Evening journal., 1908-01-07
| Mr.. Williams Method.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
[orIrinal.1

But It doesn't matter about the others.
The two named are sufficient to show
che adroitness OF Mr.. Williams in han
ding his love affairs. One afternoon
ne drove up to Miss Scott's home and
cent up word that he would be happy
TO have her go to drive with him. The
young lady came downstairs looking
like a thundercloud. Billy was sur
prised
I'm much obliged for the invita-
tlon," she said, but l don't care TO
risk accepting any further invitations
from you"
why, what can you mean?" asked
Billy wonderingly.
Were you not to come for me last
Saturday,
'For what purposeT
''ro drive, of course"
II suddenly popped into Billy's head
that he had invited Miss Scott to drive
with him on that afternoon and for
! gotten the engagement. Worse, he
had taken Miss Parkinson to drive on
that same afternoon. He said nothing
but looked the picture OF abject repent
ance.
"Well?" said Miss Scott.
Il was so absorbed with another
matter that I forgot all about H."
Absorbed with what matterY
"You know I'm on the house commit
tee OF my club. There's to be az
Nov, don't add falsehood to your
other sins. l happen to know that the
matter which absorbed you was Miss
Parkinson. You passed here with her.
I was standing at the window with my
things on waiting for you. You gave
me profound bow. swinging your hat
in the air as IL you were the first gen.
tleman In America"
did IT' said Billy, with eyes wide
open.
yes. you did. and now you have
the assurance three days later 10 come
and ask me to drive. Do you expect
me to stand everythingr
Billy hung his head.
Il have no objections whatever"
continued Miss Scott yiclously. "to
your attentions to Miss Parkinson or
any other girl, but I do object to your
putting a positive slight upon me. 1t
was rude enough for you 10 forget
your engagement. but TO take another
girl to ride and drive by this house
was positively insulting"
Billy looked crushed.
"Now, I want you 10 understand"
the girl ran on, that you are perfect
iy welcome to devote yourself to May
Parkinson all you please. l don't care
thatw She snapped her fingers angrily.
"Only so long as you continue your at
tentions to that kind Of a girl don't
want you to come to see me-"
Billy bowed himself out with such
manifest contrition. pain. disappoint-
ment, that the girl was half tempted
to call him back; but, since he had
made no promise TO discontinue his at
tentions TO Miss Parkinson, she suffer
ed him to depart without a reconeilia-
tion. He got into his buggy and drove
away with such a sorrowful afr that
the lady who was watching him from
behind the window curtains half re-
pented her severity Still, till willy
Willy promised to shake" her rival
she would have no more Of him.
Unfortunately for Mr.. Williams, the
next time he met his best girl-it was
at a ehrysanthemum exhibit-he was
dawdling along in the companionship
Of Miss Parkinson. Miss Scott gave
him a formal bow, and Billy took of
his hat with a melancholy expression
which might mean almost anything. 1t
might indicate that some dreadful mis-
fortune connected him with his second
best girl or that he was too gallant to
turn away from her. At any rate, It
did not mollify Miss Scott.
From time TO time Miss Scott con-
tinued to meet Mr.. Williams, and he
was usually attending Miss Parkinson.
He always greeted Miss Scott with
melancholy smile. II he had been so
ungallant as to indicate plainly that he
was bored, Miss Scott would have de-
splsed him. He did no such thing. He
simply grieved.
One morning the postman brought
Miss Scott a letter on which she rec
ognlzed the well known hand Of Mr..
Williams. Tearing it open, she read;
My Dear Miss Parlinson-You must par
don me for the plainness OF what have
20 say 20 you. Your attentions TO me are
not only irksome, but they are keeping
| me from the society OF another whose
\ good opinion I prize. ] trust this frank
statement will not render you my enemy.
Yours, WILLIAM WILLIAMS.
1t didn't take Miss Scott long to see
that William williams had addressed
his note to her by mistake. She was
pleased to think that his mind was pre-
occupied with her own sweet self. She
waited for more definite information.
The next mail brought a note from
Billy begging her to return a letter
that he had wrongly addressed to her
in a at Of abstraction. Miss Scott was
delighted. All was explained. Billy's
seeming attentions to Miss Parkinson
were simply Miss Parkinsons atten-
tons to Billy. He had finally been
driven by his love for her (Aiiss ScotO
to unburden his mind to the girl who
had appropriated him, in which he
was perfectly excusable. II never oc-
CURED to her that Billy had made the
mistaken address on purpose.
That evening there was an affection
ate meeting between Billy and his best
girl, and the next afternoon they went
for a drive together. After that Billy
divided his attentions between the two
oirls tfll another explosion necessitated