Page:The leopard's spots - a romance of the white man's burden-1865-1900 (IA leopardsspotsrom00dixo).pdf/238

 He knew he must look like a fool, but to save him he could not help it, he was simply bubbling over with delight as he grasped her hand, and before she could say a word he said,

"You are Miss Sallie Worth, the Secretary of the Association. My foster mother has described you so accurately I should know you among a thousand."

"Yes, I have been looking forward with pleasure to our trip to the Springs when I knew we should meet you. I am delighted to see you a month earlier." She said this with a simple earnestness that gave it a deeper meaning than a mere commonplace.

"Do you know that you nearly knocked me off my feet when I first saw you in the crowd?"

"Why? How?" she asked.

"You startled me."

"I hope not unpleasantly," she said, looking up at him with her blue eyes twinkling.

"Oh! Heavens no! You are such a perfect image of the girl she described that I was so astonished I came near shouting at the top of my voice, "There she is!" And that would have astonished the audience, wouldn't it?"

"It would indeed," she replied blushing just a little.

"But I'm forgetting my mission, Mr. Gaston. Papa sent me to apologise for his absence to-day. He was called out of the city on some mill business. He told me to bring you home to dine with him. I'm the Secretary, you know and exercise authority in these matters, so I've fixed that programme. You have no choice. The carriage is waiting."