The Globe-republican., 1906-05-31
A Matchmaker
~ MiSadventure.
BY HARRISON T. GRAHAM.

Tut, tut, Birdie; what is it all
about?"
Big George Sampson sat down on
the lounge where he had found his
wee bit Of wife crying in the sofa
pillows and gently lifted her to him.
isn't the house party success"
he asked, gently, "or has the cook
gone wrong again?"
"Will Cummings is pig-headed, oh
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-Ca 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 house full of peo-
pie when l 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, it was all to get Will and
Carrie together and make a match
don't you see?"
"Oh, all, um," replied Sampson,
more or less lucidly, light beginning
to dawn on his befogged intellect.
"They were 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 Will showed every symptom Of
having 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 week or ten days under
the same roof and make match Of
it,"
"Oh, you conspirator!" laughed
Sampson, indulgently.
"Well, l am SO happy myself" re-
piled the little woman blushing, "and
like my own married life so much that
I thought I would help things along
for Carrie and Will"
Her husband bent and kissed her.
you're a darling" he whispered,
holding her tight. well, what's gone
wrong?"
Everything" she replied, the tears
again starting to her eyes. THAT
hateful Will Cummings will not even
look at Carrie. He flirts with all the
other girls and goes fishing with the
men, but can't get him into the same
room with Carrie, excepting at meals,
and then he changes seats with some
body or talks to somebody on the 9TH
er side or across the table. And the
worst Of 1t is when by the most pa
tient and deep-laid diplomacy do get
them together-as | have done 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 it at ALL"
perhaps they were not so much
strHsk- with each other as you
Thought" remarked Sampson, thought
fully.
"You hateful thing-don't you think
know a pair of lovers when l 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 fool of myself
and I'll 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 60 down to dinner.
This is the last evening, you know.
The party breaks up tomorrow"
Mrs. Sampson went into her room
to 60 through those motions by which
women eradicate the evidences of
worry and trouble and wear and tear
Presently she emerged looking as
fresh and serene as though there was
no Rouse party, no Will Cummings, no
Carrie Hepburn, no upset match-mak-
ing plans-nothing but happiness and
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 weell that
Miss Hepburn and Cummings were
seated next each other. Now that he
noticed 1t, he remembered that they
had been 80 seated since the party