Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1904-09-01
MY CONFIDENTIAL
FRIEND
toriginal.l

waiter came out from the city yester-
Gay, ana after tea we climbed the hill
and sat In the summer house. There
ne proposed to me. I haven't the
slightest idea what he said. He had
hard time In getting it out, and I
didn't help him bit. He made sew
eral attempts before he was success
ful; then it came out incoherently. AS
soon as he began knew what was
coming, and that was all cared about
It. He talked on, while was in de-
lirium of Joy and never heard word.
don't believe be could repeat a SEN
tence of what he said, and I'm sure
couldn't.
When we went back to the house we
felt obliged to go into the library,
where the family were. felt so hap
Ply wanted to tell them all about it
then and there, but Walter looked as IL
he had been stealing sheep. can't I'M
derstand why men are so ashamed Of
giving way to their gentler emotions.
July 1S.-Miss Graves came yester-
day. She is to be with us week. 1
wish she had stayed away. She lis
tened obviously to all I had to say
about Walter and our engagement,
then threw q bucket of cold water over.
meat least she might as well have
done so. She said she had heard of so
many cases where men had deserted
the girls they had protested to love
that she had at last kept a record of
engaged couples and found that out of
twenty cases only five resulted in mar
rage. In the others it was the mans
fault every time.
wonder how she knew that the man
was always to blame.
Sept S.-We are to leave for the city
tomorrow. 1t has been the most de-
lightful summer I have ever spent
that is, since Miss Graves left. She
never sympathized with me in my con-
fidence in Walter, always listening to
what I said Of him with an i'll sup
pressed sheer. She said she hoped I
would not be disappointed, but her
statistics indicated that there were
three chances in four that would.
Sept. 10.-We came home yesterday.
Walter is unfortunately away on bust
ness. I'm sure he is away on business,
though Miss Graves says that the prob
ability is he has gone to the country to
see some other girl. What nonsense!
But wish she hadn't said it.
Sept. 2O.-I am very miserable. I
was suspicious Of Walter when he re-
turned and showed it by being cool to
him-that is, I wasn't at all demon
strative. am not satisfied with the
reason he gave for his absence. He
admits that he spent one night at the
seashore and that an old friend Of his,
Laura Goodwin. was there. Walter
and parted coldly.
Sept. 22.-Miss Graves told me she
had heard that Laura Goodwin and
Walter had once been on the eve of an
engagement. She has convinced me
that there Is something In this matter
and that Walters visit to the seashore
was for purpose. Miss Graves has
no faith in men whatever and advises
me to be very careful what do. She
kindly took me into her confidence and
told me that she had had lover who
treated her exactly as Walter Is treat
ing me-that is, as she thinks he is
treating me. Her lover walked off de-
hberately and married another girl.
This was ten years ago. I suppose I
ought to rely on her more than l do,
she Is SO much older than I and has
had so much more experience.
Nov 12-It is all over. Our engage
ment is broken. Walters visit to Laura
Goodwin last September did it. At least
that started it. Besides, Walter has been
very Jealous of Amelia Graves and has
warned me repeatedly to keep away
from her. If his conscience was clear
he wouldn't mind how many friends
might have to "spy on him." for he
says that's what Amelia is doing. How
unjust! She is simply giving me the
benefit of her experience. Heigh-ho!
What a miserable world to live In!
To think that Walter should have re-
leased me 80 easily. When 1 told him
he was welcome to marry Laura Good
WAL NC odASl SudI ouc Ut lGdSL !
have any bosom friends to advise her,
and she would trust him implicitly. II
he marries her I don't know how I
shall be able to refrain from murder.
Dec. 31.-I am SO mad that would
like to tear the shingles off the roof.
That woman. that thing, that meddle-
some creature, Amelia Graves, has
ruined me. Just listen to this:
Dearest Helen-I have the great JOY to
announce to you my engagement to Mr..
Enoch Spellneyer (what a horrid name).
my lover that I told you about But
didn't tell you that his wife was dead.
We met a week ago. and he told me that
he had never ceased to love me. He was
very considerable Of his wife, not blaming
her at all because she couldn't win his
heart from me. thus showing himself to
be a true man. I am 80 happy. Your low
ing AMELIA GRAVES.
p. Show is your affair with Walter
coming on? Rumor has It that he IL de-
voted to Laura Goodwin.
Talk about men deserving women!
II this isn't the meanest case of a wo-
mans deserving one of her own sex
don't know what meanness Ia. I'm