Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-09-14
An UNCONSCIOUS ALLY.
AIRS Fair In War and In Love,
Especially In Love.

Avf]kP>fN<~SFS>rSN~~N
| have always had a remarkably
large number of friends of my own
sex. Lest this should lead people to
give me an undue amount of credit for
amiability and sweetness of disposition
may as well state at once that have
a marriageable brother.
Being possessed also of a far
amount of brains, / was never for a
moment deceived as to the nature OF
the affection lavished upon me by
most of my female friends. But when
nv dearest chum, the girl really
thought loved me for myself alone
told me she was engaged to be mar
ried to my brother Fred my grief and
anger knew no bounds.
[ had gone over to stay all night
with Maud and had laid awake till Z
a. m. exchanging condolences, and all
the time the sneak never said a word
about Fred. At last l dropped OFF to
sleep and was just In the midst OF a
glorious dream, in which l was lead
ing the cOtillon with a magnificent
man with soulful eyes and bank ac-
count In seven figures, when Maud
suddenly threw her arms about my
neck, entirely shutting off my wind
and soaring me almost into nervous
prostration, and with burst of tears
confessed that she had been keeping
a secret from me for two whole days
and that we were to be really, truly
sisters, not Just sisters in affection, as
heretofore. etc.
/ managed to wriggle out from under
Maud's arm, and then l sat up In bed
and said things. l 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 him), and Maud her
self went around looking like a suffer
ing martyr whenever we CHANGED to be
under the same roof.
| was convinced that was the most
miserable girl In the world after that,
and the worst of it was that every
body, including Maud herself, thought
that was only mad because she was
engaged first, an imputation 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 as long as 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 a Vanderbilt or poet
laureate the way she acted.
l pretended not to notice her airs
and nursed my grief in proud silence,
but / had no doubt that l was the
most wronged and unhappy creature
that ever lived until subsequent events
taught me that our affairs are arrang-
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 a lot of amusement out Of this
engagement. Fred was madly jealous
of Maud all the time though any one
could see with half an eye that she
was simply mad about him and in
deadly fear of losing him herself.
He would come home at least three
times a week, pale, haggard and wild
eyed, man bereft of hope. The rest
of the time he was madly joyful and
talked about Maud as if she was sew
eral degrees higher than the seraphim.
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 had always fallen to his
share Qrred was always a greedy
thing, and then Perceval Jones came
from abroad.
Perceval was a millionaire's son.
with a face too beautiful for words
and taste for Ibsen.
OF course all this made him desira-
BILE beyond most other men, but must
say the way the girls of ArcherviIle
made different kinds of fools of them
selves about him was enough to dis
gust even a woman's rights advocate
with her sex.
| need hardly say that I was smart
enough to treat Mr.. Jones with mark
ed GOODNESS. The first time | met him
my behavior seemed to puzzle the