The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-20

JsMODERN FABLES" by George Ade
ole Modern Fable Of Spring fields 5
Fofresf FIoe~er and Lonesome Agnes. 5
WHO Was Crafty. Il * * Il Il N
Robe Howard Russell J
~~~~~~~~-~-~-~~-~~~-
}s.M0DERN FABLES" by George AIDE.
Copyright, 1901, by Robert Howard RUSSELL

or the Young Men would drift over 70 nsv
a little Attention to Agnes. Here was N.
chance for Agnes TO make the Mistake .,
her Life. But she never asked them -
so Bitterly. IL they had been to see Maz,s
first, and she never made any OF TINS
unwelcome Cracks about being secona
Choice. She received them with the lons
Hand Clasp and the Friendly Smile ana
threw herself TO Entertain them. wottinv
well that now and then a Girl must poke,
her Pride and she Laughs Best who post
pones her Laughing until after the Bans
have been Published.
Instead Of seeking to undermine the Tn.
crowned Queen of Springfield and put the
Skids under her and call attention TO her
Superhciality and Bad Spelling and all that
she lauded Maize to the Skies. She asked
the Boys If they did not think that Maize
was a Dashing Beauty and by far the
SWEETEST in Town, and was it any Wonder
that the whole Crowd was Dotty about
her When she talked like that the Beaux
who had not been making much Roadway
with Maize on account of the Terrific Com
petition were inclined TO Demur and say
that Maize was unquestionably an Artist
on the Makeup and n Caution when IL
came to Coquettish Wiles, but there were
Others just as Nice. Some OF them said
that the Maize Game was being worked too
hard.
In this Town of Springfield there was a
Steady Young Fellow who wrote Junior
after his Name and was Prospective Heir
to an Iron Foundry. He was Foolish about
Maize for quite a Spell. but when he went
I'D to see her and try to make it worth her
Time to look him over the Door Bell kept
ringing and he found that instead of con-
Quoting a Courtship he was simply getting
in on a Series of Mass Meetings. So he
took to dropping over to see Agnes. and
found that he was the Whole Thing. She
treated him Kindly and never disagreed
with him except on one Point. Whenever
he would say that Maize was getting the
Big Head and put on too many Frils to
suit him, and had been Spoiled by having
| so many on her STAFF at one time Agnes
would stick up for her Friend and say that
she could hardly blame any Man for CIV
| ing in to the Superlative Charms of One
who had Julia Marlowe and Cleopatra set
back and worried.
She kept that Talk going until he was
good and tired of having Maize dingdonged
| at him. One Evening he stopped her right
in the middle of an Eulogium and suggested
| that they let up on the Maize Topic and
| talk about Themselves for a while. And
although she Protested, he convinced her
that she was worth a Ten-Acre Field full
| of Mazies.
| So they were Married and went to Mag
ara Falls and came Home, and still Maize
remained Single. She was supposed to be
| several Notches too High Up for any One
Man in Springfield. After getting such Job
| Lots of Adulation and having at least six
| pulsating Courtiers kneeling on her Sofa
| Pillows every Evening it would have been
| a Tame Let Down for her to splice UP with
| one lone Business Man and settle down
| to dull Existence in some Apartment
| House So 1t came about that there was a
| General Impression in Springfield that
| Maize was the Unattainable. She was a
kind of Public Character to be Idozed.
but not removed from the Pedestal The
discouraged Suitors fell away one by one
| and married the ordinary 1S-Karat Girls
who were willing to Play Fair and not
keep the Applicants dangling. Maize took
| I'D with a new Generation and seemed to
| believe that she could reign Forever. the
| same as the Elfin Queen in the Fairy Story.
| But the Peach Crops come and go.
After few Years Mazie's Door Bell did
/ not Tinkle with its whilom frequency, and
| right down the Street there was a Seven
| teen-Year-Older who had shot up out OF
I Short Dresses like Willow Sprout and II
| was her Picture that went into the Special
illustrated Edition as Springfeld's Fairest
Daughter.
Maize saw that the Vernal Season had
| passed and the Harvest Time was 1T Hand
so she decided to chop the Phi'andering
and pick one out for Keeps. But when she
began to encourage the Eligibles they took
| it to mean that she was prolonging the
same old String Game. The Men who knew
that she had turned down at least Fifty
| figured that there was no Possible Chance
for them. so they were Ieery and would
not be led into Committing themselves
| Besides, Maize had been handed around
| by so many that she was beginning 10 be
| Graded as Second I5and, and there was
| not the same keen Anxiety to capture her
that there had been along about the Year
of the Worlds Fair.
At last Accounts she was supposed TO be
Guessing. Agnes is doing Nicely, with
well-broken Husband
| Moral-Cheer Up, Girls.