Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-12-29
OUR BACHELOR FRIEND.

Positively, you won't have anything
more-another cake or a cup of cocoa!1
And pretty. browneyed Miss Kittridge,
standing by the tray in her fathers cozy
library, glanced inquiringly around into
eyes gray. blue, hazel. and brown like
her own. you are leaving the big
chair for me. Though / be the hostess,
since have taken the liberty of appoint
ing myself speaker, / will take it'll can
cut short my peroration if you will kind
ly call TO mind that your notes ran some
thing in this wise: Miss Kittridge will
be at home Wednesday, October 2l, at
p. m. The favor of your company is spe.
cially requested, as matter of interest
to us all will be under discussion. For
moment will you be so kind as to take
an inventory Of yourselves? Before to-
day have more than three of you ever
been under the same roof togetherG Have
more than two of you, except in the case
Of the Misses Cube? Now who will ba
first to surmise what matter can be of
common INTEREST,""
"A man |" cried the unconventional
Miss Salter, with one Of her sparkling
little trills of laughter.
~The man." amended Miss Norwich,
with her usual directness Of speech.
"Why not say Mr. Grange and be done
with it" said Miss SODIUM sourly. "a
handsome trifier who has made love to
every unmarried woman in the place.
Miss Kittridge smiled, and then wait
ed a moment as she glanced around.
"Ah, IS of us-an unlucky number for
Mr.. Grangei Young ladies, they say .
woman can keep her own secret better
than that of another. As the proceed
ings of this little convention are of inter.
est TO each of US, think we shall find no
trouble in holding them strictly conf
Dental Now the next condition would
impose is not as easy as it looks at first
blush. Hands up, all Of youl Who viii
tell the exact truth for the next half
hour2 Come, Miss Dayo, wear your
heart on your sleeve for once in your life;
it may ease il.
The smile on the speakers face was so
sympathetic, so sweet, so reassuring, thai
though Miss Dayo's tender brown eyes
way in its beat like frozen waterfall,
yet she raised her hand.
"Now set aside all self depreciation
while you answer this question from your
own private point Of view: How many
of you believe Mr.. Grange at sometime
showed marked symptoms of being in
love while in your presence? Come,
Miss Delno, they had you engaged to
him.
$50 have we all been. sighed Miss
Salter.
Miss Dayo, you need not put up your
hand; ! read your answer in your eyes.
AS she looked around laugh shone
in her own bright brown orbs.
"Graciousl girls, she exclaimed, "whai
mighty fountain of love must be well.
ing up in that heart of his that it can
reach us all"
1T may be one Of those parlor fount-
ains," suggested Miss Norwich, using
the same water over and over again
"Or his love may be like the wind,
said Miss Cube 1T bloweth where
girl listeneth, and no one knows whence
it cometh or whittier it goeth.
"Or, sighed Miss Salter, the wind or
wave motion moves on, but the calm
depths so tossed and torn must fall back
in the same old place-squeezed lemon
fashion.
"0h, Miss Salter beg of you do not
tell me that he pressed your hand tool
cried Miss Fair.
Would you have me accuse him OF
partialityl Is not the language of true
love ever the same?"
Then suppose, said Miss Ellsworth
"that he popped out of his office like
jack in the box at all of you.
Come, girls, must call you to order,
said Miss Kittridge, at this juncture. a.
have another question. How many OF
you have had an odd moment or two
with Mr.. Granger Miss Fair and Miss
Ellsworth, your hands are not up Lucky
girlsl You, too, Miss Lynni"
You see, said Miss Lynn, in that big
CHEEKY voice Of hers, II was engaged
though if Mr.. Grange had begged mt
| quite hard but 60 on Miss Salter.
"Well, said that lady, with a laugh
might after night spread before hin
engageless hand, but TO no purpose. He
seemed to take no real heart interest il
me till wore Tom Martins ring; ther
he found value that possession would
not show him
@Girls, said Miss Kittridge, as she
leaned her chin thoughtfully in her hand
"since my engagement 1 have been en-
abled to see Mr.. Grange with other eyes
l do not say they are truer ones, but al
all events he stands before me in the clear
light of reason. and not in fancy's rosy
rays. Now, young ladies, aside from his
one fault, you viii all agree that he is
model man. That he is bright and tai
ented his numerous cases testify. How
q man 30 constant to his profession can
be so inconstant in his love affairs is the
nj