The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-05-25

Street, in order to provide a haven
Of retreat in times of emergency. He
had decided that this was best ac-
complished by marriage, for, as he
truly remarked, most Johnnies hitch
ed up to somebody some tine, and 1t
was just as easy to love a rich girl
as a poor one. The father of the
Fair Unknown was to endow them
with the establishment as a wedding
gift and provide Casey with a lucra-
tive berth downtown, in order to
preserve his independence.
"Now, you all know" he said i'm
pressively, I'm not much on girls.
In fact, I'm always acutely misera-
BILE when one me. But I'm
willing to make the sacrifice because
I have no budding genius to be
watched and nourished. Of course
it would be fatal to you literary fell
lows to have your careers interfered
with just now. And a girl always in
terferes."
We could not deny it-she did. EX-
perience had demonstrated it many
times.
"And So" remarked Casey, I'm
willing to be married, although I
don't deny it is a bitter pill. And
since I am the lamb that is to be led
bleating ~piteously to the altar, it only
remains for you to find the girl"
Find the girl" we echoed blank
ly.
That's what I said. You can't ex-
pect me to hunt her up as we'll as
marry her. There are limits even to
my endurance"
In spite of ridicule and protest
| Casey remained firm, and, much to
our surprise, we found ourselves fol-
lowing his instructions and i%nstitut-
ing still hunts to discover and secure
a suitable victim.
We industriously attended teas, re-
| ceptions, and dances. We did even
more, for we sought abjectly for in
vitations to houses we once haughtily
ignored, where the air vas heavy
with luxury and the clink of coin al
ways in evidence.
1t was a strenuous life we led, for
the finding of a bride for Casey had
become an obsession. Not a pink and
white debutante vas introduced, but
we scanned her carefully to see If she
would be satisfactory. Then we
would go home and report to Casey
luxuriously sprawled on the couch
and revealing in his pipe and his
| oldest clothes. But he developed a
critical faculty that proved most in
convenient.
Whats that" he exclaimed, in
terrupting a panegyric of Fergue-
sson. Little, and blonde, and plump?
Not much! These small, fair women
get enormously fat and have three
chins. Now, I'd do a good deal for
you, but I simply won't spend my
declining years sitting opposite three
chins three times a day. You can't
expect it,"
So the time slipped away, and we
began to have a goaded and harassed
feeling. Ferguesson abandoned fc-
ton and took a job on a newspaper,
to keep an adequate supply Of cash on
hand, while 7 sat up nights trying to
evolve captivating plots and also
| grind out verses to keep the cot boil
ing.
Finally Starr announced that,
quite by accident, he had discovered
her. He had been to the Graysons'
to have a look at the twins, and had
found that n squinted and the other
had a bad complexion. So he came
away feeling discouraged, but some
how found himself under an awning
and mingling with a stream of arriv-
ing guests. Starr said he did not
know why he went int a perfectly
strange house, unless it was because
his feet had grown Sc accustomed to
climbing steps covered with red car
pet that they carried him straight up
without his volition.
He was inclined to think, however,
that he was personally conducted by
the hand OF Providence when he saw
a white-robed vision smiling at him
over an armful' of pink roses. She
stood beside a corpulent matron in
sleek black satin, who somehow sug-
gested a we'll fed crow, and Starr
shook in his shoes at the thought of
confronting her. He felt a little dir
zy as he heard himself announced
and wondered how she would receive
him.
$50 glad to see you, Mr.. Starr" she
murmured. 80 nice you could come
after all. Yes,-this is Mildred. You
wouldn't have known ner, would
you?"
Starr truthfully admitted that he
could have passed Mildred in the
street any time without recognizing
her, and the Well Fed Crow contin-
ued blandly:
Long dresses and foreign travel
make such a difference. Mildred was
educated abroad, you know"
Starr murmured something inartic-
ulate and the w. F. G. resumed the
thread of discourse.
How is your Aunt Harriet? I am
really very angry with you for not
letting US know sooner that you were