Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1895-11-07
THE VICTIM OF A PLOT.
How Ethel Oldschoole Got the
Best of Her Mother.
And Now Arthur and His Fair Inamorata
May Have the ParIOr All to
Themselves Whenever
They Wish.

Dear me, mamma, l wish you
were not such a little Puritan.
What in the world is the good of
having a lover if he isn't in love
with one? And what is the good Of
being in love with one if he doesn't
show it?
''Now I'll warrant when papa
was counting you you'd have
thought it very strange if he didn't
kiss you good night; and I'm sure if
you had drop of girlish blood in
your veins you didn't prefer the
company of the whole family IN the
parlor to that of your two selves in
a boat on the river or nook in the
shrubbery."
81 never forgot my maidenly re-
serve" said Mrs. Oldschoole. frigid-
ly; land your father was a decor
GUS gentleman, always. He never
expected me to leave the family
gathering to go to the door with
him, and when he came to spend
Sunday and went to church with US
can assure you there was no.
spooning-on the back seat of the
carriage on the way home. He sat
with papa on the front seat, and the
ladies of the family sat together
behind"
Poor mammal Then you don't
know what you've missed, re-
turned Ethel, with, however, a
slight deepening of color at this last
hit. ''You haven't as much to look
back upon as thought you had-as
I shall have when age creeps on.
Just let me read you few extracts
from this letter of Arthur's and
you'll get glimpse of what makes
life worth living. He writes ideal
love letters"
"Ethel-ahem!-do you think it
would be quite nice? I'll take it all
for gran ted, my DEAR" said the
elder woman. hastily. as she shifted
uneasily in her chair; ''Arthur
might not like you to"
''Oh, he won't mind; see here.
now, my precious little sweetheart
- that's the way it begins, and
isn't that enough to warm the
cookies of girls heart, right at
the start?"
a scandalized oh" was the only
answer.
Then it goes on-but don't in
terrupt, mamma; you ought to be
pleased! I'm sure it isn't every
daughter who would take her moth
er into her confidence in this way
The letter goes on: I am thinking
yet of your goodness in not putting
me off with a formal leave-taking
last night. 1t seemed for a moment
as if an angel had appeared to me,
when you suddenly stood before me
in your white dress in the shadow of
the big maple"
'Ethelinda!"
and you were an angel, dearest,
to think of it. have not had so
happy q moment since the day we
pretended to have missed the coach
ing party and drove to the picnic by
ourselves.
81 am sure we could extract
much more enjoyment from my in
frequent visits but for your mothers
absurd preiudices, which"
"Ethelinda Oldschoole! Am 1 to
sit here and listen, not only to the
story of your own duplicity, but
also to such gross insults to myself?
If that young man ever comes"
zone moment; where was I? Oh,
yes; absurd prejudices, which lead
her to act the petty tyrant in so
many ways (My, my! he is out
spoken. should have gone over
this more carefully before reading it
aloud-this in a pretended aside. J
But there are only a few more
lines, mamma" she went on, hur-
riedly, as hysterical symptoms be-
gan to manifest themselves in her
mother. However, dearest, we
can bless our stars the day is not
far distant when we shall be togeth-
err forever and aye. Until then, my
own, believe me, yours only,
CHARLES OLDsCHooLE.
Ethel ended with a little scream
why, mamma, it must bet is
i0Deot LtolH papa 10 your NY
goodnessl How did it ever get
among my letters? Yes, here are
some more of them.
thought it was strange. I
knew Arthur would never speak so
of you, and of course we never even
imagined such thing as pretending
to miss the coach! And as for meet
ing him So
Poor mamma! It's no wonder.
you're all upset, having old times
brought back so forcibly. Grand
mamma must have been awfullv