Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1896-03-16
NO ONE KNEW HIM.

Il am very sorry, George, but this
was really what she said"
These were the words of Florence
Larkin to her brother. George had
Entrusted her with that difficult comis-
slon-to find out why Gertrude was
Off and on with him-why she was
sometimes so cordial and sweet and
sometimes SO distant. And poor Flor
ence had to explain to George that
Gertrude had virtually said that he
was too commonplace. She could not
marry a man that nobody talked
about and nobody knew. He was
good, he was kind, he was successful,
he was everything that Miss Edge
worth would require in one Of her
novels, but he did not attract peoples
attention. Nobody ever heard of Geo.
Larkin
After Florence had explained this
in the minutest way possible twice,
George seemed to understand what
she was talking about.
"Does she want to see my name in
the neWspapers?'
sI should not say that,'' said Flor
ence.
"Does she want me to ride down
Broadway IN plate armor and nail on
the doors of Trinity notice that she
is the prettiest girl in the world?"
''She did not say So" said Florence.
"Does she want to see me any
more?n
81 should think you would do better
if you went there less" said Florence.
eff all she wants is to have me talk
ed about, she shall have her way!"
And George Larkip founced out of
the room.
Ten days after, as Gertrude Clark
came down, rather late, to her break
fast, the servant brought in a pile of
letters on the salver. Gertrude's
little sister counted them; there were
%. "What in the world has happen
ed?n said she.
The little sister cut them open, and
Gertrude read:
DEAR Miss CLARK think you
know Mr.. George Larkin. Will you
have the kindness to put his address
on the note inclosed?
DEAR Miss CLARK-Do you know
your friend Mr.. Larkin we'll enough to
ask him to come round to our recep-
ton? 1t is very informal, but we shall
be SO pleased to see him.
DEAR Miss CLARK am so annoy
ed that I forget Mr.. Larkin's first
name. [ want to send him a card for
our party. May trouble you for his
address?
Twenty three notes that contained
such references to George!
Yet for these ten days past George
had not sent her-no, not a carnation.
self from driving with her in the park.
He was not even at her aunt's regular
family party, where he had begged
her to have him invited. George had
wholly dropped out of her life, and
Gertrude had begun to wish that he
had not dropped out.
The reader shall know what has
happened. The reader shall know how
a nice girl may be suddenly walked up
to find that her lover is not the unim
he had made her believe. The reader
shall know how one young man got
himself named from one end Of con-
tinent to the other.
tbic Iorro
city of 1900, 900 people, which is the
capital of large country, which coun
try, is next to the republic of Altruria.
This country was governed partly
by the principles of the nation of AL
truria, partly by the principles of the
devil and partly by a sort of happy go
lucky system which had worked very
we'll for 100 years. In the course of
the happy go lucky arrangements it
found itself in scrape for the sort of
ready money that it wanted. 1t had
some ready money, which the people
did not much like, and it wanted
some ready money made OF beaten
gold. And so the chief magistrate of
this happy go lucky country had is
sued his proposals for what was called
a popular man."
Nobody knew very we'll how the
loan was to be taken up, but every
body was quite sure that his next door
neighbor had better subscribe to it,
People went so far as to say how much
Mr.. Jones ought to subscribe. But, up
till the moment when Gertrude sent
that unkind message to George by
Florence, nobody knew very we'll how
the thing was going to turn out. It
might be that the popular loan would