Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-05-08
THE MATCHMAKER.

and other property from his father and
was laying Midas touch on every enter
prise he took hold of.
At present he was building a house
quite an ambitious brick, with more rooms
than the usual number of four down, and
two up stairs, which WAS the common for.
mula for Linwood residences. OF course
Linwood speculated as to his purpose in
building it. When men passed the grow
ing structure, standing high in COM
handing position, on the grassy slope of
gentle hill, they nodded carelessly to
their companions and said mice place!
Wonder what Harriman's going to do
with it? The women nodded, too, but
with more decision, and oracularly, with
suppressed earnestness, remarked, Ode
pend upon it that Hollis Hartman is 60
ing to get married." The truth Of the mat
ter was that Linwood industries were
bringing in an increase in population, and
Mr.. Harriman's house was being built as
what he called "a Spec"
Miss Ferret was oubled with keen
desire to solve the mystery, for not hav-
ing any business of her own, she dearly
loved to NEEDLE with that of others. So
one pleasant spring day, after having spent
an hour or two in pricing all the costliest
goods at Mr.. Harriman's store and hav-
ing numerous samples supplied by the
long suffering clerk, she bought book of
"improved needle pointed pins" and
cent roll of tape before turning to the pro-
prietor with the insinuating question:
"Who is the happy bride you will take
to the new house, Mr.. Hartmann"
"It's dead secret, whispered he, with
a glance over his shoulder at the grinning
clerk, who Immediately assumed an ex-
preston of deep solemnity.
"Come over here where he can't hear
US. Nowl You needn't be afraid to tell
me. never carry tales"
Mr.. Hartman thought it would be a
good joke to give her a tale to carry and
see what would come of it, So, without
taking that sober, second thought which
is often deterrent to the too free play of
the unruly member, he smiled and whis-
pered, "You certainly won't tell?"
"Never! Pm sure to be close as wax
and mum as a oyster"
"Well-now be sure you don't tell it
it's Judge Mayo's daughter Blanche"
Miss Ferret fairly flew along the street
she went, for she was almost bursting
with sense of her own Importance at be-
ing the first repository of this exciting in
formation. And those to whom she con-
flded it,with many charges never to breathe
single syllable of it, went off at tangents
in as many different directions, carrying
it far and wide.
~ must go up and tell Blanche the
joke, and we'll have good laugh over it
before she hears from any other quarter"
thought Hollis Hartman as he smiled to
himself. But one thing and another con-
spired to hinder, and the story had wing
ed its way throughout the community for
three days, and Blanche Mayo had receiv-
ed a dozen congratulatory calls from wo-
men anxious to be shown the trousseau
before the merchant made his appear
ance. When he finally did so, he was dunn
founded to find that Miss Mayo received
him with power of cool stare in her
clear blue eyes equal to 40 brownstone
fronts"
With the hope of dispelling this cool
ness he told his funny story but for some
Blanche did not laugh.
$50, sir" said she, 'you made my name
the butt of a joke and gave 1t to med
dlesome old gossip to carry all over this
town. am highly honored, assure you.
1t was manly thing to do
"But, Blanche"--
"Miss Mayo, if you please"
"I-I didn't think you would take it
that way"
"No. dare say you didn't. It's very
amusing, no doubt, to Islander a young
woman to whom you never-never"--
"Slander3 Blanche-Miss Mayo-do
you think so meanly of me as to believe
that would SANDER your"
"What is Islander but the malicious ut
terance of false report, which is always
dangerous when it involves a woman 9
name?''
"You knew, of course, that we were
not-not''-- Blanche's voice faltered and
died away. n
Mr.. Harriman's throat was very dry.
He cleared it before speaking. "Not-not
formally-no!"
"What-what do you mean by formal
Typ"
Mr.. Hartman had not meant anything
special by it. He had Numbered upon the
word while trying to temporize and excuse
himself. But now, as he looked at Blanche
while she asked him this question and
saw little softening of the icy expression
of her countenance-a little flush of en-
barrassed pink color usurping the pallor
of her face-he thought to himself, for the
first time, that no other fellow should ever
have her if he could prevent it.
1t is Of no use to tell you how this art
full young man, after much self abasement
and many protestations, managed at last
to convince this irate young woman that
he had only spoken out of the fullness OF
his hearts desire and hope and prayed
that she would set the seal of her form
al" promise on what, perhaps because Of
his firm determination to win her, he might
have taken too much for granted You
and both know that he never could have
succeeded had not her heart, long since
enlisted, traitorously pleaded in his favor.
They have been married for three years
now, and Hollis Hartman is most low
erlike husband. And neither Blanche, the
people of Linwood nor Miss Ferret herself
has ever once suspected that the town gos-
sip made the match.-Minnie w. Baines-
Miller in Cincinnati Post.
The "Gentle Reader"
Charles Dickens once received an invita-
tion IN a uWalter ScOttD marty zach uuest