Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-09-26
BY EDGAR MINTURN

n
Ill Setback
Ill BY EDGAR MINTuRN
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911
In the autumn Of 19- ] received
note. from Eileen Duncan, who ha
married my chum, Charlie Duncan
inviting me to their country place i
the New Hampshire hills. 1--WE are t
entertain a house party" said Mr.
Duncan, (which will be incomplet
without you. Charlie and are s.
happy that we wish to confer a hk
happiness on you. A girl will be
member Of your party whom we hav
picked out for you. We are not goinI
to tell you which one Of our guest
she is, nor are we going to tell he
who is the man we have picked ou
for her, though we have told her tina
such q man Is to be present We ar
going to leave you to find each other"
"Well, now," / said to myself, I"
like that. Heaven protect me from
those girls whom / am told l am ex
pected to marry! But in this cas-
there Is an element Of uncertainty.
am left free to choose, and the lady
is as free as 1. There's something o,
the game Of hide and seek in 1t
I'll attend the house party"
Charlie inherited q large fortune anG
owns one Of those big tracts Of lant
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
| ly that number assembled, three-quar
ters Of them being young unmarried
persons. / have no faith In woman's
idea Of justice or fairness and thought
1t more thau likely that Eileen Dun
can would give the girl for whom she
had picked me out an advantage over
meat least hint as to when she
was warm" or when she was "cOid,
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 If my hosts had struck the
right one for me would know her at
once. Whether or no I struck the girl
they had decided upon, I certainly no.
ticed one whose general makeup pleas
ed me very much. She was q Miss
Hester Adams. One Of the guests,
John Crowell. was attentive to her, 80
that l did not at once get much op-
portunity to devote myself to her.
And here was point In this little
game wherein l, man, had an advan-
tage. could seek out the girl who
had been chosen for me, while she
must remain passive. On the other
hand, she might remain hidden within
herself. a corps Of observation. watch
ing the enemy's movements.
Within a week found myself rival
ing John Crowen and several other
men for the favor Of Hester Adams.
She was by no means the most promi-
nent young lady in the party, but any
one with discernment could detect In
her a certain worth which, after all,
other things being equal, determines
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 q terrible gulf
came up between Hester Adams and
myself. We men were all roomed on
the third floor, while the women were
on the second. Going up to dress for
dinner, I was obliged to pass Crowell's
room. His door stood ajar, and, look
ing in. I saw lady standing before
the dresser. She took up a jeweled
scarfpin and examined It. Her back
was toward me, but I saw her face
reflected In the mirror over the dresser.
She was Hester Adams. Sticking
the pin in her corsage where 1t would
be hidden, she was turning when I,
not wishing her to see me. went on to
my room.
OF all the positions in which have
ever found myself this was surely the
most singular. the most unpleasant. I
had seen u guest, one In whom was
beginning to be interested, In the
mems quarters steal jewelry. Wheth-
er she knew 1t or not could not tell,
but the man from whom she was pill
fering was Crowell. who was devoted
to her.
An hour later we assembled at din
ner. Naturally I looked at Miss Ad-
ans. I failed to catch her eye, but I
saw in 1t troubled expression. Dur
ing the dinner she seemed to be think
ing of something else than what was
said to her Fearing to show differ
ence in my treatment Of her, l did not
address her while we were dining nor
during the evening.
Ny secret weighed upon me. What
surprised me was certain disappoint-
ment felt in Hester Adams. 1t con-
vinced me that the little god had
wounded me, though I had not known
It. l brooded over the theft had
seen. Was 1t an effect Of kleptoma-
MIA? Surely the girl had no occasion
to steal. I had noticed frightened
look on her face which indicated that
she was cognizant Of what she was
doing. wondered II she knew that
she was In Crowell's room. saw her
going into her own room the next
morning and noticed that It was d.
rectly under the one In which she had
committed the theft. I had seen Crow
ell wear the scarfpin and watched to
see II It had been returned to him, I
fancying the thief might have done
80 under QuaIms Of conscience. But
Crowell did not appear with It In his
neckwear. thought to ask him II he
had missed It, but nothing could have
induced me to give the slightest inti'
nation of what I had seen.
Naturally this disagreeable feature
OF my visit marred my enjoyment, and,
as for the game had looked forward
- Mo v,ro NTH oono intnroSt I forgot