The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-04-22
lAH SHORT
= STORY
THE DEBUTANTE

KNO, L answered Tor the M
feenth time. 81 must go and get
married"
II sFiddlesticks," he scoffed. Come
click your heels in a dream-wa1tz
and say sharp-edged things for the
ladies. Then marry tomorrow"
1t was written down in good, le-
gal characters on stiff yellow
parchment that I should wed my
Uncle Urijah's stepniece, Miss
Aida Sanhorn-if l desired my
portion of the good mans fortune.
] had need of the fortune, but non-
for the wife. especially as | had
not seen the lady, who had just
arrived from New Zealand Before
/ could go and prospect, young
Manners halted me with his seduc-
tive song of the Holton-Shibleys
ball.
mo" said for the sixteenth
time. 81 must go to 1882 Wyman
boulevard. I'm going to get MAJ.
ried and be respectable.
But Manners only laughed and
pulled me with him. "The Holton-
Shibleys are at 1884" he said.
Drop in, look over the new crop
of debutantes-then go set up your
tiresome household gods"
Thus it came that | shelved mat
rimony and sought the glaring
lights. The debutantes formed a
dazzling collection smouldering-
eyed Cleopatra-types, fiuffy-haired
Saxon blondes, Titan haired,
cherryripe goddesses, smiling, CO.
quoting, enchanting-a line Lon
Cupid must have chuckled over as
he stepped his sharp darts in the
potion of their azure veins.
One there was who blushed at
my first compliment. then riddled
me for Is minutes and turned me
| off crestfallen. Another lured me
with her brown eyes, promising the
divinest entertainment, then in
formed me she had thought I was
4 uholuCl. lCoOlN W 81 lllo SCt
married Mrs. Holton-Sibley was
not easy to locate stumbled from
one palm-studded room to anotn-
er, and in one of them l came
upon another debutante. the fairest
and the sauciest of them all.
! She appeared to be tired and SAT
behind a rubber plant, picking at a
fan of old Japan. / think she
smiled first-I am not sure. There
was just room beside her for a
man who would make himself
small. l made myself very small.
You are weary" I ventured.
T, r She nodded and looked at me
fYom beneath her long, black lash
es for the tenth of second. /
was moved to condolences.
81, too, mweary of the lights
and the babble. And yet it is the
last for me-
THE last?" she asked, encourag-
ingly.
eyes" said I, 81 am to marry for
money"
She leaned over impulsively
THE lady-what is she like?"
| | rambled foolishly. can agree
a she-dragon-a champion putter OF
flat-irons."
OH she murmured, sympa-
| thetically. Il am very, very sorry
for you. But why do you take this
step?"
| MY tailor" | answered, land
the base landlord-these will not
| wait"
She tapped the Nippon fan re-
| flectively. NOW, | have never
known these embarrassments," she
observed finally. 81 ami happen
| to be rather wealthy"
oh" l said, 'and charming as
we'll"
DO you really think so?" she
asked, earnestly.
Upon my thrice-bended knees.
and by the flowing, sheik-like bearu
of illustrous ancestors! | vowed.
| And oh, | wish"
| What do you wish?" she asked
quickly.
Guess" said I.
| She blushed exquisitely. II
know she whispered. that l
were the ogre-lady."
| | bowed. You are very acute"
81 must co." she sighed. Good
bye, Mr.. -"
DENLY" l supplied, Ralph
DENLY"
The lady gasped, covered her
face with her hands and l felt the
divan atremble. | watch her laugh
until | could stand it no longer.
Goodbye" | said. rather sharp
~. 81 must go and get married.
The she arose and regarded me
very soberly, When l can get my
wraps together, will go with
YOU" she announced. at is only
next door-1132-and merely
| n