Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1905-01-06

sible girisl I can SEQ that he's growing
80 disguised hat he wants to escape
the entire sex Aud with a shnde Of
suppressed annoyance she rose. formu.
lnting au intention 60 keep Jessie as
Ear ns possible from Mr.. Staunton for
the rest OF tue evening.
IL seemed, therefore. almost too I'M
fortunate that the two should happen
to meet aguin at her house late one
afternoon OF the following week. hav-
ing been moved to make their bread
aud butler call at the same hour Of the
same day.
Tesaic MAS at her best-or worst
and ratified away In the patois Of so.
clety Ia a mnuncr that would have
been appalling had il been less pic.
turesuue. Hiiiy's face was a study. but
Whatever his thoughts were his atten.
tlon was unmistdkable. Not one Of
Tessic's glances-sOmetimcs merry,
sometimes coquettish aud sometimes
trimming with u babyish sweetness
intended TO make him feel how big
and strong and different lie was-fniled
of It's mark. Tessie did not know
much, but that what she knew she
knew remarkably well was slowly
borne IA upon Mrs. Jack during that
half hour.
When the distant thud Of the front
door ut last proclaimed her departure
from the premises Billy, who had out
stayed her. burst into an uncomfortable
guffaw, in which his hostess Joined
him somewhat r%ucfully. But the out
burst was not followed by any OF the
caustic remarks that might have been
expected from a bachelor OF his views
and standing. On the contrary, n gen.
ial. amused CLEAN fingered in his eyes
the amusement Of a gr1wnup With "a
dainty. foolish. attractive child.
''Tossie is such n silly little thing,
observed Mrs. Jack HpOlOgetically.
'you mustn't mind her"
'Mind herr calculated her visitor
warmly. II should say not! Shes
great!' And he chuckled reminiscent
~.
But on the subject Of Miss Blali
Mrs. Jack found him u~nresponsive.
do you suppose he's interested and
doesn't want TO show it?' she demand
ed of Jack. that fountain Of wisdom
at the dinner table. Because Virgin
las precisely the sort OF girl he pre-
tends to admire. Now that I've found
his ideal for him he doesn't seem to
appreciate her"
Her husband laughed at the chagriu
In her voice.
"If he doesn't fall in love with the
lady we've provIded'-
according to his plans and spcclf.
cations" giggled his wife.
According to his own plans and
speciications-why, I'll punch his
head"
But in spite Of his opportunities Billy
remainc.l cold "a the charms of the
sensible Miss Blair. In time Mrs. Jack
noticed that 1t became increasingly dit
hcult to throw them together. Billy
simply would not he thrown.
provide a nal with what he pre-
tends to like and lie immediately finds
out that he doesn't want it, she re-
fected. with j%ustihable cynicism. lie
n he likes sensible girls, but he
won't look at Virginia. though he will
hover about that little idiot. Tessie
Loring. like "A moth about n flame"
And indeed there was plenty of foun-
dalton for her statement. Far from
causing Billy to take to the woods, as
Mrs. Jack had feared she might. Tes-
sic seemed to exercise some subtle in
fpance over him. The two were for
ever meeting. both at Mrs. Jacks and
elsewhere, by the merest chance, Of
course. And It was noticeable as time
went on that, though they arrived sep
arately. they invariably left together.
A month later he came TO tell her
Of their engagement.
"a good many persons misjudge Tes-
sic" lie began, as II he felt that she
might be one of the number, but in
reality she is one of the most sensible
little girls in the world"
lie said much more, and Mrs. Jack.
swallowing hard, accepted 1t all, agree
ing with him at every point But when
she was alone again she laughed until
the tears streamed down her cheeks.
and thus her husband found her.
"What under the heavens?" he In
quired, hut he got no further,
"Billy's going to marry Tessie Lor-
mgr she announced breathlessly. He
says she Is so sensiblel"
Jack gave a low. lneredulous whis-
tie.
'Talk about love being bllndg' he
blurted out at last. "Why, love has
an y ray eyel Nothing short OF an
y ray could see anything sensible IN
Tessle."
And he thrust his hands In his peck.
cts aud roared with her.
Saved His Dignity.
One Of the chief men in the early his
tory of Weston, Mass. was Francis