Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-10-04
Oar .offbe Frying Par7.
 By CECILIA A. LOIZEAUx.
Copyright 1907. by c. H. sutcliffe.

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 There's not much use in our plan ning anything" said Mrs. Halsted, a frife petulantly. You don't know Mary. She's too contrary to agree with herself, and the minute she finds out ehat we want her to meet Ben she'll go off at a tangent and every thing will be spoiled"
 There are more ways than one to kill cat" replied Mrs. Markham sue cinctly. Why do you let her find 1t out then?. Just let him take her by surprise. I'll arrange 1t so that he stops here on his way up to Wisconsin, where he goes for his vacation. He will just drop off for day to see his aunt, and then our troubles will be over. There is no doubt whatever that they were made for each other, and they might as well have 1t over with. If were you I'd have the wedding in Oc- tober," she finished complacently.
 "WelP'- said the other doubtfully. And then: How does Ben feel about 1t? After all. it mostly depends on how he takes 1t. Is he interested?'
 Indeed he is. He feels a little shy, think, but he's willing to be shown. Says he's from Missouri I think he's even anxious. But as far as that goes, Mary is interested, too, only she is too independent to show 1t. Just give her chance to meet him accidentally or unexpectedly and everything will be all right"
 "Is that sop calculated a girl in the dimly lit hall, though she sup pressed her voice. "So I'm to have a blue ribbon tied about my neck and be exhibited to this eager young man from Missouri, am I?'
 Once in her room she turned the lights on at either side of her dressing table and looked at herself in the glass; Her glowing dark face was anything but meek, and she turned the light off again with little vicious snap and then sat down In the open window She was angry-very angry, she told herself
 "The very idea of planning to marry me off to a man I've never seen and never want to see! It's positively me- diaeval"
 But presently the humorous side of 1t came to the rescue, as was usual with her, and she laughed as she un- dressed.
 Early the next morning she wrote a long letter to her best friend, who was spending the summer at the lakes, and laughed gleefully as she ran down. stairs to put it in the box. Early as she was, however, some one had been there before her. A letter was stick ing out, and, thinking that the post man must have passed already, she pulled 1t out to see if it was hers.
 MT. Ben Markham, Des Moines, Ia.," she read and rammed 1t viciously back into the box. "They aren't vast ing any time at any rate. But it takes two to fall in love, MT. Ben Markham, and I can't get away to marry you today" she sang, "nor this October either"
 For two days she watched the mail closely, and on the third day the post man on his noon trip put into her out stretched hand the letter for which she was waiting It was in masculine script and addressed to Mrs. Markham. She carried it up to the lady in her room and then went on into her own, leaving the door open a crack. She was rewarded by hearing the guest say to her mother: Hes coming Thurs day. He has tried to write indifferent ly, but And then she banged the door.
 "He probably was indifferent. He would be if he were anything but a petticoat manl I should think he'd hate the sound of my name as badly as do his. He would if he were any thing but a mollycoddler' And she wrote another brief note to Madge, telling her she would be down on the noon train Thursday.
 On Wednesday while her mother and Mrs. Markham were out driving she got a large trunk safely away from the house.
 There is no use going down there without anything to wear," she philos- ophized. T shall probably see other people quite as wonderful as MT. Ben jamin Markham and great deal more interesting"
 She thought she understood the amused glances which the older wom- en gave her.
 ''They think they've got me trapped" she said to herself. And she spent the evening talking sweetly to Mrs. Mark ham until her mother came out to the piazza and asked her to run over to a neighbor's for something. When she came back Mrs. Markham was at the telepl one In tho hall. and her mother shut the door and kept her talking un- til the other came out Mary grinned in the dark.
 'sThey are planning some more little surprises. presume" she thought.
 The next morning no one seemed to notice that she was dressed in her pongee suit instead of her usual house gown, and she strolled down the street after breakfast slowly and careIessly, quite unconscious of the fact that the two women on the porch were having . good time at her expense.
 T hope to goodness that Ben didn't miss that traIn,' said Mrs. Markham.
 That makes it twice as funny for him to be on the sane train--
 And Mary cOolIy entered the chair