Smyrna times., 1903-08-26

lleve Nora thought my personal vote
would be in favor of the poor, plain
sultOr.
She came to rue one day, so mani
testify Olt of spirits that I forbore
laughing at her.
81 am in fix, Elinor," she ex-
planned Both men-the two who
really love me - have proposed. I
have told each one that 1 will give him
his answer in three months; three
months from to day"
(which will bring us to the tenth
of july" l answered. "Well, my
dear girl, I can only say that, in my
opinion, you have done foolish thing.
You should never put off till tO-mOr-
row what you can do to-day.
'But 1 was not sure-not at all sure
which would make me happier.
"How can you be more certain on
the tenth of July than you are to day,
you absurdity ?" 1 said. ''You might
have made one man immensely happy
at once, now you have missed doing a
good deed"
'"The other, though" and Nora
smiled, "would it have been a good
deed to make him miserable ?"
eyes; then he would begin to get
over it"
There was short silence, broken
only by deep sigh.
81 almost wish grandad could lose
all our money, his and mine, and be
quite poor" exclaimed the girl, sud
denly. 'Then 1 should know to a Ger
tainty which man really loved me,
shouldn't I, Elinor? ?"
"That is a very stale old plot-worn
out and not likely to be warmed up
again in your case. Mr.. Willoug hby
is no fool; his money will never be
stolen or borrowed, or lost in any un-
fortunate speculation. 1 like your
grandfather immensely, Nora, but
truth compels me to say that he is
shrewd on questions of money"
"Yes-I know"
"What does he say about your mar
rying ?" 1 asked,
Nothing that is the least help, -
and now she positively pouted. 81 an
to go on living with him at The Hall
whichever may be husband, so h'
only tells me to please myself"
81 shall have talk with Mr.. Will
loughby one of these days" L an
swered; but none OfNora's persrasioni
could extract from me any light upo1
my intentions, for indeed [ had non,
in definite form.
However, something must be done
The girl had made promise-payabl
three months after datel And thre
months soon passes.
One afternoon 1 went to The Hal
when knew Nora was out.
"Mr. Willoughby, 1 said, 81 hav
come to talk about your very foolish
grand daughter" Then [ told hin
everything. "My own conviction"
/ declared, sis that If put to any sever
! test, Mr.. Howard's devotion will cool
He merely wishes to make an advan
; tageous marriage"
We discussed, with spirit on the oil
mau's part, the means of provin
whether my suspicion was true; b
had just made rather good suggestio
/ when Nora came in, declaring that W
were talking about her.
At first she was indignant; then sh,
laughed; and lastly she grew wildl
r excited. Mr.. Willoughhy's signatur
t was to be forged to check for heav
amount. A paragraph to this effet
s was to appear in the newspapers.
: Another paragraph was to succeed
saying that the injured gentleman ha
: decided to abandon all legal proceed
: ings and accept the loss. Then at th
Y various tea parties, was to get th
y subject well talked over; to sugge
d that Mr.. Willoughby's fOrbearanC
d must arise from the desire to shlel
:, some one. Could that some one
2 Nora? But mol such thing was in
l possible.
e We all know that when any suspicic
has been dismissed as impossible,
= grows strongly and swiftly at women
y tea tables. Nora would soon find h
:, friends and neighbors looking cold
d at her; invitations would come rare
y or come not at all; lovers would fig
+ shy of her.
! VA cfS