The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-11-15

Picked Out For
Each Other
An Attempt at Matchmaking
That Met With a
Setback
By EDGAR MlNTURN
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1871.

married my chum, Charlie Duncan,
inviting me TO their country place in
the New Hampshire hills. 1--WE are to
entertain n house party" said Mrs.
Duncan, (which will be incomplete
without you. Charlie and l are so
happy that we wish 10 confer 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
she is, nor are we going to tell her
who IS 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"
"Well, now" / said TO myself, Il
like that. Heaven protect me from
those girls whom / am told l am ex-
pected to marry! But in this case
there Is an element Of uncertainty. /
am left free to choose, and the lady
is as free as /. There's something OF
the game of hide and seek in II.
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
ting up their country places. The
house would easily accommodate fifty
guests. On my arrival l found near
" that number assembled, three-quar-
tiers of them being young unmarried
persons. / have no faith in woman's
idea Of justice or fairness and thought
II 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
was warm or when she was ''cold,"
as the children do in their hiding
games-but Charlie said on his word
Of honor we should neither of us re-
ceive the slightest assistance In the
matter.
| looked the women over, feeling
sure that IL my hosts had struck the
right one for me would know her at
once Whether or no / struck the girl
they had decided upon, certainly no.
| ticed one whose general makeup pleas
| ed me very much She was a Miss
| Hester Adams. One of the guests
John Crowell, was attentive to her, SO
that did not at once get much op
portunity to devote myself to her.
And here was point in this little
game wherein i, a man, had an advan
tage. could seek out the girl whC
had been chosen for me, while she
must remain passive. On the othel
hand, she might remain hidden within
herself, corps of observation, watch
ing the enemy's movements.
Within a week / found myself rival
ing John Crowell and several othe
men for the favor Of Hester Adams
She was by no means the most promi
nent young lady in the party, but an!
one with discernment could detect II
her n certain worth which, after all
other things being equal, determine
the real standing of both men and wo
men. Crowell seemed to have the In
side track, the rest of US standing
about even, although / can remember
looking back to that far period, that
was not left without an occasional
morsel of comfort.
But one afternoon a terrible gul
came up between Hester Adams an,
myself. We men were all roomed Of
the third floor, while the women wer
on the second. Going up TO dress 70
dinner, l was obliged TO pass Crowell'
room. His door stood ajar, and, look
ing in, | saw lady standing befor
the dresser. She took up a jewels
, scarfpin and examined It. Her bac
was toward me, but 1 saw her fac
reflected in the mirror over the dresser
She was Hester Adams. Stickin
the pin In her corsage where it woul
be hidden, she was turning when
not wishing her to see me, went on t
my room.
or all the positions in which hay
: ever found myself this was surely III
most singular, the most unpleasant.
had seen a guest. one in whom l wa
: beginning TO be interested, In ii
e mems quarters steal jewelry. Whetl
or she knew 1t or not 1 could not tel
but the man from whom she was pi
: fering was Crowell, who was devote
TO her.
) An hour later we assembled at dil
2 ner. Naturally l looked at Miss Al
$ ans. / failed to catch her eye. but
o saw In 1t a troubled expression. Du
e ing the dinner she seemed to be thin
4 ing of something else than what WI
e said to her. Fearing to show diffe
+ ence in my treatment Of her, / did n
= address her while we were dining m
5 during the evening.
$ My secret weighed upon me. VIII
s surprised me was certain dlsappoin
s ment felt In Hester Adams. 1t co
WINGED me that the little god hs
wounded me. though / had not know
= It. l brooded over the theft hi
I, seen. Was It an effect Of kleptom
d MIA? Surely the girl had no occasi'
h to steal. / had noticed a brighten,
look on her face which indicated tn
she was cognizant OF what she W
doing. wondered II she knew tn
she was in Crowells room. I saw h
going into her own room the ne
morning and noticed that II was
rectly under the one In which she h
committed the theft. / had seen Gro
ell wear the scarfpin and watched
see n Il had been returned TO him,
fancying the thief might have do