Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-08-29
Mr.. Carroway's
Position.

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!. 1t Is old how the news of girls
engagement spreads, and how she at
oRce begins to shed old lovers for
whom she has no further use as nat
.urally and painlessly as the seed-pod
sheds its outer husk. At least that
WAS my case.
OF all men who had vowed al
ways to be my friend, If ever I had
need Of them, there Remarkably the
time my engagement had ceased to
be an entirely new delight to me-
only Mr.. Ambie (short for Ambrose)
Carroway; and he, as will presently
be shown, continued to dangle mere
::ly because he was painfully ignorant
of the change that had taken place in
my condition. He called on me a
few days after the proposal, and as l
liked him well enough, in. way, l
had him shown up. | must tell you
that my finance had only just left mo
Indeed. the two men met on the
doorstep. / believe.
We exchanged the usual banalities.
and he sat down.
Z i say" he blurted forth suddenly,
who was the chap met on the step?
Do you know him?"
/. That was Mr.. Basil Cosnett," l
replied.
"odd-looking person." he remarked.
where's he from?'
He Is from-from all over the
world" replied, deprecatingly.
He looked bit all over the shop"
+ said Asmble, tlttering.
IL q ssuppose You have never been to
the far west have you?" asked
him.
-N-not exactly" said he. But
how do you mean? Earl's Court?"
Nor to China?" went on.
well. no." said he. looking some
what surprised.
!, Nor to-let me see-Brazil?"
He stared at me with slack mouth
Cant say l have" he replied. "Why?"
Mr.. Cosnett has" said l. "And ~
heaps OF other places. too"
He laughed unpleasantly. "Ynr
make me feel horribly inferior" he
mlrmured.
you haven't travelled much, have
you7" said 1.
"oh-well-Paris, you know. And
the Riviera. And so on" he said.
Everybody goes to those places" l
Tejoined scornfully. And l added,
q think man ought to travel"
A dull flush overspread his face as
he forced smile. Shall l travel
now" he asked, rising.
Don't be absurd" said l, picking
up my palette again to paint flowers
on satin. Il only meant-you don't
mind II / go on working7 What l
meant was that man who has trav-
eled has always SO much to talk
about"
II should have thought that was
rather fatiguing characteristic" he
drawled.
ut would be-in stupid person.
But Mr.. Cosnett is an exceedingly
clever man" l retorted.
There was lengthy pause.
why don't you talk to me?" l
asked, at last.
Il haven't travelled" he said.
= would you like some tea?"
THANK you." said he. Shall I
ring?"
IF you please" said 1, and the
spirit of mischief being still in me, l
went on teasingly. "Mr. Cosnett
knows all about tea. Visited planta-
lions In China and Ceylon, and saw it
growing, you know"
Il believe things to grow very fast
In the TOPICS" observed Ambie. Saw
It growing, did you say?"
This ignored. "Yol mustn't think
It odd IL seem to quote Mr.. Cosnett
good DEAL" said l. "The fact is, l
have seen SO much of him lately"
THAT reminds me-" said he. II
am SO sorry could not get down here
last Sunday"
1--WE got your wire," said 1. ut
UlOu y udke any QluerenCe. MT. COS-
nett was here, you see. He was most
entertaining. Told us all about the
Maoris Such, curious people. But I'll
get him to tell you about them him.
self"
Ambie rose in disorder and crossed
over to the window. Then he came
and covered down at me. l gazed
up at him with pathetic. eyes.
you are not at all-nice today,
l pouted.
4 have the misfortune to be con-
trast," said he. Compared with this
C0snett fellow"
II hardly think you should speak
Of him in that way" said la man
to whom you have never been intro
dueed. hardly expected this sort OF
thing from you. Mr.. Carroway."
"Nor from you," he retorted saw
agely.
II feel a bit frightened. You are
very disagrseable today" faltered.
"And you are-not too ingenious,
Miss Lacey"
Nov. don't let us be horrid to one
Anntherb I said brightly and smiled