Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1911-02-24
TIE DEBUTANTE.
Come urged Manners.

NO" answered for the fifteenth
time. II must go and get married.
"Fiddlesticks!" he scoffed. Come.
click your heels In dream waltz and
say sharp-edged things for the ladies.
Then marry tomorrow
1t was written down in good, legal
characters on stiff yellow parchment,
that I should wed my Uncle Urijah's
stepniece, Miss Aida Sanborn-if
desired my portion of the good mans
fortune ! had need of the fortune,
but none for the wife, especially as
/ had not seen the lady, who had
just arrived from New Zealand. Be-
fore l could go and prospect, young
Manners halted me with his seduc.
tive song of the Holton-Shibleys'
ball.
mo" / said for the sixteenth time.
Il must go to 1882 Wyman Boulevard
I'm going to get married and be re-
spectacle"
But Manners only laughed and pull
ed me with him. 1.-THE Holton-Shib-
ieys, are at 1884" he said. Drop In,
look over the new crop OF debutantes
then go set up your tiresome house
hold GODS"
Thus it came that l shelved matri-
mony and sought the glaring lights.
The debutantes formed a dazzling col
acknowledgements Cleopatra
types, fuffy-haired Saxon blondes,
Titian-haired, cherry-ripe goddesses,
smiling, coquetting, enchanting
line Don Cupid must have chuckled
over as he STEPPED his sharp darts in
the portion of their azure veins.
One there was who blushed at my
first compliment, then riddled me for
Is minutes and turned me off crest
fallen. Another lured me with her
brown eyes, promising the diyinest
entertainment, then informed me she
had thought l was another. | re-
solved to go and get married. Mrs
Holton-Shibley was not easy to To-
cate. / stumbled from one palm.
studded room to another, and in one
of them / came upon another debu-
tante, the fairest and the sauciest of
them all.
She appeared to be tired and sat
behind rubber. plant, picking at a
fan of old Japan. I think she smiled
frst--I am not sure. There was just
room beside her for man who would
make himself small. made myself
very small.
You are weary" / ventured.
She nodded and looked at me from
beneath her long, black lashes for
the tenth of a second. | was moved
to confidence.
Il, too. am weary Of the lights and
the babble. And yet it is the last
for me-
"The last?" she asked, encourag.
tngl'.
yes" said I. 81 am to marry for
money"
She leaned over impulsively. "The
iady-what is she like?"
| rambled foolishly IAN ogre
a she-dragon-a champion putter of
fat-irons."
OH she murmured, sympathetic
cally. II am very, very. sorry for
you. But, why do you take this step?"
My tailor" l answered, land the
base landlord-these. will not wait"
She tapped the Nippon fan ref1ec.
lively. Nov I have never known
these embarrassments,' she observed
finally. Il ami happen to be rath.
err wealthy
"Oh," said, "and charming as
we'll"
DO you really think 500" she ask.
ed earnestly.
Upon my thrice-bended knees, and
by the flowing, sheik-like beard of
illustrous ancestors" | vowed. And.
oh, wish
What do you wish?" she asked
quickly.
Guess" said I.
She blushed exquisitely. know
- she whispered, 'that / were the
ogre-lady"
| bowed. "You are very ACUTE
Z must CO." she sighed. "Goodby,
Mr."
DENLY" replied, Ralph Den.
by"
The lady gasped, covered her face
with her hands, and i felt the divan
tremble. | watched her laugh until
could stand it no longer.
"Good-by," | said, rather sharply
II must go and get married."
Then she arose and regarded me
very soberly. When l can get my
wraps together, l will go with you
she announced. 1T is only next
door-1l32-and | merely slipped over
for a few minutes observation" And
she handed me a card.
Miss Aida Sanborn!" | exclaimed
"No--the ogre-lady-the she-drag
on-the hurler of flatiron,', she