La Junta tribune., 1908-02-15
Our 9th
Frying Pan.
By CECILIA A. L0lzEAUx.
copyrisht. iU.. BY c. II. su,elire.

There's not much use iu our plan
ming anything said Mrs. Hai.ted, =
trfne petulantiy. You don't know
Mary. She's too contrary to agree
With herself. aud the minute she nnds
out that We want her to meet Ben
she'll go on at tangent and every
thing VIII b- spoiled"
There are more ways than on. IN
kill eat" replied Mrs. Markham sue.
cinctiy why do you let her md Il
out. then: JUST let him tax. her by
surprise. I'll arrange II 50 thai he
stops here on his way up 10 WISCONSIN.
where h. gees for his vacation He
will just drop on for n day to see his
aunt. auh then our troubles will u. aver.
There Is no doubt whatever thai they
were made FOR each other. aud they
might rs well have II over with n !
were you III have the wedding In DC.
tober." she finished complaccniIys
Well said the other doubrfully
And then: How does Ben feel about
II: After ali. II mostly dei,en,is on
how he takes II. Is he interestedy
Indeed he Is. II. feels little shy.
think. but hes willin: to bc show n.
Says he's from Missouri. think he's
even anxious. But. as far as that goes.
Mary Is Interested too. only she l. too
independent 10 show II. Just give her
"A chance Ia meet him accidentally or
Unexpectedly ard everything will b.
all right"
rs that So calculated girl IN
the dimly If, hall though she sup
pressed her voice $50 I'm to have a
blue ribbon tied about my neck and
be exhibited 10 this eager Young man
from Missouri. avn I:''
Once In her room she turned the
lights ON NJ either side Of her dr,.sslu.
Her glowing dark face was ANYTHING
but meek. aud Sh. turned the light OF
again with little vicious snap mud
then sat down IN the open window
She WIS angry-ycry angry. she told
herself
The very Idea Of planning 10 marry
me on To man I've never seen ani
never want to see, It's positively me
diacval"
But presently the humorous side OF
IL came 10 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 In kes. and
laughed gleefulIy as she ran down.
stairs TO pun II In the box Early ns
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 zee II it was hers.
''Mr Ben Markham. Des MoIAss.
Ia" she read and ramnc,l 1t vIcioI3y
back into the box. They aren't vast
Ing any time at any rate. hut II takes
two To fall In fove. Mr.. Ben Markham.
and 4 cant get away to marry YOU
today" she sang. NOR this October
either"
For two days she watched the man
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. II was I'm a masculine
script and addressed TO Mrs. Markham
She carried II up 10 the lady In her
room and then went ON into her own.
leaving the door open n 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.
'lIc proba oily was Indifferent He
would be II he Were anything but a
peiticoat man, ! should think he'd
hate the sound OF my name as badly
thing but mollycoddle"' And She
wrote another brief note to Mad-e.
telling her she would lie 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-
ophlzed. Il shall probably see other
people quite as wonderful as Mr.. Ben.
jamin Markham and great deal more
Interesting
She thought she understood the
: nused glances which the older WON
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
neishbor's for something. When she
came back Mrs. Markham was at th.
telephone In the hall. and her mother
shut the door and kept her talking un-
Ill the other came out. Mary grinned