Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-10-17


A Mr.. Vance entered the drawing
room he caught sight of Enid Strange
WAYS peeping out at him from amid
an enormous shower Of pink and white
roses.
"Cood-mornfng, Mr.. Matchmaker,
she said, shaking two or three roses
apart, ard holding them up critically.
AAren't they Iovely2 Alfred has just
this minute gone. If 1 had only known
you were coming 1 would have got him
10 wait. We have had no end OF
talk"
"And everything is decided2" inquir-
ed Denzil Vance, STOPPING to recover
fallen rose.
Yes. Everything. We wanted your
advice on a host Of things. You know
how undecided Alfred Isl
ION most points, yes. But on this
one"
He was Of two minds about every
thing. and his indecision became quite
infectious, until began to realize
that"
'That-"
well" looking up at Denzn and
laughing, "that unless I took every
thing into my own hands our engage
ment would drift on and on until 1t
became as permanent as a national IN
gtftution. And everybody would point
to us and say, Look, this Is the En-
gagged Couple just as people go to the
Metropolitan museum and say, "Look,
those are the japanese Gods"
sand SO you put the matter to Al
fred"
"Quite practically? Yes, and he
fully agreed with everything 1 said.
So now everything is arranged and
nothing will be altered"
''But suppose your people will have
the opportunity of modifying any little
arrangement should they wish it"
"No," said Enid deliberately.
al mean" explained Vance, ''you con-
suited"
I'VE didn't consult anybody. You
see, Denzil, in this one instance Al
fred and are determined to be indie
pendent, and we solemnly vowed that
nobody should have any power to up
set our plans. Up to the present,
everybody has been arranging our af-
fairs. and-and-we haven't had
chance. we both agreed that we hadn't
q chance to do as we like, and we DC
cided that the time had come to put
both feet down, as papa says"
"And what does the process Of put
ting both feet down involveY asked
Denzil, inhaling the perfume Of
rose.
''Well," a little pause; 1--WE thought
It best to put the matter in writing. In
that note on the writing table Alfred
has told yeu everything we propose to
do"
Denzil went towards the table and
found the letter among a number Of
cuttings from fashionable papers an
nouncing in the usual terms the en-
gagement between Alfred Callaby and
Enid Strangeways. In some it gave
the additional information that "the
marriage will shortly take place" He
took I'D the note and poised it between
ais fingers. His face was rather sol
emn.
''But before you open it," said Enid,
Juggling resolutely at a refractory fern
stalk; 81 want to thank you for all
you have DONE"
Vance looked abashed
"For all l have done?"
"Yes. Don't you remember that it
was you who brought us together. 1t
was exactly this time last year"
"Oh, of course; on this very day"
~In this very room
"Yes," nodded Denzil, gaining a lit
tie more assurance.
THAT you were called in and con-
suited on a most important question.
Nothing less than" and the girl
broke Off with laugh.
Than the future OF Miss Enid
Strangeways. Yes, l recOllect. But
why do you recall the fact so point
edly? I hoped" and here the voice
became lower and more deliberate;
"that you had forgotten about that"
ST was to arrive home in three days
from the convent Of st. Cecile. The
whole household was in a futter Of
excitement. Everybody wondered what
I should be like. Should 1 be fright
fully prlm and Old-world like, or lump
ash. or what had been away so long
that mamma was afraid 1 should be
tremendously old-fashioned and stiff