Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1910-10-05
Two lnnocents
By OOROTHEA HALE
Copyright, 1910 by American Press
Association
By OOROTHEA HALE

Pa" said Mrs Hathaway. II think
Howard Crook and Efie would make
a good match
III. you wish them TO mate don't let
them know. it. Nothing keeps young
people apart like trying to bring them
together"
i've no hope of their getting to-
gether. They're both so bashful they
don't dare look at each other"
Let 'em alone, and if they have
natural attraction for each other they
will make it up in time. Better still.
tell them that not on any account
shall they fall in love, that there is a
| special reason why they must not
marry"
Nonsense! They're too bashfu TO
| get together anyway. | don't care to
put anything else between EN- to keep
EN- apart
But Mrs. Hathaway noticed that the
| young people needed some spice to
! move them toward each other. and she
concluded tc try her husbands plan
She called her daughter to her one dav
| and told her that she was not to take
any interest in Howard. since on no
account could she marry him. She
| would have said the same to Howard.
but it is not a very pleasant thing to
! tell a young man that he must not
| think Of marrying ones daughter. eS
! pecially when that young man has
! shown no prediction for her When
| Mrs Hathaway had given Effie this
bit of information she told her bus
! band what she had done At the time
! he was shaving.
Pa" she said. i've warned Fife"
About what?"
"Not TO fail in love with Howard"
How did she take it?''
"She acted kind of funny
what do you mean by that?"
"She caught her breath"
THAT would Indicate that she has
already cast covetous eyes upon him"
You mean that the poor child is so
young and innocent that the very men,
ton of her falling in love puts her in
futter. You must remember that
Efie's only sixteen. and Howard is but
| nineteen-tWQ children We ought to
be ashamed of ourselves to talk about
marrying TO either of them"
You mean you ought to be ashamed
of yourself I've had nothing to do
with it,
You know just as we'll as that
when Howard comes of age he'll have
100000
well. my dear hope you'll get him
for her. I'm going downtown"
A few days later conversation on the
same subject was reopPned by Mrs
Hathaway. Mr. Hathaway was read
ing his evening paper.
Pa" she said, those two children
make me tired"
whats the matter now?"
"Oh. yesterday | told them they
might take Bob and the box wagon
and go for drive together Effie said
she didn't like driving. and Howard
said be had a baseball match on hand
You needn't tell me that two young
| things like them would decline an of
fer to be- together for whole after
noon if they weren't Indifferent to each
other
II thought you said it was bashful.
ness"
well. | don't know but it is When
[ told them they might go Efie turned
/ red and Howard looked kind of queer
l mean they looked as if they wanted
to. but didn't dare
well, my dear. if you can't manage
them | can't"
And Mr.. Hathaway went upstairs to
bed.
Their bashfulneSs or whatever it
was seemed to increase instead of
diminish The "children" didn't seem
to get together at all If Mrs. Hath
away went into the room where they
were she would find Howard reading
! q book at one end of the room, while
Fife would be cutting out pictures at
the other end. Then she would wonder
if the child would ever grow to be a
woman If Howard was ever at the
house TO a meal he and Effie would sir
mum on either side of the table. naver
venturing a remark except TO one Of
the older people On one occasion
AAON u Sllu SOillelIlIlS anu FLlLe COi
rected him. Howard averred that he
was right about it, Ellie offered to
bet him. She was thinking what 10 bet
him when her father, winking at her
mother, said:
Bet him a kiss, Eff
Fife colored to the roots of her hair
and Howard looked as if be were
going to bolt
There" said Mrs Hathaway to her
husband you've spoiled everything
Those two children will never be easy
in each others company again"
The next time Mrs. Hathaway had
anything TO say 70 her husband on
this Subject-it was but three days
: later-her tone was changed.
PA" she said, Il must have some