Hattiesburg daily news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-01
Our Of fbe
Frying Pan.
By CECILIA A. LoIzEAUx.
Copyright. 1901. by c. H. sutclifre.

tAAhS pStuiuhuy. LOU uOu huOH
Mary. She's too contrary to agree
with herself, and the minute she finds
out that 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 a cat" replied Mrs. Markham sue.
cinctly. why do you let her find IL
out then? Just let him take her by
surprise. I'll arrange it so that he
stops here on his way up to Wisconsin,
where he goes for his vacation. He
will just drop off for a 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 it over with. If l
were you I'd have the wedding in Oc-
tober," she finished complacently.
"Well"- said the other doubtfully.
And then: How does Ben feel about
1t? After all, it mostly depends on
how he takes it. Is he interestedY
| Indeed he Is. He feels a little shy,
I think, but he's willing to be shown.
Says. he's from Missouri think he's
even anxious. But, as far as that goes,
Mary is interested, too, only she is too
independent to show it. 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. $50 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 a 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.
Mr.. Ben Markham, Des Moines.
Ia.," she read and rammed 1t viciously
back into the box. "Thex aren't vast
ing any time at any rate. But it takes
two to fall in love, Mr.. Ben Markham.
and 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. 1t was In a 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 man! 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. 81 shall probably see other
people quite as wonderful as Mr.. Ben
jamin Markham and a great deal more
AhtSi Cotlh6
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
neighbours for something. When she
back Mrs. Markham was at the
telephone in the hall, and her mother
shut the door and kept her talking I'M
til the other came out. Mary grinned
In the dark.
They 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
nj eli. ~