Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-09-08
HER LUCKY MISTAKE,
By OSCAR cox.

and read them with a bored expression
on her beautiful and aristocratic coun
tenance. Then she threw them dowr
and on her crest stamped paper wrote
two replies. One was declination Il
proposal Of marriage. the other ar
Invitation for proposer to call. init
mating that he would be accepted. Ad
dressing two envelopes. one to Hamil
ton ellis. No. East Forty eighth
street: the other to George B. Hilliars
Union club. city. she laid both notes
and envelopes on the desk before her
Then she darkened the room 90 that
she could not see any OF them. mixed
them. took up one Of the notes. put II
In one of the envelopes. sealed and
stamped 1t. tore up the other note and
envelope. threw the pieces into q
| wastebasket and sent the other to the
mail without looking at the address.
Her intention was to remain ignoran mt
Of the man she had chosen TILL he pre-
scented himself.
for the reason that Miss Buckingham
had a number Of suitors, and she
wrote an illegible hand
The next evening card was handed
to her bearing The name of q. b. Hill
lier- She glanced at II. gave a slight
shrug. fingered her back hair before IA
glass and descended the stairs. On
entering the drawing room she found
very different man from either of
the two TO whom she had written.
A great many things flashed through
her mind In an infinitely short space
Of time. First, she had written one of
the notes tevIdeBtly the one that had
been mailed) to George b. Hiliiars, and
1t had fallen into the hands Of Gusta.
vus B. Hitler. This was not remark
able. since both men belonged to the
same club. Second, how was she to
escape the results Of her blunder? Mr..
Hitler was one Of her many suitors. a
sutton she loved and by whom she had
supposed herself to have been Tilted
Her pride rebeIled against admitting
that she had sent for him to eat hum
bic pie. and she did not wish him to
know that she had intended to accept
another
"Marianr' he said, advancing. but
stopped. repealed by her expression.
Marian" he began again. what
does this mean7 Have you led me to
believe that you had seen your giaring
injustice only to give me additional
pain?"
How did you happen toto GET
"Your letter? returned today"
"No. no: didn't know you were
away. mean What right have you
to- She baked again.
"Marian" be exclaimed.
"No. no: I didn't mean that"
There was short pause. after which
he said. when we parted last l told
you that could not brook
Brook! II was who could not"
You? The Objectionable words were
spoken to me-"
what wordsr'
what words? Why. in reference to |
that note wrote you to which you |
deigned no reply. I sent another ask
ing for the cause of your silence. You |
replied that you would not address a |
note to a man at bis club because a
friend Of yours had done so and her
note had been shown to others
And do you mean to tell me that
trivial thing like that caused you to !
refrain from favoring me ut the next |
cotillonT
"a trivial thing like thatw 90
Yes. Shouldn't have profted by
my friends experienceT
He stood looking at her In astonish-
ment
Then the next time" she added. Il
met you on the street you didn't speak
TO me-
"How could | when you walked by |
me with your-without looking at
meT
Judging from your previous treat
ment of me, i supposed you Intended
10 cut me-
"Did you expect me to bow TO your
shadow? Could ! speak TO girl who
would not even look at me?"
You men are so"-
$50 what;'
IRRITATING"
anything else"
stupid"
There was long silence. which was
broken by the man: II believe you are
right I've been stupid. There is
about the feminine makeup
that renders woman oblivious to the
imputations she casts upon
man. You argued that. because some
cad had betrayed con-
fidence. under the same circumstances
an honorable man would do the same"
Miss Buckingham WIS silent. A
faint glimmer Of the fallacy Of the
syllogism began to dawn upon her.
II suppose ought TO apologize" she
said. "but I'm not going to do 1t after.
the way You treated me-" y
my apology would be in order after.
not BEFORE yours
l