Middletown transcript., 1908-06-27
BlLLY's MATRIMONIAL AGENCY
BY MARY +. NIxON-RoULET

slider Eitnel Mer"ll
To deny her preeminence was to
stamp the speaker with jealousy,
Not even an unsympathetlc OBJ,
server could fail to see beauty
in the well poised head with It's
crown of Titan hair, the creamy
skin, the delicate features, ana
the deep, unfathomable brown
eyes. Her graceful figure was
the envy of all the girls OF her
ACQUAINTANCE and indeed had
Ethel not been so genuinely sweet
she would have had many en-
emies in her little Eden.
To her the world was q beautl'
full place. Young, handsome
cultivated enough to enjoy the
best in art and literature, with a
comfortable income which pre-
cluded the least worry, it seemed
as if she had been richly endowed
by the fairy Good Fortune. About
the only difficulty Ethel exper'
fenced was in keeping the peace
between the applicants for her
hand, and she tried as much as
possible to prevent any active
declarations by the satellites
that revolved about herself.
Jack Elmsdale she could moi
quiet. He was irrepressible ever
since he first met her. A tall
broad-shouldered young fellow
he had loved her from the days
of her school girlhood, and hao
proposed to her regularly al
short intervals ever since. He
was in no way depressed by hel
refusals. He only bobbed up Sc
renely and did it again wher
next occasion offered. And oc
casions offered themselves tt
Jack with unfailing regularity
and in remarkable fashion. The
golf field was fatal. She never
played golf with him any more
Riding and driving were alike
tabsoed indeed, Ethel avoided
any chance of being alone with
jack.
Jack, however, had reached {
state of desperation where i
made little difference to him whC
was present. The last occasion
had been before Michael thu
coachman, with Ellen the cool
pricking up interested ears from
the pantry window. Jack was
engaged in the romantic pursul
of washing his Ladyship's huge
Newfoundland dog, and his i'm
passioned tale of love had reach
ed Ethel's ears, only to meet will
the customary refusal, while
Brian, indignant at the pause il
the insulting performance tt
which his dignity was being sub
iected, had shaken himself Wig
orously, spattering not only the
Ruitor but Ethel's dainty frocE
as well.
Really that was the limit! Sterr
and repellant as she possibly
could be, Ethel informed JACK
that if he wished to keep hel
friendship he must stop men
tioning the subject of marriage
I don't want to marry anyone al
all, she said. l don't believe ]
shall ever marry. l certainly
shall not, unless I can find some
one whose coat Of arms will quar-
ter properly with mine. I don't
believe you even know what your
coat is, Jack Elmsdale!
Kohlnischer, said Jack sue.
cinctly.
I am talking of heraldic coats.
You have no reverence in your
composition. I don't believe you
even respect heraldry!
Heraldry be- Jacks tone be-
gan to show signs of irritation.
I'm afraid l might find one of
my festive ancestors hung to the
family tree if I went to horticul-
turing too briskly, he said.
Perhaps one reason why the
subject of heraldry was particu-
larly obnoxious to him was be-
cause 1t was apparently of such
absorbing interest to Gerald
Geoffrey FitzGerald, who was an
Anglomaniac of the deepest dye,
which was only another name for
scamp, to Jacks sturdy Ameri-
canism.
Hes the biggest idiot! he fumed
to Billy, Ethel's brother and his
own college chum. He hasn't an
idea in his head.
Miserable pup! said Billy. /
can't see why it is the less brains
a fellow has the more a girl seems
to like him. Ethel won't hear d
word about FitzGerald. She
says he's so sympathetic and in
terested in her affairs.