Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1906-04-07

"Oh, lr&htfullyw said Goney
WHO Is the creatures" | inquired
AFTER a tense pause,
ANA when he replied, "The eldest
Miss arruthers," | was more shocked
than ever, That LiliNn-my beautiful
WlId white dQye-shoUld consent to be.
come mere tame domestic fowl-and
for Tom Frlsby'a sake, CALLED my sensl.
Dllit!es' ] remembered ow had laid
the oherlng OF my own unfedged af-
lecllohs at her feet, and how she had
danced on the elaborate embroidery Of
words IN which | had clothed my pas.
slonate ayowal.
II shall go and see them" told
Goney,
found that Lille 49,
was -ar"o~sse dAaGn-no, Mrs. Frisby |!
. 81 .~ Ineady by way of becoming q
social success. She was developing
into that dreadful thing, an ideal host.
ess' She was Qbtrusiyely tactful and
excessively managing. 1t was said Of
her hat she had q knatk of bringing
the right people together, which, being
interpreted, means that abe strOve to
pair off her guests as IL they had been
vases.
Frisby himself was boisterously hap.
Ply and roslly content and, moreover,
most beautifully trained te obey his
wife's lightest word.
"Ah," lie said, you will find your
affinity some day."
IF both o, us find my affinity" said
], there will be trouble"
But he was in nowlse Disconnected.
He merely waggled his fat head at
me and said: 1--WE .rust look out for
q wife for you"
And from that moment began the
unreasonable crusade against our
cloistral bachelorhood, in which both
Frisby and his wife took q medd lesome
part, and which terminated in the la
inevitable cOntretemps that 1t Is the
purpose Of this story to detail. She, Of
course, was the more subtle sinner.
One might Frisby AMI was were
talking as man TO man. We lad been
telling each other tina: we were both
%"ther blackguards really, but deuced
me lelloWS Notwithstanding, and we
were consequently in q fine glow of
dissatisfaction.
zone thing I've forgotten to say to
YOU" he remarked. TT really is seri-
Ous.".
Serious for whom2' ! asked,
He paused, and then, dramatically,
For her." he said.
| dropped The poker into the fender
with a crash. For herF' repeated
what are you driving at?'
Droa PffFsa2P }he 5ub 9ssR he got tGed have
"YOu haven't" said !,
ITS not fair to her." he jerked out.
"And yet it's all due 20 that odlous
trick you have of talking to every
woman You meet as if she were the
only one of her sex in the world"
81 don't think they find that particu-
larry odious," said l.
But lOOkers-op do" said he, "And
1t is a bit rough on EN-, you know, old
chap. OF course we who understand
you know it's only your way, but girls
innocent, young, unsophistocated-"
1 rose also. Good night" l said
abruptly, offering my hand.
"Pll tell you her name, then" said
he. "It's little Miss Kerrison-if you
must know"
"Oh," said I, rather disappointed, II
know-the girl who Is so awfully con-
scious of her profile"
"My wife's cousin" he said, stiffiy.
"And you mean to say that foolish
chit is in love with meY"
"Oh, come! Well, suppose so. But
confound your complacency, any how"
Poor thingw l murmured. Poor,
silly thing! Pretty, too! Well what
would you advise me to do about it?"
He shrugged his shoulders. II don't
presume to advise at ALL" he replied.
BEST way, suppose, would be to
put her out OF her misery at once"
said 7.
There are worse girls than Nina
KerrsOn," he said.
But do you think they would suit
me better?" | asked him,
NO." said he. you are not so
bad"
you overwhelm me-" observed,
with those touching tokens of your
approval"
And then we talked of other mat
tiers.
l had had not the least intentions of
going to the Chambers dance the fol-
lowing evening, but now l determined
to go after all, since Miss Kerrlson
was bound to be there, and it were best
to get this painful business over at
once.
In the conservatory made out
dim, round form in filmy white, and
came face to face with Nina KerrlsOn.
She sat there motionless, her hands in
her lap, as If awaiting her fate in
The person of myself.
"All alone?" l said, lightly.
81 prefer to be alone" she said
hastily, and rose as If to go.
But understood what an lnfinity of
meaning the studied curtness Of her
hOAdo NONlA ma VIC ANlh IOhINalOhI anu
/ whispered, please don't fOrsake me.
IL came here to look for you"
"Why?" she asked. A most awk-
ward question!
why" i repeated slowly, to gain
time. "Ob, because those people in
there bore me. And you-you never
do that, Miss Kerrison."
"Well, 1t is something to be a har-
Dor o. refuge" she remarked. "Thank
you. Then, by the way, is 1t really
true, this time, that / am to con-
graduate you?"
ION my good fortune in finding you
here, do you mean? Why, certainly"
I said.
al did not mean that" she replied. 81
meant that-that-well, the usual ru-
mor Is out concerning you"
"Indeedw l exclaimed. But which
of the usual rumors do you refer to?"
There is only one-isn't there-that
1, oo,,,,onl,, Iiplya1 yvitb tba mama NJ