Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1908-07-24

| dinner. and had just made the last
change of places, which left me with
my favorite Agatha Sixth on my right
! and Agatha Third on my left.
Suddenly, as the talk died down
| and a certain contented silence fell
! upon US, Vincent rose to his feet, and
| bowling to us formally, began to speak:
Ladies and gentleman" he said,
making the last word pointedly sin
| gular, while the girls all laughed, Il
! think you are all with me when I pro-
! pose a vote of thinks to-to-er-our
| hostess"-0 felt that he had nearly
| said Agatha !")-"our hostess,
for giving us so delightful an enter
| tainment." He bowed to Agatha
Fourth and went on:
eff all progressive tea parties are
| termed mad I hope / may attend many
such. But as I look around me, gen
| tleman and ladies fair, across the red
| glow Of the candle that turns the roses
| to redder gold, and as [ gaze upon the
| youth and beauty here assembled, the
! like of which I have never before
| looked upOn''-he made a courtly in
clination of his head that included
| every maid at the table, and they all
sighed heard them-"as [ look upon
this noble room, this exquisite table,
and think of the graciousness of such
hospitality, I am inspired to propose
a toast in which I feel confident you
will all Join me-" At this climax Vim
cent raised his glass above his head.
''To the real Agatha!" he cried-"to
the real Honorable Agatha!"
There was an instant Of dead 81
lence, and then to my surprise my
left-hand neighbor, Agatha Third, rose
to her feet, and, with quivering lips,
| started to say something. But she had
| hardly time to rise before the other
! five girls sprang to their feet, and
| raising their glasses, Agatha Third
with the rest, they cried with one
| voice: "To the Honorable Agatha!"
| and although it seemed to me that
| Agatha Third had very nearly let the
cat out of the bag by rising, as if to
! acknowledge the courtesy, yet by the
! promptness of the other girls the day
was partially retrieved and Vincent
and | were still somewhat at a loss
as to the identity of our fair and
wealthy hostess.
| I asked Vincent afterward what he
made of Agatha Thirds behavior.
cit looked to me-" said that young
| person, "as if those girls had them
| selves so much in command that they
| would never betray the secret they're
guarding, no matter what you did,
But didn't you see Agatha Third
get up before the others did?" I said,
excitedly. "She gave herself away. l
tell you, Wilfred, she's the real hon
orable, without a doubt There can be
no two ways about it,"
"How keen you are!" he said; 'and
I tell you what it is, Arch baldwin
cent always calls me Archibald" with
the ''i' left out and the emphasis on
bald" when he's particularly affec-
tionate or sleepy; he was the latter
just now-'Im just as keen about
marrying this heiress as you are; the
only difference is that I insist upon be-
ing in love with her into the bargain,
and you don't. For I'm hard IN fear
fully hard up, you know, and the gov
ernor's SO awfully good, 1 hate to ask
him for another's months allowance
just now. I'm way behind as it is,
and l owe Jack Gordon for that prize
polo pony of his. 1 offered him 91OO
for her the day of the Nottingham
games and he sold her to me on the
spot Jacks as hard up as l am
all perfectly fair. If we only had the
time, that's all. It's pretty quick work
to expect man to find out the heiress,
learn to love her and teach her to love
him, all in six weeks, and propose on
the last day Of"
"But that's just it." l interrupted,
you're not expected to find out the
heiress first. That's just what old
Fletcher Boyd wanted to prevent
when he made the will"
Nevertheless, you yourself mean
to find out first, don't you, Arch?" was
Vincent's facetious response.
1 was disguised and made no an
swer.
"Of course" he went on, IT wouldn't
propose to any girl l didn't love, but
I'd like the chance to learn to love
this particular lady, the Honorable
Agatha. l feel that there would be no
trouble about her learning to love mel"
Vincent has few really serious faults,
but I don't attempt to deny that he is
conceited.
THE trouble is" he said, they're
all so attractive l could love one as
we'll as another. l wish, though, l
could just naturally fall in love with
one of them, and I'd propose to her on
the last day and take my chances
Who knows? I'm sometimes lucky. l
might win the prize!"
so you might" 1 said, but as it is,
we haven't even discovered the heir
ess as yet
and 1 can't fall in love with any
. Of EN-" finished Vincent, because
I'm madly in love with the whole six,
; and there you are!" and he shook his
head hopelessly. Come, let's to bed =
he added.
| Not just yet, Freddy" l said. l
, never call him that, as 1 have before
, stated, but his hair was all rumpled
; I'D and his face flushed and l felt
warm toward him because he was so
. dense. Surely with rival as unob-
serving as he is" l thought, Il am not