The Press., 1911-12-06
Picked Out For Each Other An Attempt at MaichmAkins That Met With a
 Setback
 By EDGAR MINTURN Copyright by American Press Asso-
 .k.k&av. Fd1T
ey EDGAR MINTuRN
Copyright by American Press Asso-
 eiation. 191L

the New Hampshire hills. We are to entertain a house party" said Mrs. Duncan. which will be incomplete without you. Charlie and are so happy that we wish to confer a like happiness on you. A girl will be a member of your. party whom we have picked out for you. We are not going to tell you which one of our guests nho ia, nor are we going to tell her who @ the man we have picked out for her, though we have told her that such a man is to be present We are going to leave you to find each other"
 even, now" said to myself. T nks that. Heaven protect me from khoses girls whom I am told I am ex- pected to marryl But In this case there sia an element of uncertainty. am left free to choose. and the lady ts as free as L There's something of the game of hide and seek in it I'll attend the house party"
 Charlie inherited a large fortune and owns@one of those big tracts of land on which our rich Americans are set. 4 housee would easily accommodate fifty guestA On my arrival I found near H that number assembled. three-quar- tsEs of them being young unmarried persons. I have no faith in woman's
 6ea of justice or fairness and thought G more than likely that Eileen Dun can would give the girl for whom she had picked me out an advantage over meat least a hint as to when she val warm" or when she was .'cold, !" ns the children do in their hiding gamea-but Charlie said on his word of honor we should neither of us re estve- the slightest assistance in the matter.
 looked the women over, feeling sure that If my hosts had struck the right one for me I would know her at ence. Whether or no struck the girl Msy bad decided upon, certainly no @ced one whose general makeup pleas ed me very much She was a Miss Easter Adams. One of the guests. John rOrowell, was attentive to her. so tAat I did not at once get much op- pOrtunity to devote myself to her. 3 And here was a point in this little game wherein I. man, had an advan- tagp- could seek out the girl who had been chosen for me. while she mnGt remain passive. On the other hands she might remain hidden within harSeh- a corps of observation. watch ing the enemy's movements.
 Within a week found myself rival ing John Cr0wen and several other men for the favor of Hester Adams. 6he was by no means the most promi- nant young lady in the party, but any ono with discernment could detect in knr a certain worth which, after all, eeAef things being equal. determines 'fAk real sanding of hotn zan and svc- wsn. Crowel seemed to have the in- asds track. the rest of us standing ahout even, although can remember, looking back to that far period, that was not left without an occasional mOrsel of comfort
 But one afternoon . terrible gulf eamS. up between Hester Adams and myssk We men were all roomed on the third floor, while the women were ca the second Going up to dress for dinner, I was obliged to pass CrowelIs room His door stood ajar, and, look ing In. I saw a lady standing before the dresser. She took up a Jeweled scarfpin and examined it. Her back was toward me, but saw her face rsdected in the mirror over the dresser.
 She was Hester Adams. Sticking the pin in her corsage where it would oo hidden, she was turning when 1, not wishing her to see me, went on to ny room
 Of all the positions in which I have gvsr found myself this was surely the most singular. the most unpleasant. had seen a guest, one in whom was beginning to be interested. in the men's quarters steal Jewelry. Wheth- W ahss knew it or not could not tell, but the man from whom she was pill fsring was Crowell. who was devoted to her.
 An hour later we assembled at din n~. Naturally I looked at Miss Ad- AmS- I failed to catch her eye, but l saw in 1t a troubled expression. Dur ing the dinner she seemed to be think
 
 said to her. Fearing to show a differ snce in my treatment of her, did not address her while we were dining nor during the evening.
 My secret weighed upon me- What surprised me was a certain disappoint- ment felt in Hester Adams. It con Y1nced me that the little god had wounded me. though had not known It. I brooded over the theft I had nia7 Surely the girl had no occasion b steal had noticed a frightened hAnL h0r For0 whIoh I-DIsIoa+aS +Fat she was cogn1zant of what she was doing. I wondered if she knew that She was in Crowells room. I saw her gotng into her own room the next and noticed that 1t was di- nectly under the one in which she had the theft. I had seen Crow 'll wear the scarfpin and watched to 'ee if 1t had been returned to him, 'ancytng the thief might have done 'o under qualms of conscience But Crowell did not appear with 1t in his leckwear. thought to ask him if he lad missed it, but nothing could have induced me to give the slightest inti- l nation of what I had seen Naturally this disagreeable feature ! If my visit marred my enjoyment. and, ! ls for the game I had looked forward l Q playing with some interest. I forgot { entirely. One evening the hostess aid to me. You have disappointed me in not laving shown a preference for any of !he girls of the party. To make the natter more interesting am going to ell you that noticed in her a decid- 'd preference for you as soon as you lrr1veA' 1 "A prefersnce for meP' 1 exclaimed. urprised- "Yes. for your' ~What indication did she give of hs factP'