The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-01-16
An UNCONSCIOUS ALLY.
Alps Fair In War and In Love,
Especially In Love.

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 Tor
amiability and sweetness of dlspositlon
| may as well state at once that have
a marriageable brother.
Being possessed also of fair
amount of brains, was never for
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 l 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 nlght
with Maud and had laid awake till
a. m. exchanging condolences, and all
the time the sneak never said word
about Fred. At last l dropped off to
sleeD and was Just in the midst OF
| 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 wlnd
and soaring me almost into nervous
| Drostration, 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 lust sisters in affection, as
| heretofore. etc.
mana ged 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 a 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 1 was the most
miserable girl in the world after that,
land 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 l could not see what Maud
had done that was so wonderful any
way. Fred is anything but brilliant,
and l never considered him even good
looking, while as long as mamma lives
he hasn't a penny to his name except
his salary, which is by no means
princely.
9 But Maud! You'd have thought
she'd landed Vanderbilt or poet
e laureate the way she acted.
| pretended not to notice her airs
e and nursed my grief in proud silence
: but | had no doubt that l was the
e most wronged and unhappy creature
n that ever lived until subsequent event:
I taught me that our affairs are arrang
: ed by an all wise Providence in whom
we may safely trust. no matter how
n dark our way may seem at the time
d shall never doubt the wisdom o
G Providence again.
g To begin with, found l was likel.
d to get a lot of amusement out of thi
!, engagement Fred was madly jealou
q of Maud all the time, though any on
!. could see with half an eye that sh
'e was simply mad about him and il
+ deadly fear of losing him herself.
'e He would come home at least thre
times a week. pale, haggard and will
eyed, man bereft of hope. The res
of the time he was madly joyful an
N talked about Maud as if she was SeN
lo eral degrees higher than the seraphin
< 1t was enough to make st. Bernar
ye dog laugh just to see him.
n | also found further consolation
le the fact that his state of mind inte
ID fered seriously with Fred's appetite
he that l got all the extra pudding an
at things that had always fallen to HI
a share Fred was always a greed
d, thing), and then Perceval Jones can
ed from abroad.
e Perceval was millionaire's so
RS with a face too beautiful for wore
V and a taste for Ibsen.
be OF course all this made him desir
bic beyond most other men. but mu
w say the way the girls of Archervil
ut made different kinds of fools of thel
ye selves about him was enough to di
in gust even woman's rights advoca
no with her sex.
or | need hardly say that | was sma
e. enough to treat Mr.. Jones with mar
nd ed coolneSs. The first time l met hi
H. ~ behavior seemed to puzzle t