The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1906-07-19
A Matchmaker'S
MiSadVenture.
BY HARRISON T. GRAHAM.


Big George Sampson sat down on
the lounge where he had found his
wee bit of a wife crying in the sofa
pillows and gently lifted her to him.
Isn't the house party a success
he asked, gently, 'or has the COOK
gone wrong again?"
Twill Cummings is a pig-headed, OBJ
stinate brute, and | hate him, re-
marked the young wife, irrevalently.
And as for Carrie Hepburn, | will
never speak to her after this party is
over"
And she stamped her pretty foot
spitefully on the rug and jabbed the
tears from her eyes viciOusly.
will Cummings-Carrie Hepburn"
repeated Sampson. "Why-what-
how" and his voice died away in
hopeless bewilderment.
They are perfectly hateful" replied
his wife. Don't you see, you great
goose. | got up this party and went
to all the trouble and have endured a
whole week with a house full of peo-
pie when | might have had you all to
myself-and why?"
BLESS me if | know" replied Samp-
son, running his hand through his
hair. But what has Cummings and
"Why, 1t was all to get Will and
Carrie together and make a match
don't you see?"
ooh, ah, um," replied Sampson,
! more or less lucidly, a light beginning
to dawn on his ~befogged intellect.
"They we're born for each other and
| happen to know that they were much
struck with each other when they
first met" pursued Mrs. Sampson.
And Carrie was my old chum and |
know she was half In love with Will
and VIII showed every symptom of
having a great admiration for her.
And they met but seldom, living in
different towns. And | thought what
jolly good fun it would be to get them
together for a week or ten days under
the same roof and make a match of
it,"
"Oh, you conspirator!" laughed
Sampson, indulgently.
We'll, ! am SO happy myself" re-
piled the little woman blushing, "and
like my own married life so much that
| thought | would help things along
for Carrie and Will"
Her husband bent and kissed her.
! you're a darling" he whispered.
ho1Ifpr hAr t;uht INUn1l ,ylot'c CnrA
wrong?"
Everything" she replied, the tears
again starting to her eyes. That
hateful Will Cummings will not even
look at Carrie. He fiirts with all the
other girls and goes fishing with the
men, but | can't get him into the same
O with Carrie, excepting at meals,
and then he changes seats with some
body or talks to somebody on the 9TH
err side or across the table. And the
worst Of it is when by the most pa
tient and deep-laid diplomacy l do get
them together-as | have lone sew
eral times-then Carrie, the mean
thing, spoils 1t all and freezes up and
drives him away or goes away her
self. It's too hateful for anything and
| cannot understand 1t at ALL"
Perhaps they were not so much
struck with each other as you
thought" remarked Sampson, thought
fully.
you hateful ~thing-don't you think
| know a pair of lovers when | see
them" exclaimed Mrs. Sampson,
wrenching herself loose and flashing
an indignant glance at her spouse.
Then she fell into his arms with true
womanly inconsistency and cried pitt
fully, "Oh, George, that is just the
trouble. I've made a fool of myself
and III never forgive them-never,
never!"
Come. come" said Sampson, now
thoroughly master Of himself and the
situation. Don't take it so hard.
What Of it, anyway. We've had a
jolly week and what does it matter to
you If Cummings and Miss Hepburn
don't happen to fancy each other as
you supposed. The whole COMPOUNDED
lot of 'em are not worth the tears you
have shed to-day. Pull yourself to
gether and let's go down to dinner
This is the last evening. you know
The party breaks up tomorrow"
Mrs. Sampson went into her room
to go through those motions by which
women eradicate the evidences o.
worry and trouble and wear and tear
Presently she emerged looking as
fresh and serene as though there was
no house party, no viii Cummings, nc
Carrie Hepburn, NJ upset match-mak
ing plans-nothing but happiness anG
sunshine and content.
Her big husband looked at her with
mingled wonder and admiration, and
together they went down to greet their
friends. At the table Sampson noted
for the first time during the week thai
Miss Hepburn and Cummings were
seated next each other. Now that he
noticed 1t, he remembered that they
had been SO seated since the party
convened. Presently Cummings be.
gan a series Of light passages with
Miss Gray. the big blonde daughter of
the Chicago banker, and presently, in
a manner half bantering, half gal.