Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-09-26

exclaimed, before you go, want very
much to introduce to you my friends
husband, Mr.. Huntington-Mr. Fen
way
generally meant Still, that was several
cling about Miss Lancaster.
YES. Jack, 1 always thought good
deal of that girl
He repeated this, wondering why
had not answered him before
eyes. 1 know you did. And do you re-
member that Thanksgiving we went on
to New York to see the Yale-Princeton
game, and you took me to call on her?"
''Sure. that was just after the summer
first met her. And remember, too.
that you were not so powerfully taken
with the original as you had been with
her photo on my desk"
mo, and I've always wished I'd never
made that call. Then 1 wouldn't have
known her, and all those heated dis
cussions we used to have about the girls
worth or worthlessness would have been
avoided
'tStill, Jack, you'll have to admit that
she a terribly fetching and fasci-
mating girl"
Eyes, yes, Phil, I've admitted that
thousand times, but that isn't the ques-
ton. My point has always been that
she wasn't girl who had enough in her
to warrant a fellow of your good sense
going crazy over her. Fetching and
fascinating-Jove, man, there are any
number of your tickle, f1ighty. skin
deep sort of girls who are fetching and
fascinating, and she's one of them. But
fiddlesticks, what do they amount to?
Nothing-never get married-grow up
into detestable old maids with sour
faces and still sourer dispositions. Come
now, Phil. I'll bet you ten to one that
Pearl Lancaster never gets even en-
gagged
mo, no, Jack, 1 won't do it. It's bad
principle betting on girl, anyhow.
Besides. you might lose the wager, for
she came mighty near getting a man
last summer"
''Why, how do you know?''
ST saw her at Bar Harbor."
"Were you down there again last sum-
mer?"
"Yes"
"And was she THEREOF
eyes"
'"Hum, then I'll bet you repeated the
foolish performance of your sophomore
year."
Il did, Jack, with compound interest.
We were together most of the time.
Never had such a jolly summer before in
all my life
And the other man you said she near
ly captured-where did he come in?"
''Oh, he was a particular friend OF
mine, SO I didn't begrudge him any
thing. Excuse me a moment, Jack,
must get some more coal for that fire.
Better fill up a pipe"
70 Il II
served at the time that Phil smoked
the same abominable tobacco. Expen,
sive stuff, but, gadl how it burnt a
mans tongue. Phil was the only fellow
who ever smoked it without swearing.
The other men invariably declined It,
so we always claimed that he used that
particular brand to keep his friends
from pirating tobacco off him. But
then, that wasn't so, for Phil was the
most generous-hearted fellow of the
gang.
Having filled the pipe went to the
mantelpiece for a match; that was
where he used to keep them-when he
had any. 1 didn't find a match, but
found photograph that had been laid
there. 1t was n new one of Pearl Ian
caster-had undoubtedly just come
with the letter. I was holding it in my
hand when Phil came back from the
coal closet.
"Well, what do you think of it, Jack %
Grand. good-looking girl beyond
doubt. And L suppose if you were witt,
her again all last summer you must be
more cracked than ever over her."
Phil surprised me by uttering sigh
and sinking down into a chair.
ALAS! Jack, am-fatally So" were
his respondent words. "And now what,
oh. what, do you suppose she writes me
in this letter."
''Jove! not that she's engaged, is She
man? Luckily for me you didn't take
that bet.''
Eyes, Jack. she says she's the hap
piest little girl in the world, for she's
engaged to the dearest fellow in the
world. Engaged at last. Poor girl. /
suppose you'd say poor fellow. And
such a fellow, too-oh my! Well, all
can say is that I've seen worse fellows
and-and better. Oh. dear!"
But who is she engaged to? What's
his name?"
''The man she was with down at Bar
Harbor last summer"
Not the other man."
"Alas, no, the others other man."
Not yourself. you fool?"
Poor Phil covered helplessly down in
the chair and feebly held out his hand
as if expecting a whipping.
Eyes, Jack" he whimpered. "congrat-
ulate and forgive me. old fellow, but
Pm-rm the man."