The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-02-03
THE MASCULINE DECOY.
Colonel Cadder's Tale Of Modern
Society.

self, sat in SIN, III aicovc. far from the
piano, and almost hidden from the
res. of the company by flowers and
drapey. 1t was possible to converse
In an un,lertone without annoying
others. and as am not cup to" the
severe species of music now in vogue,
encouraged my companion to talk
about the people whose faces attracted
my notice. think he found me salts
factory listener. chuckled at the right
places. but said nothing myself, except
what was necessary to draw him on.
He had pretty well gone the rounds
of the company, mentioning some in
teresting detail about each one. calcu-
lated to impress me with the trite fact
that this is a very queer world. when a
young man walked slowly down the
staircase and seated himself facing us,
but at considerable distance.
Colonel Calder started as he espied
him; and said: "Aha! There is Went
WORTH
observed the new conner carefully,
but SAID nothing.
The Colonel was silent for minute
or two. stroking the gloves which lay
upon his knee.
"There are only a few men," he said.
presently. .'who have any suspicious of
that young mans true sphere in life.
He is the most interesting and mys-
terious character that know. Inquire
about him at random. and You will be
told that he is the son of the late George
Wentworth. well known in Wall street
ten years ago, who left snug fortune
to his widow and this youth. His
mother, they would explain, lives in .
quiet sort of way on Thirty-eighth
street. and Hugh himself passes the
easy, indolent life of the average So
eiety young man. You will find him
well liked everywhere. and those who
know him well would. perhaps speak
enthusiastically of his brilliant CONVEX
sat;on and charming manners"
"Ycs," Iassented; che looks all that
you say"
scrutinized the young mans face
more carefully. call him young,
though l suppose he was in the neigh
borhood of thirty. To man who has
toiled through half century of ex-
istence, every man not forty is juene
encore. His countenance showed more
character than was TO be observed in
most OF the young men who freguented
Mrs Vanderhrink's parlors, but it was
not striking in any way.
land wherein is the world laboring
under an error?" l asked.
'In supposing that he has any prop
crty. Old Wentworth was not as rich
as people imagined, and what money
he left was so ill-invested that it finally
all disappeared-by evaporation"
so this elegant young man is COM
PEELED to live upon the charity of his
relatives?" said !, enquiringly.
mo. his degradation is infinitely
greater than that He has no wealthy
relatives. and is, therefore, forced to
earn living for himself and those de-
pendent upon him. No one suspects him
of it. yet he enjoys handsome income
from profoundly mysterious source"
els he private detective?" I haz-
arded; this being the only mysterious
business knew any thing about
The Colonel shook his head.
perhaps he leads germans for the
nouveaux riches" continued. cor
begs Wall street pointers from the wives
of brokers who talk in their sleep"
Neither of those" said the Colonel.
Then. leaning over, he whispered in my
ear. He is a Decoy."
..Indeed!' I said. with fortunate
presence of mind. Il would not have
expected it."
Presently, as the Colonel showed no
disposition to proceed. was compelled
to ask humbly for explanations
1.-The Decoy is new idea" he said.
recently introduced from Paris. where
ali our bright ideas originate. Society
in Paris. however. does not present the
opportunities for the display Of the De-
coy's genius which are offered here. In
France girl marries to suit her pa
rents; in America she arbitrates her
own destiny. The French girl has
plainly the advantage, because she has
some one else on whom to lsy the
blame
''Of course" ( said; 'but the De-
coy?" 9$3
The Decoy." repeated the Colonel.
impressively, at is the business of
the Decoy' to prevent those mesalli-
ances which are the bane of our social
system"
continued to look mystified. and the
Colonel resumed:
alt is safe to say that out of every
five engagements which take place in
society. two on an average are unsatis-
factory to the parents. Let US have
statistics In one of these two cases,
we may refer the disapproval to the
mans side of the house; in the other.
10 the woman's. For the man, nothing
can be done; but for the girl, there is
always hope-that she may change
mutabile semper. you understand.
''Exactly," I assented; land the De-
coys"
The Decoy does the business grace
fully and pleasantly. without sstract-