The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-30

Once upon a Time there was a Lonely
and Deserving Girl named Clara VINO "as
getting so near Thirty that she didh wan
to Talk about II. Everybody had q uooo
word for her. She Travelled Win "e
Thoroughbred and was always Amons
Those Present.; so ii was hard 10 unue'-
stand why she hadn't Married. olhel
Girls not as Good Looking or Accompilsheu
had been grabbed off while they were
Buds. Already some of them were pegih-
ming to act as Chaperons for Clara. Ihey
were keeping Tab on Clara's Age too' anu
began to think that she would land on the
Bargain Counter and have 10 be satisheo
with a Widower who wore a Toupee ana
dyed his Eyebrows.
Clara was somewhat Of a Mind Reader.
She knew that the Friends Of her Youth
were predicting a Hard Finish for her, SO
she decided to Fool them. And she knew
that IL Behooved her to Catch On peIore
the Children started in to call her Auntie.
Now it is not to be inferred that cara
was what the Underwriters call a Bad
Risk. She never had been a Drug on the
Market. When she went to a Hop she
didn't nave to wait for Ladies Choice In
order to swing into the May. In fact, she
had been Engaged now and then just for
Practice, and she had received Offers from
some of the holdover Bachelors who went
around Proposing from Force of Habit.
But Clara was not out for any man who
had been Turned Down elsewhere. She
wanted the Right Kind and she was going
to do the Picking herself.
Having made an Inventory Of the Posi-
bilities she selected the Treasurer of the
Choa Erooforx, ond dooi1od that che 00rrld
Love him without Straining herself. He
was about her Age and was almost as
good looking as a Gibson Man and had Al
Prospects. 1t would be no Easy Job 10
Land him. however, because the COMPETE
ton was very keen and he was Wary. try
ing to be a Kind Friend to every Girl he
knew but playing no Favorites. He kept
the Parents guessing. The Treasurer of
the Shoe Factory was what any Society
Paper would call a Great Catch.
Clara got Busy with herself and Matched
a Scheme. When all the Smart Set got
ready to pike away for the Heated Term
Clara surprised her Friends by guessing
that she would remain at Home. 1t was a
Merry Thing to do because all the Social
Headliners who could command the Price
were supposed TO fit off to a Summer Hotel
anu lOitti On lie III cIduQd liz lty u
think they were Recuperating.
Clara told her Mother to go as usual, but
she would stay at Home and be a Com
panion to poor lonesome Papa. So all the
Women went away to the Resorts with
their Cameras and Talcum Powder and
Witch Hazel, and Clara was eft alone in
Town with the Men.
1t is a Traditional Fact that there is no
Coo;ol tee ~, Usou-, ,,rf, &h1 no~ no,.c
But there is nothing to prevent a Bright
Girl from Starting Something. That is
what Clara did. -
She stocked up the Refrigerator and hung
a Hammock on the Lawn with a few Easy
Chairs around it. The Young Men ma
rooned in Town heard of the Good Thing
and no one had to tear their Garments to
induce them to come. They arrived at the
rate of from Seyen to Twelve a Night and
dipped into Papa's Cigars n the Liquid
Nourishment regardless. Although Clara
had remained in Town to act as Companion
to Papa it was noticed that when she had
all the Company in the Evening Papa
either had been Chloroformed and put to
Bed or else he had his Orders to stay
Under Cover.
Clara did not send for the Treasurer of
the Shoe Factory. She knew better than
to go out after her Prey. She allowed him
to find his Way to the House with the
others. When he came she did not chide
him for failing To make his Party Call;
neither did she rush toward him with a
Low Cry Of Joy, thereby tipping her Hand.
She knew that the Treasurer of the Shoe
Factory was Next tc all these Boarding
School Tactics and could not be Handled
by the Methods that go with the College
Students. Clara had enjoyed about ten
years Experience in handling the Creatures