Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-01-30
HIS BUSY DAY.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
TT WAS my busy dax.

A pile of correspondence as daunt-
lug to mans ambition a. Pixies
Peak or the Eiffel Tower burdened nv
aes6 and there was kink in my tenn
per which | had calculated would re-
q'Lirc q dinner at Martins, tete-a-tete
with Marguerite, to effectually straight
en- out Martins chef makes a certain
pate that puts man at peace with all
the world, while Marguerite is at once
soothing and stimulating, like cham
payne.
At this point my reflections were in
Jerrupted by Forsythe, the best fellow
"a the world. but with an unlucky habit
OF turning up at the wrong moment
/ didn't give him the glad hand exact
~. for which was sorry enough after
ward. but he was too preoccupied to
notice
oh, I've something to say to you,
Austin" he said after a few prelmi-
ndries, with the effect of having Just
remembered something.
-An right" | replied taking my feet
Oh a chair to shove it toward him. ''but
make it twenty words if you can. I'm
sA Il rush to-udy
i can do it quick enough" he went
on. with an uneasy laugh Il just want
to ask you il you've any intentions of
a matrimonial sort. you know. toward
Marguerite"
The devil you dor' exclaimed 1T
strikes me that's my business
Perhaps it is" he said, with an air
Of wishing to do me every justice, per
haBs it is. but it's mine. too"
Indeed" l remarked. feeling that T
was unanswerable.
~8ou see. Austin cried Forsythe,
when you introduced billiard and me
10 Marguerite we both thought you
were a trifle gone in that direction. and
when l found / thought such lot of
her I couldn't live without her | felt
that had no right to ask for her until
I found out whether you wanted her
yourself
''Deuced good of you,' 1 commented.
sfidly, seeing he had paused for re-
ply.
''Et only seemed fair to give you the
Girst chance" be Finished, looking at
me in a hurt sort of way that made
me ashamed of myself. S
YOU'RE all right, old boy | FASTENED
30 say. Forgive me: you took me by
surprise. But since you ask me don't
mind saying l never had a thought of
marrying Marguerite" (which was true
enough, and I'd never thought of any
one else marrying her ether)
'Tm mighty glad of that" cried For
sythe, joyfully.
mo doubt" | said, trife dryly; but
he FASTENED on: "Im going to take
her 60 a picture exhibit this morning,
and thought I'd like to ask her then,
&c YOU assured me the field was clear.
/ hope l have your good wishes, Aus
Tin"
Certainly" 1 said. go ahead and
try for her and coed luck go with you.
old man"
The painful memory Of the grip he
gave my hand on leaving still fingered
with nee when billiard dropped in an
hour later. l gave billiard the other
aand.
e'Hullo he cried Busy. Austn?"
Rather" I returned. shortly. Dill
Iards only occupation in life is spend
ing an Income OF forty thousand year.
and it's hard to be glad to see a man
IKE that when you've got your own
nose down on the grindstone.
Just word in your ear and I'm
through" he announced. Its about
Marguerite, you know"
.'Marguerite" I exclaimed. "then
Heard what" he cried. Are you
engaged 70 her?"
Certainly not" | answered. with en-
nhasis. what made you think thatg'
"oh. I thought you rather fancied
tar and I'm tremendously glad to hear
yan don't care about her" Il wasn't
aware that I'D said that, but let il
passl she and her aunt are going to
take lunch with Forsythe and me to-
day, and thought might get chance
40 try my luck with her then. But as
long as you introduced us thought l
ought to give YOU the first chance"
This sounded familiar-too familiar,
IN fact.
"0h, don't mind me" l protested i'm.
patiently. My Intentions toward
Marguerite are wholly innocuouS. Wish
YOU success. Dillard.'
/ managed 70 eyade his parting hand
shake. thus saving my fingers a second
crushing, and he departed happy.
When l went To lunch and had time
20 aaalyze Ray feelings | found that
resented being forced into posing as 3
sort Of uousered fairy godmother tC
Marguerite.
OF course rs long as had no inten
lions whatever of asking her to marry
me could hardly be SO absurd as Il
resent some one else doing SO. And
certainly Forsythe and billiard siad be
haved handsomely-no one could have
done more.
But to be asked for my consent t
SIarguerite's nuptials as though wer'
her elderly uncle or benevolent maidez
aunt was n tritle trying.
At o'clock l was ON my way to ses
her. | felt that however unpleasant
my new attitude toward her might be
6 at least gave me right to know