The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-03-30
lMessag es lli,sed.

.SsS The girl I'M the pretty gown looked
as pathetic as She could! si,Taa
ali. !" she tel, ]. The other girl In the
stunning toqne, because I was Id
too great a hurry to nee paper and
pen. But It seems to me theY might
have had more sense only men new
.er, dc. = -,sSi.f
SIT sounds slightly involved. !"
murmured her friend, wrinkiing her
brow interestedly. n z
Oh. explained the girl In the new
gown, I'm speaking OF the elabo-
rate and thorough misunderstanding
there is between Jefr Hawtreyi and
Mr.. Ferguson and myself. Nell was
spending a week with me and there
was one vacant evening that I had
to fill up. concluded that Id have
a table OF whist and thatsI'd get JEFF
and Mr.. Ferguson to make up the
four. 1t was nearly dinner time then.
so thererwas no use telephoning to
their Offices. l asked Augusta. our
new maid. to take the MESA ges to
their homes. You know Jeff's home
Is Just around the corner and Mr..
Ferguson's people live only three
blocks AWAY. Augusta Is an obliging
little creature and listened carefully
to orders. ~ W. <. n
eco to Mr.. Ferguson's first. I
said. and tell him that Miss Bing-
ham would like to have him come
over and play whist this evening and
to please bring along tho new deck
OF cards his sister borrowed OF me for
her party. Then go to Mr.. Hawtreyts
and tell him the same. Ask him also
II. when he runs up to the corner for
cigars'-he always does that, you
know, after dinner-'he would be so
good as to get me o pound of
cheese I thought rarebit would
be nice. and i know JEFF SO we'll that
l didn't mind asking the favor.
Nell and ! got into our most
fetching gowns and I lighted all the
shaded lamps and made things as
nice as possible. There's no telling
Just what may impress a man, ypu
know, and Mr.. Ferguson--wcll, i.
never saw any one quite like him.
He's So
i've no doubt you arc right"
broke In the girl In the stunning
toque, as though stopping some
thing she had heard before. ."Well?"
well, we had dinner and waited.
Then We waited some more. 1t got to
BIO $50. Then l sought Augusta
Yes. she had. done exactly as 1 tod
her. couldn't imagine what mad
happened. because II they had not
been coming they would have let me
know. Finally at $50 answered
the bell. On the step stood Mr.. Fer
guson and he lifted his hat politely.
Good evening" heEsaid 'Here's
your cheese Then he started to de-
part. ~ 35tllgj
'.'Wait a minute!'; j, called wildly.
AREN'T yon-didn't you-you'rc
coming in, aren't you?"
He seemed surprised and not ut
all anxious to follow me into the
hall. Just then Jeff came around
the corner out Of breath and dashed
In. affa IA .:Tl'I-s 81.
s !: Here's the cards. he said.
ttBest ! could do--and I've no idea
what 1t all means7-and what on
earth Miss Griswold will do to me I
don't know
4 t"By this time l had come par
tally out OF my trance. knew there
was something wrong ail around.
did you two men intend to accept
my invitation or, not?' l demanded
point blank. Il :.,.
:: They looked at each other va
guely. Then told them to sit down.
Next I began to ferret out the mys-
terry.
~ 1t seems when Mr.. Ferguson got
home his small sister was just Ieav-t
Ing for party and fred the novel
news Mt him that Miss Bingham had
sent word that he was to bring her
q pound Of cheese for rarebit and
not to fail. Augusta had mixed the
cheese and the deck OF cards. Well,
hr. Ferguson had an important en-
gagement, but his natural politeness
led him to obey orders. got It out
of him that he had been to ten stores
before he found the cheese i wanted.
Thus he had missed his appointment
I gathered that only his early trains;
Ing restrainedNhim from expressing
his feelings. 5sE5 .s.'y
y "As for lief, the cook. told him
that Miss PinAham wanted him to
come to q party and bring a deck of
cards that had a sister on them. That.
slightly staggered JEFF. There hap
pens to be u Miss Pinkhnm who has
moved into our neighborhood, an
awful}y pretty girl whom he had
never met. = & L r
z We'll, he tore down to the drug
store to find playing cards with
girl of some sort on them. He didn't
know why Miss Pinkham specified
particular artistic design or why she
has specified any, and 1t Mns queer
all around. but he wasn't missing
any chances to ohliget such a stun;
ming girl. eyon II she was eccentric.
He says words would fail II he ever