The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1903-03-12
Mrs. McXeever was plainly nervox

Mrs. McKeever was plainly nervoux
through the preliminary handshaking
when they met on Saturday after
noon, but Dudley had braced himself
for the occasion and acquitted him !
self as became the literary trustee Of 4
a noted general.
Il must confess" said Mrs. Nc /
Eeever, that l was astonished wheE
Henry Grant proposed your name as
an accomplished historian. l did not
know that you aspired to fame In
that direction. Furthermore, didn't
know that you and Henry were such
close friends"
"Oh, yes" said Dudley, carelessly.
1--WE known Grant for years"
$50 he tells me. He seems very fond
Of you. l really did not know it was
possible for one man to care so much
for another. l hope that you are
equally devoted to him. His praise Of
you is uustinted. He says that you
are the best friend he ever had and
that he likes you better than anybody
else in the world"
Does hep" murmured Dudley.
Dear old Hank"
"And, besides, he is so very proud
Of your literary achievements. If l
didn't know Henry to be such a level
headed fellow / should accuse him of
gushing. i should be afraid that his
Judgment had been warped by the
heat of friendship and that his rec
ommendation was not entirely reli-
able. However, l have decided to
take his advice, and if you are will
ing toto enter upon the probation
which | explained to him would be
required of you-why-"
She shifted her eyes uneasily. Dud-
leg felt that he had skated safely
over the thinnest parts of his duplici-
| ty, and he filed up the pause buoy
antly.
Now, see here, Luella," he said,
you ought to know pretty well how
| feel about the matter. / put the
question to you six years ago, and
YOU turned me down most beauti-
fully. l swallowed the dose, l flatter
myself, with fairly good grace, but l
kept on thinking of you pretty con-
stantly, even after you married Gen.
Mckeever and went to Chicago to
live. Ever since you've been single
again I've been aching to sound you
on the subject. but | felt rather
afraid of you and thought I'd better
60 slow. want you, Luella, and l
want to write the generals biog-
raphy Are you willing to let it go
at that?'
yes" sighed Mrs. McKeevcr; If
you're satisfied, | am"
In the first thrill of victory Dudley
felt that the only way he could hon
orably square himself was to confess
his double dealing. Many times in
the course of the afternoon he was
on the point of making clean breast
OF it. but modesty always forbade.
IF hadn't spread it on so thick in
my own behalf shouldn't mind,' he
argued. "Since | did, think I'd bet
ter let things so as they are. I'd feel
pretty sncaking to have her know
that blew my own horn so loudly
Grant came home that evening, but
D~diay was too h,sv pordering over
the outcome of his epistolary enter.
prise to say much to him. Just be-
fore they went to bed he remembered
that he must caution Grant to keep
their scheme a secret.
"By the way, Grant. you haven't
told anybody about our exchanging
letters. have you?" he asked.
Grant yawned. NO" said he
"only one person. l told her the
evening the plot was hatched, but
she doesn't count. She'll never say
anything about it,
"She?" echoed Dudley. "Who is
she?"
"Oh. nobody but Luolla Mckcever
She's all right"
Dudley caught his dropping head in
both hands.
"Good Lord" he said, "l've got q
plot, now, with a ~. y
Times.