The Brandon news., 1907-09-26

oAoSh " LuS. dSh0u JACK GOuey,
my informant, "Ishe married much?"
"Oh, frightfully!" said Goney.
"Who is the creature?" I inquired,
after tense pause
And when he replied, "The eldest
Miss Carruthers, was more shocked
than ever. That Lillian-my beauti-
ful, wild white should consent
to become mere tame domestic fowl
and for Tom Frisby's sake, CALLED
my sensibilities. 1 remembered how
had laid the offering of my own un-
Hedged affections at her feet, and how
she had danced on the elaborate en-
oroidery of the words in which I had
clothed my passionate avowal
shall go and see them" I told
Goney.
| found that Lillian-no, Mrs Fris-
oy!-was already by way of becom-
ng social success. She was devel-
,pfng into that dreadful thing, an
deal hostess. She was obtrusively
'actful and Extensively managing. 1t
Vas said of her that she had a knack
If bringing the right people together,
which, being interpreted, means that
she strove to pair off her guests as if
hey had been vases.
Frisby himself was boisterously
happy and rosily content and, more
,ver, most beautifully trained to obey
ais wife's lightest word
"Ah, he said; "you will find your
ifinity some day."
If both of us find my affinity"
iaid l, there will be trouble"
But he was in nowise disconnected.
He merely waggled his fat head at
ne and said: "We must look out for
wife for you"
And from that moment began the
Inconscionable crusade against our
loistral bachelorhood, in which both
Frisby and his wife took meddle-
Iome part, and which terminated in
he lamentable contretemps that it is
he purpose of this story to detail.
She, of course, was the more subtle
sinner.
One night Frisby and I were talk
ng as man to man. We had been
:elling each other that we were both
,ather blackguards really, but deuced
Inc fellows Notwithstanding, and we
were consequently in a fine glow of
dissatisfaction.
zone thing I've forgotten to say to
Vou," he remarked. "It really is Sc
:ious"
Serious for whom?" I asked.
He paused, and then, dramatically,
For her." he said
I dropped the poker into the fender
with crash. "For her!" repeated.
What are you driving at?"
perhaps I ought not to have
Sroached the subject" he faltered.
"You haven't" said 1.
"It's not fair to her." he jerked
out. "And yet it's all due to that
,dius trick you have of talking to
every woman you meet as if she were
she only one of her sex in the world"
II don't think they find that par
icularly odious,' said I.
But lookers-on do said he. ssAnd
It is bit rough on 'em, you know,
Did 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.
I'll tell you her name, then,' said
he. tits little Miss Kerrison-if you
must know"
"Oh," said I, rather disappointed.
Il know-the girl who is so awfully
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?"
ooh, come! Well, suppose So
But confound your complacency, any,
how!
Poor thing!" I murmured. "Poor
silly thing! Pretty, too! Well, what
would you advise me to do about it?''
He shrugged his shoulders. ''I
don't presume to advise at all,'' he
replied.
Best way, I suppose, would be to
put her out of her misery at once" J"
said I.
There are worse girls than Nina
Kerrison," he said.
.But do you think they would suit
me better?" asked him.
mo" said he. "You are not so
bad
"You overwhelm me- I observed,
with those touching tokens of your
approval"
And then we talked of other mat
ters.
I had had not the least intention
of going to the Chambers dance the
following evening, but now / deter
mined to go after all, since Miss Ker-
rison was bound to be there, and it
were best to get this painful business
over at once.