Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-02
AN UNCONSCIOUS ALLY.

l nave always had a remarkably large
number Of friends of my own sex. Lest
this should lead people to give an undue
amount Of credit for amiability and
sweetness of disposition I may as we'll
state at once that I have a marriageable
brother.
Being possessed also Of a fair amount of
bralns. l was never for a ome deceiv-
ed as to the nature of the affection law
ished upon me by most of my female
friends. But when my dearest chum,
the girl I really thought loved me for
myself alone, told me she was engaged
to be married to my brother Fred, my
grief and anger knew no bounds.
l had gone over to stay all night with
Maud, and laid awake till 8 a. m. ex-
changing condolences, and all the time
the sneak never said a word about Fred.
At last I dropped off to sleep and was
just in the midst of a glorious dream, in
which l was leading the cotillion with a
magnificent man with soulful eyes and
a bank account in seven figures, when
Maud suddenly threw her arms about
my neck, entirely shutting off my wind
and soaring me almost into nervous pros
~tration, and with a burst of tears COLI
fessed that she had been keeping a secret
from me two whole days, and that we
were to be really, truly sisters, not just
sisters in affection, as heretofore, etc.
l managed to wriggle out from under
Maud's arm, and then 1 sat up in bed and
said things. I don't remember exactly
what they were, but they must have been
pretty bad for Fred didn't speak to me
for a week (of course Maud had to tell
him). and Maud herself went around
looking like a suffering martyr whenever
We chance to be under the same roof.
/ was convinced that I was the most
miserable girl in the world after that, and
the worst of it vas that everybody, in
Guiding Maud herself, thought that I
was only mad because she was engaged
first, an imputation which I need not say
was entirely unjust.
I'm sure 1 could not see what Maud had
done that was so wonderful anyway.
Fred is anything but brilliant, and I
never considered him wen good looking,
while as long as lives he hasn't
a penny to his name except his salary,
which is by no means princely.
But Maud! You'd have thought she'd
landed a Vanderbilt or a poet laureate
the way she acted.
1 pretended not to notice her airs and
nursed my grief in proud silence, u I
had no doubt that ' was the most wrong
ed and unhappy creature that ever lived,
until subsequent events taught me that
our affairs are arranged by an all-wise
providence in whom we may safely trust,
no matter how dark our way may seem
at the time. l shall never doubt the wis
dom of providence again.
To begin with, l found I was likely to
get a lot of amusement out of this en-
gagement. Fred was madly jealous of
Maud all the time, though anyone could
see with half an eye that she was simply
mad about him and in deadly fear of los
ing him herself.
He would come home at least three
times a week, pale, haggard and Wild
eyed, a man bereft of hope. The rest of
the time he was madly jolly and talked
about Maud as if she was several degrees
higher than the seraphim. 1t was enough
to make a St. Bernard dog laugh just to
see him..
l also found further consolation in the
fact that his state of mine interfered seri-
ously with Fred's appetite. that 1 got all
the extra pudding and things chat had al
ways fallen to his share (Fred was al
ways a greedy thing), and then Perceval
Jones came from abroad.
Perceval was a m~illionaire's son, with
a face too beautiful for words and a
taste for Ibsen.
IF course all this made him desirable
beyond most other men, but I must say
the way the girls of Archerville made
different kinds of fools OF themselves
about him was enough to disgust even a
woman's rights advocate with her sex.
I need hardly say that / was smart
enough to treat Mr.. Jones with marked
GOODNESS. The first time I 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, and l went home at
peace with all the world, even Fred.
For five cOnSecutivo 9~fternoOnS after
that I sat by the tea table in the back
dr. awing-room, attired in my best gown,
expecting Perceval-in vain.
On the sixth he came.
what a delightful SURPRISE" I said
gushingly. I was a trifle nervous from
waiting so long.
"Ah. thanks" he remarked. looking
disappointed.
And then mamma came in, and in spite
of my previous warnings, finished things
by treating Mr.. Jones as il he were Albert
Edward or Mark Hanna or at least a
royal duke. Mamma never could resist a
millionaire.
Our visitor took his leave in less than
half an hour, and l knew that unless I
adopted desperate measures Perceval
Jones was lost to me forever.
But I am not one to give up easily, and
after thinking hard things all night I
finally hit on a plan and went to sleep
at daybreak and slept till noon as sweet
~ and as innocent as a child.
Early in the afternoon / telephOned to
Maud, and asked her to go with me out
to the golf links at 4 o'clock. Then l tel
ephoned to Fred to meet us there and
proceeded to make a fetching toilet with
a light heart. When we reached the links
there was Mr.. Jones Che had mentioned
that he was going the day b%efore).
He was looking bored as usual, but
cheered up when I treated him with
naughty GOODNESS.