The Holly chieftain., 1910-11-04
The Unit
Bv JENNIE O. LolZEAUX
copyrish,. $3.50. b Asssai.ssd Li,srsry Press

Gus to more tnAn . low LAuSuan8 ~
marks chinked in between the pauses
Of her interest In her host. who was
telling her boyhood "reminiscences o.
John Gardner, her nancee. Hadge
Vas plainly worried. and Tessts took
pains to show her strange dislike TO
Wiltsie. Then that young man. bound
to redeem himself with Aadge.
piqued BY the honor-guests coolness.
laid himself out to be nice. He Was
vsEy funny. indeed. and everybody
laughed; he talked lot-and we'll
and the girl was forced to listen. r.
luctantly but with attention. Harris
wondered what had happened TO
Madge's dinner; she usually knew
how to make successful evening. Hs
was perplexed. but he saw that ms
friend was rising to the situation.
After dinner. Wiltsie followed Miss
Tessie Gray into the parlor. and
thence to the porch. He was used TO
being smiled at and the change
amused him. She tried to escape. but
In vain. To whom could she heel
II believe everybody in the world
but Tessie and Howard are engaged.
fretted Madge to her husband. I'm
worn to q frazzle. They hate each
other. and yet they have to stay To-
Eether. There's no other way. And
he seems to take positive Joy In fol-
lowing her about and being raptly
attentive. She's horrid and any
other girl would be wild with delight.
He's so good looking and clever. and
he'll be partner next year, won't
hef"
Harris assented, but inwardly he
was greatly amused.
A few weeks later on. after
home dinner. and when the couples
had innocently enough lost them
selves about the garden. the porch.
anywhere to be comparatively alone.
Howard Wiltsie took his banjo ana
sat down on the front steps at Tes-
sizes feet. He began to strum and
sing odd little songs. and to
be generally entertaining
Don't try so hard to be nice to
me! 1t tires you. and Is quite
superduous sacrifice! Take 1t more
easily-you are not running half the
risk you think you are. There u
nothing mesmeric about me and
don't like matchmaking any better
than you do, and even II wanted
to be married, I can assure you that
you, Of all men, are quite safe!
appreciate your bravery in thus COM
ing into the danger zone to help out
your cousin, but l assure you it's NO
pleasure to me to be entertained SO
strenuously. I'm going back home
She was gone. The young man
stared q little; then he laughed.
When his hostess asked for Miss Gray
he coolly remarked that the young
woman had bad attack Of temper
and had gone to her room. He him
self waited until he got word with
Harris in the den. He went straight
to the point
Ibid you tell Madgs what I said
about her matchmaking and all that
stun that night coming home from the
ofice?"
"Why-yes, did. I tried to keep
still, but the night Tessie came
Madee was talking about you. and of
course"
Being a good husband, you had to
tell. When and where did you tell
her?-and where was Miss Gray"
"Gone to bed. Madge and I were
on the porch. Why?"
Wiltsie said he only wanted to
know" Then he went home-or pre-
tended to. He knew Tessie Gray pref
ty well by now. When he was sure
the others would be asleep, he went
back to Harris garden and sat down
| in the little summer house and waited.
Evidently she had recovered from
her rage. for she was coming down
the path, occasionally holding her
handkerchief to her eyes. When she
was almost at the summer house, he
went out to meet her. She jumped.
but she did not scream. She looked
az angry as she could. He faced her.
looking straight into the tear-filled
eyes.
Are the tears for me. Tessie! or
are they-for yourself?"
She stared, not understanding him.
her rage and resentment giving way
before that new thing she saw in his
eyes-a new and welcome thing
Hasn't is dawned on you, Tessie.
that Tm-in love with you? All that
idiotic stuff told Harries and which
you heard him drivel over to Madgs
WAS before I knew you. Dear, don't
you see that?"
She nodded. and then he took cour-
age-and both her willing hands,