The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-09-25

When / heard tnat IOm trlSDy was
married the news came as a great
shock to me. l asked Jack Goney,
my informant, "Ishe married much?"
"Oh, frightfully!" said Goney.
@Who is the creature?" inquired,
after tense pause.
And when he replied, "The eldest
Miss Carruthers," l was more sh ocked
than ever. That Lillian-my beauti-
full, wild white dove-should consent
to become a mere tame domestic fowl
and for Tom Frisby's sake, CALLED
my sensibilities. / remembered how
I had laid the offering of my own un-
fiedged affections at her feet, and how
Bhe had danced on the elaborate en-
broidery of the words in which had
clothed my passionate avowal.
81 shall go and see them," told
Goney.
/ found that Lillian-no, Mrs. Fris-
by!-was already by way of becom-
ing a social success. She was devel-
oping into that dreadful thing, an
ideal hostess. She was obtrusively
tactful and extensively managing. 1t
was said of her that she had q knack
of bringing the right people together,
which, being interpreted, means that
she strove to pair off her guests as if
they had been vases.
Frisby himself was boisterously
happy and rosily content and, more
over, most beautifully trained to obey
his wifes lightest word.
"Ab," he said; you will find your
affinity some day"
"If both of us find my affinity"
said /, there will be trouble"
But he was in nowise disconnected.
He merely waggled his fat head at
me and said: I'VE must look out for
wife for YOU"
And from that moment began the
unconscionable crusade against our
cloistral bachelorhood, in which both
Frisby and his wife took a meddle-
some part, and which terminated in
the lamentable contretemps that it is
the purpose of this story to detail.
She, of course, was the more subtle
sinner.
One night Frisby and l were talk
ing as man to man. We had been
telling each other that we were both
rather blackguards really, but deuced
fine fellows notwithstanding, and we
were consequ entity in a fine glow of
self-satisfaction.
"One thing I've forgotten to say to
you," he remarked. 1T really is Sc
rious."
Serious for whom" / asked.
He paused, and then, dramatically
sFor her." he said.
l dropped the poker into the fender
with crash. For herr" repeated
"What are you driving at?"
perhaps l ought not to have
broached the subject" he faltered.
"You haven't" said |.
"It's not fair to her." he jerkei
out. And yet it's all due to that
odius trick you have of talking to
every woman you meet as il she were
the only one of her sex in the world. y
Il don't think they find that par.
GCuldIIy OulOuS, Sdlu /.
But lookers-on do" said he. "And
It is bit rough on 'em, you know
old chap. OF course we who under
stand you, know it's only your way
but girls-innocent, young, unso
phisticated-"
/ rose also. Good night" said
abruptly, offering my hand.
TN tell you her name, then" sait
he. Its little Miss Kerrison-if yor
must know"
oh" said /, rather disappointed
Il know-the girl who is so awful,
conscious of her profile"
MY wife's cousin" he said stifly
And you mean to say that fool
ish chit is in love with me?"
"Oh, come! Well, I suppose SO
But confound your complacency, any
how!
Poor thing!" I murmured. Poo
silly thing! Pretty too Well, wha
would you advise me to do about it?'
He shrugged his shoulders. "
don't presume to advise at ALL" h,
replied
BEST way, suppose, would be t,
put her out Of her misery at once.
said /.
There are worse girls than Min,
Kerrison," he said.
But do you think they would sui
me better?" / asked him.
NO." said he. "You are not s.
bad"
You overwhelm me-" / observed
with those touching tokens of you
approval"
And then we talked of other mat
ters.
had had not the least intention
of going to the Chambers dance tn
lfollowing evening, but now deter
mined to go after all, since Miss Ker
rison was bound to be there, and /
were best to get this painful bushes
lover at once.