The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1899-08-16
IN UNCONSCIOUS ALLY.
AIS Tar II War and In Love,
Especially In Love.

have always hal "A remarkably
large number Of friends of my own
sex. Lest this should lead people to
give me an undue amount Of credit Tor
amiabIlity and sweetness Of disposition
| may rs we'll state nj once that have
II marringeablc brother.
Being possessed alao Of u falr
amount of brains, VAS never for IA
moment deceived "a 10 the nature of
the affection laNshed upon me lay
most OF my female friends. But when
INV dearest chum. the girl ! really
thought loved me for myself alone
told me she was engaged 10 be mar
RED To my brother Fred my grief and
anger knew no bounds.
| Ind gone over to stay al night
with Maud and had laid awake I'LL y
"A. IN. exchanging condolences. and all
the time the sneak never said Il word
about Fred At last | dropped of 10
sleep and was just Ii tie midst oil
glorious dream. in Which | was lead
ing the cotillun With magnificent
fiiill Will III - '4Aih' - MN -
count i'm seven figures, when Maud
suddenly threw her arms about my
neck, entirely shutting off my wind
aud soaring me almost into nervous
prostratlon. and with n burst of tears
confessed that She had been Keeping
n secret from me for two whole days
aud that Ne we've to bc really, truly
sisters, not lust sisters in affection as
heretofore, cite.
| managed to wrlgglc out from under
Mauds arm. and then | sat NJ IN bed
and said things. | don't remember
exactly what they were, but they must
have been pretty bad. for Fred didn't
speak to me for week (of course
Maud had TO tell himl, and Maud her
self went around looking Ike suffer
ing martyr whenever we Glanced to he
under the same roof.
was convinced that | was the most
miserable girl In the world after that,
and the worst OF 1t WAS that every
body, including Maud herself, thought
that was only mad because she was
engaged first, an lmputation which !
need not say was entirely unjust.
I'm sure could not see what Maud
had done that was so wonderful any
way, Fred Is anything but brilliant,
and ! never considered him even good
looking, while rs long rs mamma lives
he hasn't penny to his name except
his salary, which Is by no means
princely.
But Maud! You'd have thought
she'd landed n Vanderbilt or poet
laureate the way she acted.
pretended not to notice her airs
and nursed my grief in proud silence,
but | had no doubt that ! was the
most wronged and unhappy creature
that ever lived until subsequent events
taught me that our affairs are airanS-
ed by an all wise Providence In whom
we may safely trust, no matter how
dark our way may seem at the time.
| shall never doubt the wisdom of
Providence again.
To begin with. | found | was likely
to get lot OF amusement out of this
engagement. Fred was madly Jealous
Of Maud all the time, though any ono
could see with half an eye that she
was simply mad about him ana IN
deadly fear OF losing him herself
He would come home at least three
times n week, pale, haggard and wild
eyed, n man bereft of hope. The rest
of the time he was madly joyful and
talked about Maud as II she was sew
eral degrees higher than the seraphin.
1t was enough TO make st. Bernard
dog laugh Just to see him.
| also found further consolation In
the fact that his state Of mind inter
fered seriously with Fred's appetite,
that | got all the extra pudding and
things that bad always fallen to his
share Q'red was always II greedy
thing and then Perceval Jones came
from abroad.
Perceval was milionaires son.
with face too beautiful for words
and n taste for Ibsen.
OF course all this made him desira-
BILE beyond most other men, but | must
say the way the girls of Archerville
made different kinds of fools of them
selves about him was enough to dis
gust even II woman's rights advocate
with her sex.
need hardly say that | was smart
enough to treat Mr.. Jones with mark
ed GOODNESS. The first time | met him
my behavior seemed to puzzle the
pampered youth. The second time he
appeared distinctly grateful. On the
third he asked permission to call, aud
I went home at peace with all the
world, even Fred.
For five consecutive afternoons after
that ! sat by the tea table In the back
drawing room, attired In my best
gown, expecting Perceyai-ln vain.
On the sixth he came.
What delightful surprise" ! said
gushingly. | was trifie nervous from
waiting so long.
.Ah, thanks he remarked, looking
disappointed.
And then mamma came IN ana III
J spite of my previous warnings finish