The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1902-02-28
The Dick and
Dorothy Affair
BY D. H. TALN1ADGE.
Copyrighted by Authors sydicate.)

THE first intimation we at Bowling
ton had of the circumstance con-
sisted of two black headlines in the
Daily Gazette, surmounting a half col
umn of commonplace nouns, eXhil-
arated verbs and vivid adjectives,
which really were not warranted.
Dorothy Epworth had gotten beyond
her depth in RedstOne lake, and had
been I'm a fair way to drown when one
of the bOatmen at the Chummel inn
rescued her. that was all. Dorothy
was ever doing something to draw the
attention of the multitude. We at
DowlingtOn had little patience with
her. We doubted her sincerity in the
present instance, suspecting, as eX-
perience had taught us to suspect,
that her distress in deep water had
been simulated. She could swim like
n duck.
Therefore it was that we discussed
the matter entirely without show Cf
emotion and, in part With severity.
Mrs. Trowin, whose brother Dick
was desperately in love with Dorothy
and manfully avowed that he cared
not who knew it, was particularly de-
cided in her remarks.
81 can just see that girl" said she,
lowering her eyelids in a way she has,
81 can just see her coming it over
those people! I'll warrant you she
did not attempt to threaten her little
tragedy until the shore was well lined
with spectators, and the newspaper
reporter was at point favorable to
observation, and Dick poor, foolish
Dick! Why does he persist in wear
ing his heart upon his sleeve ?-was
so situated that not a narrowing de-
tail could escape him. I'll warrant
you her heart was fairly bursting with
mischievous citation even while her
cries for help were thrilling with hor-
rOr those who heard. o, l know her!
Don't tell mel"
She dabbed viciously at the salad
with her knife, which act precluded
any doubt of her sincerity, and lis
tened patiently while others of us said
things. Then she continued:
Dorothy will know after awhile
what l say of her here. She will
wheedle and coax it out of some of
you, every word. But I''-and Mrs.
TrOwin's voice at this iuncture was
well worth hearing and her face was
well worth seeing-"am not afraid of
her. Is not sister justified, pray tell
me, IN shooting mOrsels of opinion at
the one who trifies with the hottest
sentiments of an only brothers heart ?
Has Dick not followed ner like an alb
ject hound for more than year? And
has She not made of him a spectacle to
delight the giddy throng? Yea, verify
I am neither prophet nor the daugh-
ter of a prophet, yet will suggest to
thee a story which will in time circu-
9ate throughout the circles at Red.
stone Lake and attain a certain pOPu.
larity on Swellvue avenue itself Dor
othy Epworth will confess. She will
admit that her distress in the water
was merely ssumed-assumed to test
Dick And the world will laugh al
Dick because he stood like a stick
while a common bOatman rescued her
o. it is abominable!"
None of us took issue with Mrs
Trowin, and the conversation Jagged
heavily after this. We knew Dorothy
Epworth. Some of us feared her. Al
of us feared Mrs. TrOwin. Hence the
conditions were not favorable tt
pleasant talk. We were distinctly re
Iieved when the dinner was over.
The subject was not again referred
to seriously for three weeks. at the
end of which interval the wisdom Of
Mrs. Trowin was proven, to her owl
satisfaction, at least. Dorothy had re
turned from the lake to the city, anC
Dick. of course, had followed. The
Trowins had closed their house al
Dowlington, and Mrs. Trowin had sig
naiized the occasion by crying out a.
she stood at the carriage door: 1.-THE
season is dead! Long live the sea
son. Whereat we had elapped ou1
hands and murmured: "How charac
teristic! What a woman she isl" quite
a. though she had said something
worth while.
And the very first chip of gossip sci
aloat upon the winter seasons stream
was that pertaining to Dorothy Up
worth and her testing of Dick Dove
lin. And the world. as society novels
for some reason call that class of be
ings which in reality is not the world
laughed at Dick as mis- sister hac
prophesied it would do.
"The ideal" Dorothy Epworth was
reported to have said to the circulat
ing medium which she had chosen as
a confdante, "the idea of my marry.
ING a man Of such small spirit! The
man whom + marry must be something