time Astonishment was swallowed up In admiration Alone In their room she was the first to attack My dear you were true In the letter but not In Ip the spirit You did not raise your our eyebrows you did not wink but you coughed He charged back I have discovered you are the princess of liars But such harmless ones The maid Is yours and all else I can cart give you r |