The Democratic advocate., 1908-12-18
rate eandMrs.
Bayard.
o~ LULU JOHNSON.
lighted, 1908, by Associated
Copsi'' Literary Press.

t~~~~~~.. ;. ~. s.',
,., may come in,' called Ethel.
~ .pprovingly the tall well pro-
eIs e.ad figure in the doorway. '1'm
r~ r,nn~ she explained as Chisholm
n"in'' coward. Pm hiding from a
pau' r4shler' was Chisholm's quiet
h ,an+ rs he dropped into a chair
eor .nnosite the settee on which Miss
CpIVsr p'o sat 81 have come here to
spassm ssom a woman-a woman I never
hde FROM "
ns,' rtDel clapped her hands. Wouldn't
~ funny if it happened that you
II !" running away from me and l
were runuing away from you and we
Ne,s shonh be hiding here together
Ann each otherE
HU ~Ioye than likely we are the VIC
~ % " Mrs. Bayard's well intentioned
ua. ..sv asserted Chisholm. "It is odd
enV' oetpr lodging Mrs. Bayard we
nau,d .na find ourselves in the same re-
sDVaI u,i+b the common aim Of avoid
Ing each other" ;,
luS ,t CON should tell me your name"
.roStpd - Ethel, I'VE could find out If
w. su'P really are the only two victims OF
W., Ss Ravard's matchmaking craze"
-'.I. n,nd rob the situation of its piquan-
~ obiected Chisholm. mo, Miss
W. ,n.s er-Miss Dimples. l think we
III, III ep,or chat far more, because we
'ra not absolutely certain that pres
1.t ..,r WI will emerge from our retreat
@ .n,r to he pounced upon by the ener-
.ntic I Mrs. Bayard, thereupon to be in
.sndnced TO each other while the world
NV LITTLE world-looks ON and smiles
Hs commiseration."
Mrs. Bayard means we'll" declared
rtbpl "tut it is dreadful the way she
nops around introducing people with
lnok that says Now l have introduced
vou Young people shall expect you to
hp married Immediately. because you
orp perfpctly suited to each other
Frerv one finds such amusement i'll
Mrs Bayard's matchmaking that her
victims are marked persons, SO they
come TO hate each other"
"If she were content with mere hints
il would not he so bad continued
Chisholm comfortably, ''but she had
me over here this morning to tell me
that tonight l should meet my fate"
"And she wrote me-" explained
Ethel. 1T seems that she has three
sets of victims here tonight, so as
soon as l came I made straight for
this Irritation nook. Mrs. Bayard be-
lleyes in Irritation booths to further
her amiable ends, and it seemed a
clever bit of satire to take refuge in
one of her matrimonial traps"
~ felt much the same way" assent
ed Chisholm. "Of course some time
in the course of the evening shall
have to undergo the ordeal, but l am
trying to defer her introduction until
the last moment.
"This is the first time that l ever
have been warned that l must marry,
whether or no, and-well, don't sup
pose that it would sound right to say
that l am bashful, but 1 don't seem
to fancy the idea"
(Which is ungrateful when Mrs.
Bayard goes to such trouble On our
account" reminded Ethel. "She gives
three or four balls year just to bring
people together as she expresses it."
Gust as though the people would not
find each other if let alone!' comment
ed Chisholm, with a laugh. ~Now, 1
can imagine that in happier circum-
stances might
what" demanded Ethel as CHS
holm paused.
u was going to say" he concluded,
that left to myself 1 might perhaps
have carried out Mrs. Bayard's wishes
through natural impulse and not
through a sense Of duty
Ethel colored softly at the remark,
taken. Moreover. she suddenly re-
gretted the matchmaking propensities
OF her hostess, which had resulted in
preJudicing the mind of this new
found acquaintance against her
i remember when / was a young
Ster in short trousers reminisced
chisholm. that one day my father
mixed pail of whitewash, placed a
brush beside it and gave me strict Or
uerS not to whitewash the chicken
coops because l did not have the
requisite skill. Then he went down
town, and took chances OH a thrash
ing TO prove that l could do it,
we always want to do the forbid
uen things" assented Ethel. 81 sup
pose We inherit the trait from our first
parents"
Its human nature" agreed CHS
noim' "Now, if Mrs. Bayard had said.
ABOVE all things, keep away from
%iSs-er-Dimples,' should have
hunted up the Introduction the very
hide"
AND then you make my acquaint-
aiTe the very first thing, just the
same"
nut we are not certain, you know !"
peadec Chisholm eagerly. "You said
soarself that there were four other
But Of course we are one Of the
pairs Insisted Ethel.
Perhaps not of the same pair. 1t
NAY be that through some happy
s Salce fate has been permitted to
~Se az. a hand and do things right"
A you would tell me who you are -
sussested Ethel, 1--WE could settle the