Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1911-05-10
Matchmaking
By LUCY NJ. ROE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

after you have come home all tired |
out. but some one to come in and chat |
with us or play cards"
We'll. my dear. all / have to say is
that I'm content as it is, but if you
care to invite any person or persons in
here so that won't have tn go out
and see them | don't object"
Il have plan all laid out. There's
Ralph Eldridge. He's thirty five. and
it is time he was married. Now. my
old school friend Margaret Shaw
would be just the woman for Ralph.
She's twenty-six What do YOU say to
getting them in occasionally to dinner.
with game of bridge or five hundred
in the evening. 1t may he great ia
vor to them to bring them together.
They may make match
DO anything you like, my dear.
provided you don't put ne TO any
trouble"
SO Mr.. Eldridge and Miss Shaw
were invited to dinner. With cards in
the evening. Mr.. EiGridge of course
played with Airs. Vandevepr. Mr.. Van
deveer playing with Miss Shaw. It is
singular what little thing will start
persons on different track 1t was
I'll in the cards. Mr. Vandevper and
Miss Shaw held all the court cards in
The pack from @ O'Clock. when they
sat down. till H. when they arose
This made Mrs. VanGayeor a tr:fe ir-
ritablp 1t produced a corresponding
exhilaraton in Miss Shaw. Further
more. seeing that MIS-. Napdeyeer was
irritated. Miss Shaw. moved by per
vorSity. became vary enthusiastic in
her expressions to her mariner. giving
him slanceS that his wife. being in al
III humor. construed unfavorably. This
led the hostess to say number of
nice thinms to Mr.. Eld"iGgp.
When the evening was over and the
/ guests had departed Mr. and Mrs
| Nandeveer went TO bed without q
rord. Mrs. VaEdevePr suspected that
| louise she had warmed q serpent in
he~ bosom. Mr.. Vandoveer. for the
! first time in his married life. felt g
spark of jealousy of Mr.. EldridGe. who
was al extremely good looking and
attractive man
The next week when Mr.. Nande
| vear came home one afternoon from
business his wife told him that Miss
Shaw had invited the party to dinner
and for cards in the evening. Mr..
| Vandeveer. fearing that if he declined
to accept his wife would think he
wished to keep her from again meet
ing Mr.. Eldridge. consented. His wife
was much surprised and set down his
willingness to a desire 70 again meet
Miss Shaw.
At this meeting the cards ran more
evenly. but Miss Shaw seemed to be
even more en- rapport with MFR. Vande
geer than before. while Mr. Eidridge
treated Mrs. Vandeveer with a defer
ence that was. 10 say the least. eX
tremely noticeable Not for the worlC
would Mr.. Vandeveer show that he
noticed certain glances with which
Mr.. Eldridge favored his wife, but
within him he was burning with
smothered fury. and part Of his irrl
tation was for his wife that she die
not resent such treatment instead o
seeming TO be pleased with it.
The four continued to meet once
week at the house OF one or the other
Mr. Vandeveer would have been glat
to give up the meetings, and his wifi
made no objections to doing so. bl
Mr.. Eldridge and Miss Shaw were s
urgent when it came their turn TO c
the entertaining that the Vandeveer
felt obliged 20 yield. Mrs. Vandnvee
attributed Miss Shaw's persistence t
a desire to meet her husband, an
Mr.. yandeveer attributed Mr.. E.
bridges persistence to d desire to NEE
bis wife.
Your plan. my dear" said Mr. Var
, deveer one evening before one Of thes
meetings, "for making a match b'
. tween Eldridge and Miss Shaw doesn
seem to work"
HIM" was the retort. Miss Sha'
seems to be predisposed in another d
rection."
, II don't know anything about that
snarled the husband. but it's yer
plain that Edridge is preoccupied."
1.-The next time | attempt to make
match" rejoined the wife. I'll sc
that there is no one about to lead til
lady in the case from her sutton"
Half an hour later the party wa
, at Mr.. Eldridge's bachelor quarter
q where the meeting was to take plac
, When the game commenced for th
+ first time Mr.. Eldridge and Miss Sha'
a refrained from any jealousy inspirin
q glances at the Vandeveers. Mrs. Val
, deveer. who was more observant tina
? her husband. detected tender loo
!. passing between the unmarried COT
p pie. When the cards were put aSiC
Mr.. Eldridge got out light luncheo
and a bottle of iced champagne WE
brought into the room. There was
cork salute. and the host filled tt
glasses and said to his guests:
MANY thanks for giving me the low
lest woman in the world. Miss Sha
has consented to be my wife,