The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-05-08
Matchmaking
BY LUCY M. ROE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

NSh ASoh 6OALS Oub IL Wv ~'~~Ao
after you have come home all tired
out, but some one to come in and chat
with us or play cards"
"Well. my dear, all ! have to say Is
that I'm content as 1t Is, but II you
care to invite any person or persons In
here so that won't have to go out
and see them l don't object"
II have plan all laid out. There's
Ralph Eldridge. He's thirty-five, and
1t 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 q game of bridge or FIVE hundred
In the evening 1t may be great IA
vor to them to bring them together
They may make match"
do anything you like, my dear,
provided you don't put me to any
trouble"
So Mr. Eldridge and Miss Shaw
we're invited to dinner. with cards in
the evening. Mr.. Eldridge Of course
played with Mrs. Vandeveer. Mr.. Van
deveer playing with. Miss Shaw. 1t Is
singular what little thing will start
persons on a different track. 1t was
all In the cards. Mr. Vandeveer and
Miss Shaw held all the court cards In
the pack from 8 o'clock, when they
sat down, till II, when they arose.
This made Mrs. Vandeveer a trlhe IT.
ritable. 1t produced q corresponding
exhilaration In Miss Shaw. Further
more, seeing that Mrs. Vandeveer was
| Irritated, Miss Shaw, moved by per-
versity, became very enthusiastic In
her expressions to her partner, giving
him glances that his wife, being In an
I'll humor construed unfavorably. This
led the hostess to say a number OF
nice things to Mr.. Eldridge.
When the evening was over and the
guests had departed Mr.. and Mrs.
Vandeveer went to bed without a
word. Mrs. Vandeveer suspected that
In introducing Miss Shaw into her
house she had warmed serpent In
her bosom. Mr.. Vandeveer, for the
first time In his married life, felt a
spark of Jealousy of Mr.. Eldridge, who
was an extremely good looking and
attractive man.
The next week when Mr.. Vande'
veer came home one afternoon from
business his wife told him that Miss
| Chan, hod tnyitad tho nartv m dinnar
and for cards in the evening. Mr..
Vandeveer, fearing that II 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 desire to again meet
Miss Shaw.
| At this meeting the cards ran more
evenly, but Miss Shaw seemed to be
even more en- rapport with Mr.. vande
veer than before. while Mr.. Eldridge
treated Mrs. Vandeveer with defer
ence that was, to say the least, ex-
tremely noticeable. Not for the world
would Mr.. Vandeveer show that he
noticed certain glances with which
Mr.. Eldridge favored his wife, but
within him he was burning with 6
smothered fury, and part Of his irri
tation was for his wife that she did
not resent such treatment instead Of
seeming to be pleased with 1t.
The four continued to meet once 8
week at the house of one or the other
Mr.. Vandeveer would have been GLAD
to give up the meetings, and his wife
made no objections to doing so, but
Mr. Eldridge and Miss Shaw were Sc
urgent when 1t came their turn to de
the entertaining that the Vandeveeri
felt obliged to yield. Mrs. Vandevee1
attributed Miss Shaw's persistence t
desire to meet her husband, ant
Mr.. Vandeveer attributed Mr.. FL
bridges persistence to a desire to NEE
his wife.
"Your plan, my dear" said Mr.. Van
deveer one evening before one Of thes
meetings, "for making a match be
tween Eldridge and Miss Shaw doesn'
seem to work"
"H'mr was the retort Miss SHAY
seems to be predisposed in another di
rection."
IT don't know anything about that,
snarled The husband, "but it's yer.
plain that Eldridge is preoccupied."
1.-THE next time attempt to make
match" rejoined the wife, "Ill Sc
that there is no one about to lead tn
lady In the case from her suitor."
Half an hour later the party wa
at Mr.. Eldridge's bachelor quarters
where the meeting was to take place
When the game commenced for tn
first time Mr.. Eldtidge and Miss Shaw
refrained from any jealousy inspiring
glances at the Vandeveers. Mrs. Van
deveer, who was more observant thai
her husband, detected a tender lool
passing between the unmarried cou
pie. When the cards were put asid
Mr.. Eldridge got out light luncheon
and a bottle of iced champagne wa
brought into the room. There was
cork salute, and the host filed tn
glasses and said to his guests;
MANY thanks for giving me the love
Hest woman in the world. Miss Shaw
has consented to be my wife"
When the Vandeveers returned t
their home the husband embraced hi
wife and said:
my dear, think you and can ge
along without any more couples t
come In and spend our evenings wit
ua And I'm not interested In match
making. These two have been maxim
On forno vxrc ~ 40 -