The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1910-08-04
MING THE
PROCESSION


Snyder arranged the variegated col
lection Of envelopes ID . neat pile on
the little table convenient to his ell.
bow before he opened one. That pre-
cision was characteristic Of Snyder.
The club attendant had learned to
be careful and not get in the way
when Snyder settled himself for q
peaceful hour before dinner with mail
and papers. He helped adjust the pile
to more correct vertical angle and
then he noiselessly withdrew.
Snyder uttered an expressive word
as he opened the first envelope. It
contained the wedding announcement
Of man whom he had thought az
confirmed bachelor as himself.
There 1t was In black and white
Hendrickson vanished from the ranks
Of clubdom!
In q kind of daze Snyder ran
through the other envelopes. The
contents Of next to the last one gave
him another shock. 1t was brief
communication from Conybeare, who
built bridges and was q wanderer
whose home was In a trunk because Of
his profession; yet Conybeare report.
ed with cheerful nonchalance that he
was going to be married next month
to the finest girl on earth!
Snyder sat carefully trying to make
the two envelopes whose contents had
80 upset him. meet at the edges, but
he couldn't, because the announce.
ment envelope was bigger than the
other. Even the envelope couldn't be
retiring and properly apologize for
Hendrickson's foolishness, but had to
haunt the news as though It were
something to crow about!
He had always considered Hendrick.
son particularly level-headed fellow,
He and Conybeare had been like
brothers since their college days. II
had been one Of those Friendships
which are SO perfect that time and
distance have no effect on them and II
had been one of the things that con.
tribute to making life worth living
Yet Conybeare had thrown everything
over now for the sake of some girl!
/ Snyder felt oddly adrift and very
lonely. He smiled trifie bitterly at
the memory of the phrase, finest girl
on earth" That alone showed the he.
tuddled state Of mind Conybeare was
IN, for any one in normal state OF
mind knew there were many fine WON.
en- on earth. In fact. Snyder knew
several himself. He was not a woman
hater, by any means, but as he and
Hendrickson had many times decided
In their talks and after-dinner smokes
It was mistake to allow woman to
have dominant place in ones life
The man who married tied himself
down.
Snyder had been comfortably happy
In his club life and his friends, but
now two Of the closest of these friende
had brutally abandoned him-had
struck their colors and bent their
necks to the yoke!
The longer he considered the stu
alton the more disgruntled Snyder got
he ate his dinner sullenly. Even the
noiseless peace Of the club dining
room, a peace never achieved by q
dining room presided over by a chat
tering wife and home cook, got on
his nerves. He was upset and he
yearned to talk to some one.
Looking around the room, he saw
no one he cared to join. What he
wanted was intelligent sympathy
Women certainly caused all the trou
bic In the world and it was surprising
considering what really charming per
sons they were on occasion. Anne
Wilson, for instance.
He had known Anne for ten wears
and the Wilson house was a second
home to him. The reason he liked tc
80 there was that Anne had sense and
itdn't get sentimental. In fact. she
seemed to look at things nearly from
Ills point Of view. He was always sure
of her understanding his ideas. and
ne felt that she would be just as In
dignant about Conybeare's and Hen
arickson's actions as he was himself
She would think they had treated him
unfairly and themselves with poo,
Judgment.
He resolved that when he finished
dining he would run out to the VIII
sons and tell Anne all about 1t, II
fact, there was no one else now t.
whom he could talk about it. He wa,
sure of Anne. If Conybeare and Hen
erickson had only been content with
q good. sensible friendship like that
instead of fancying they were in love
and spelling everything! still. there
was some excuse for them, for women
of the Anne Wilson stamp were rare
He was considering this when An
bolt sauntered by and said something
What" Snyder cried, explosiyely
why, 4 dropped into the Joneses
this afternoon Abbott explained
and the girls were talking about e
They said It hadn't been announced
but everybody was sure Anne Wilson
was engaged to Trevors. or course
1t may not be 20"
Snyder got to his feet, made for. III,
coat and hat and then dashed ont y
the club. :.