Jasper County Democrat, Volume 8, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 January 1906 — ORTON’S ORDERS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ORTON’S ORDERS

By CHARLES WILSHIN

It was, of course, a very foolish thing to write a letter of acceptance to the man one intended to refuse, and yet Alint took a childish delight In writing the dainty little note and thinking of the expression that would come to Orton’s face if he should read it. Then she tucked it into the flap of her lap desk aud on her last remaining sheet composed the letter In which she sought to make her refusal as easy as possible. It is no easy thing to make a pen say “no" when the heart cries “yes,” and the rest of the party was ready to start for the woods before she had completed it Of course she could not say that it was her stepmother’s order and that It was obedience to command and not the answer of her heart. She could only hope that he would see how the matter stood and understand that she had not been flirting with him through those long weeks before MArquand and his money had appeared upon the scene and had been pleased to bestow his attentions upon her. Until then Mrs. Appleton had regarded Jack Orton with favor. He had money, not much, but enough for two, with excellent prospects, but he could not hope to compete with Marquand, and Mrs. Appleton wondered why Aline should be so stubborn as to continue to care more for Orton. There had been one scene after another, usually terminating in Mrs. Appleton’s hysterics, and at last the girl’s will had been broken down, and the negative she could not utter was now signed to paper and intrusted to Billy, who promised faithfully to take it to Orton’s room and place it on his table. Billy was perfectly honest In his intentions, but Just as he was scamper-

Ing through the hall the cook called that she bad au apple turnover for him, and, tucking the note in his pocket, he turned his attention to the turnover. It was perhaps an hour after that that Orton, coming back from the postoffice, found Billy on the front piazza playing train. He was the conductor and the other children were passengers. Billy had a punch used for progressive euchre games and was collecting tickets with an enjoyment dashed only by the fact that he had no engineer to whom he could signal. Billy was supremely contemptuous of girls and declined to allow either of his three fair passengers to act In that capacity. It was with evident joy that he hailed Orton's advent and installed him in the front chair with earnest Injunctions to run the train carefully and to stop in case the emergency signal was given on the bell rope. Billy had ridden much on the branch line that summer, and he had followed Burton, the signal conductor, about until he had learned all about his workings. Jack Orton entered upon the performance of his duties with a solemnity becoming in the engineer of the flier, and if he discovered an unheard of number of cows upon the track it was all at part of the game. They pulled into the next stop seven minutes ahead of the schedule, and Billy came running up to compliment his engineer. “Take her a little slow when we pull out,” he commanded, with an odd little Imitation of his model’s manner. “I’ve got a train load of foolish women, and they get scared when you run so fast. Got your orders?” “I thought,” laughed Orton, “that the conductor got the orders.” Billy blushed apologetically. “Guess I forgot,” he explained. “I’ll run over to the telegraph office.” The “telegraph office” was the nearest open window, but the operator was shamefully supplied with stationery, for Billy dug Into pocket after pocket without result Then he spied Allne’s lap desk and darted toward It There was a half sheet in the flap, and presently he came toward Jack. “Here’s your orders,” he said gravely. “Mine says, ‘Clear track to Robert’s Crossing.’ That’s what yours say?” “Right,” confirmed Jack. “All ready, sir?” Billy dashed down the line of chairs and with a wave of bis arm swung on to the train and began collecting and punching tickets already punched al-

most beyond the semblance of paper. So engrossed was he in bis occupation that it was several minutes before be noticed that his engineer had stepped off the train and was striding through the rain. He, too, left the flier, with its precious feminine freight, and started off after him. “Aren’t you going to play any more 1 ?” he demanded hs he caught up with the man. Orton started. “I declare, Billy,” he laughed, “I had forgotten all about being engineer. I want to catch the crowd at the woods. You’ll forgive me this time, won’t you, old fellow?” "I guess I can get Grade Arnold to be engineer,” said Billy doubtfully. “But, I say, can I have those orders? I want some more tickets.” Orton laughed. “Here’s a whole lot of paper,” he said, drawing some old letters from his pocket. “I need the one you gave me.” And he was off down the road. The chestnut grove was only a couple of miles away, and he was soon there. He had not been Invited to be one of the party. It was Mrs. Appleton’s own party, and Orton had not been popular with that lady since the advent of Marquand, but'he went In search of the party with a happy heart He found Aline and Marquand apart from the group. She flashed him one glance of welcome from her eyes, then dropped the lids on them while the red spread over her face. In the instant of greeting she had forgotten the note, and with recollection of the cold, formal phrasing of her letter she became ashamed to meet his glance. Marquand regarded the Intrusion in no pleasant fashion and began to sulk. He had been assured by Mrs. Appleton that Aline would accept him, and this nutting party had been arranged to make an opportunity for his proposal. Mrs. Appleton had drawn the others deeper into the woods, and he was just about to make formal offer of his hand • when Orton came up. He was Just contemplating the possibility of saying something that would give Jack a hint to take himself elsewhere when that young man spoke up. “I say, Marquand,” he began, “I wish you’d look up the others for a bit. I’ve something very particular to tell MJLsaAppleton.” Marquand looked at Aline for encouragement in his refusal, but she would not return his glance. He paused Irresolute for a moment and then strode off to search for Mrs. Appleton. Aline looked up with a frightened glance. “I told you not to come,” she murmured. “What will they say?” “I was acting under orders,” he insisted, holding out the letter. She seized it and looked at It. “I wrote you another,” she faltered. “Where did you get this?” “Billy was playing train, and I was the._eng!neer,” he explained. “He was looking for train orders for me. and as be had used up a letter he had in his pocket for tickets he had to make a raid on your desk. When I saw this I could not wait for your return. I obeyI ed orders, like a good engineer.” “I think it was fate.” she murmured. “I will obey the orders too.” And Orton never knew how much he owed to Billy.

HS WAS JUST ABOUT TO MAKE A FORMAL OFFER OF HIS HAND.