With Aline at the fair.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 79, 30 September 1905, Page 10

With Aline at the fair.

On all sides I hear that our local fair and flower show was a success, but I don't believe Miss Deighton thinks <-o, nor do I. The afternoon is occupied by spoits, in which the boys and youths of the village engage, and after tho distribution of prizes and tea in the booths, the company gives itself up to mild dissipation in the swings, and roundabouts, and at the riflegalleries and numerous try-your-luck stalls. But tho ' roundabout is most in favour, for you.' sit in couples in the gaudy scats, and go up and down to a discordant brassy tune blared forth to the night by a gilded steam organ. It is the nearest approach to the motion of a vessel 1 know, and one can easily fancy oneself crossing the Channel on a choppy day. The siren of .tho roundabout was screaming "The Old Bull and Bush" when I met Miss Deighton, who recognised me, first in the twilight of the illuminated heath. , . "Oh, Mr. Frobisher," she panted, and it seemed to me as if she would have clung to rhe lor support, ' "do, pluase, come! Aline " and th^a I noticed that she was alone, "Aiin-o's lost," ehe cried in distress. "Lost!" said I. "Well, .abthing will persuade me* that a. practical girl of fourteen like Aline can't take care of herself." L j "She's lest in one of the booths," declared Miss Deighton mournfully. "She saw a fab ' woman and darljed after her., I couldn't stop her. You see " I did see. Miss Deighton had four whips in one hand, a huge and mon-strously-ugly vase in the other, and under one arm a coconut. , "Where did you — have you been, shopping?" I asked puzzled. ;, "No — o !" she returned weakly. "Alines j won them — at the stalls and places," sheadded. ' '• "But why are you carrying them?" I I enquired, relieving her of tho burdens. "Oh, Alines got a lot herself," explained Miss Deighton. This was so^ as, was made manifest to me at fhat moment, for a well-grown active figure dashed, between 'us in great excitement. "I've seen the fat ,woman and the sheep with five legs," she said; . breathlessly, "and, oh, Miss Deighton, comb along; we've got to be ' weighed and try our strength." > * y She began to, tug at Miss Deighton, and half a dozen coconuts rolled out of her. • She picked them up. "Please hold them, Mr. Frobisher," she said, hurriedly civil, and piled them into my arms. "Come along, please do !" fine urged. As Miss Dejghton went sho cast an imploring glance' ut me, and I followed out of compassion. I wondered whether, if I shed a few coconuts, their loss would be noticed. Aline had stopped before a flaming light and was pushing Miss Deighton into a chair. "It goes down when you get in it," she explained volubly, "and it's so nice. I'm seven stone two." It went down when Miss Deighton sat in it, and unexpectedly, .for she uttered a littlo scream, which Aline ruthlessly' ignored. She was 100 busy examining the figures. "You're fourteen stono five," she announced. "I'm not ; indeed I'm not," said Miss iDeigihton, indignation getting .the better 1 of anxiety. "Oh, no ; it's ten something," said Aline. 'Never mind. Let's try our strength. Mr. Frobisher, you hit that with a mallet and it runs up to the bell and rings it, if you're strong. Do let's. You go first." The strength machine was next door to the weight machine, and the bell was clanging out on the evening air as tho rustic youths made trial -of their arms. I looked pathetically at my burden. "How can I?" I asked, and Alines practical eyes took in my difficulty. ''Never' mind," she said with that brisk and excited decision sho had shown, "Miss Deighton will." But Miss Deighlon, having recovered from her confusion, steadfastly refused; and so Aline announced her intention of herself., trying. She poised the mallet on her head ("Do you think wo ought to let her?" murmured Miss Deighton in my ear), moving it tentatively amid a- throng of in-, terested spectators; ("If you can suggest any plan of stopping her," I replied) and losing the balance of it, let it fall behind her, full on the lOp-hat of an elderly gentleman who had emerged from his seclusion to witness the spectacle of a village at play. "Sorry," murmured Aline. "Sorry," and withdrew in a little confusion, while the owner of the hat was inspecting the damage. She was somewhat crestfallen after this, so much so that I encouraged her by declaring that no one had a right to wear top-hats at a fair. Cheered by this, she- made a descent on a stall, Miss Deighton and myself in her train, and won two more ugly vases and a fat china doll by throwing ba'.Ls at pipes in the mouths of Indians' faces. These I had to carry, though Miss Deighlon, out of sheer shame, volunteered to take the doll. Exhilarated by this triumph, Alino delivered her fourth ball with such gusto and resolution dus to take tho showman in the eye; at which Miss Deighton and I hastily and' (I admit) pusillanimously absconded. WJich she joined us five minutes later she was unruffled, and 1 had a bilious* looking ice in ono hand and a bottle of some horrible red concoction in tho other. She was apparently enjoying both alternately, and informed us that tho latter was raepberryade. At our united entreaty she consented to forego what was left of this, but stipulated she should finish tho ice. When this was done MiE6 Deighton suggested "home;" but apparently the roundabout had not been visited, and to it we repaired. I have compared the roundabout to crossing the Channel on a bad day, and I am sure that if Miss Deighton had been awaro of what it exactly portended she would have made a stronger resistance even than she did. My usual objection on the score of my load was overruled by Aline, who piomptly suggested that it was easier to sit ho.ding them than to stand or to walk holding them ; and as I had no reply to this fminently rational leinark I meekly entered. Miss Deighlon eyed the infernal machine with diffidence ; but ifc pleased mo to see that she wns sensibly encouraged by my presence next to her ; though what I could do with an armful of coconuts and vases ! At the fir.'i switchback plunge Miss Deighton grabbed my arm in terror. I think she thought that she was going to fall headlong out of the world, but as it was, io wa-s tho vases and coconuts that did that. They tumbled out of the car in all directions, und one of the latter foil on Miss Deighton's foot, which was 6hod with an ylcgnnt thin shoe, and for the moment was effectual in dissipating her fears. Sho drew in her breath sharply and cast a frown at me. But I scarcely had lime to notice 'it when I perceived,with a sinking heart, that the largest and most hideous vase had flown out on tho platform and broken all over .a. stout lady standing there. I think it mu&t' have struck on her reticule... J Lad just_

time to hear an ejaculation of dtspali' and a.arm before \\& Shot by — I liopcxt nndetccV-d. . , But that was not to be. Each timo our car passed the stout lady gesticulated towards me, and itt last took to jabbing ut mo with her "umbrella. I believe tho aihj thing thought I had done it on purpose. AVhat mudo matter? woise watt that a mafl-in the seat behind, on tho assumption that we were engaged in somo hilarious joke began to throw confetti wildly about, but mo6tly down Misn \ Deighton's neck. Miss Deighton, now under the impression that there was to be a riot, became almost hysterical. Alino aloue was unconcerned, a seraphic grin on her face as we swept along, tho littlo bea wretch. I trusted, that wo should 1 come to a pause, away fjrom the etuut lady, and was gratified to find that wo did. I hustled my companions out N and hurried them, from the neighbourhood. s "AUne, you shall come home," declared Miss Deighton fiercely. "AH right," she absented with, a sigh., and 1 then, after looking at me, asked vi aggrieved surprise, "Air. Frobisher, whera arejny coconuts and things?" No; Miss Deighton and I did not enjoy the show.— H. B, Marriott Watsonin the Daily Mail.

For the most delicate skin— Era»mie Co.'s Glycerine and Cuoumbor Toilet Soap. — Advt.