The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-04-25
Matchmaking
p LUCY n. ROE
Copyrls!,t By hmeriran Press Asso-
cia ,uu lail,
r LUCY N. ROE

out. but some pne &, come In ana chat
with us or play cards"
well. my dear. all | have to say ia
that I'm content IA 1t IL, but II yon
care to invite ans person or persons il.
here 50 that | won't have to 20 out
and see them | don't direct"
II have n plan all laid n1t. There's
Ralph E!dridge. He's lA.rty.five. nm.
1t Is time he was married Now. nv
old school fliend Margaret Shaw
would be Just the woman for Ralpb.
She's twentysiy. What do you saw to
getting them in occasionally to elmer.
with Il game Of bridge or five hundrel
In the evening. 1t may be a great fl.
vor 70 them to bring them together.
They may make match"
40 anything you like. my dear,
provided You don't Put me to any
trouble"
SO Mr.. Eldridge and Miss Shaw
were invited to dinner. with cards in
the evening. Mr. Eidridge Of course
played with Mrs. Vandeveer, Mr.. Van
deveer pnying with Miss Shaw. 1t is
singular what a little thing viii start
persons on different track. It was
MI IN the cards. Mr. vandeveer and
Miss Shaw held all the court cards In
the Pack from 0 O'clock. when they
sat down. till II, when they arose
This made Mrs. Vandeveer a trifle ir
rItahle. 1t produced a corresponding
exhllaration in Miss Shaw. Further
more, seeing that Mrs, vandeveer was
irrtated. Miss Shaw. moved by per
versity. became very enthusiastic In
her expressions to her partner, givine
him Chances that his wife. being In ar
III humor, construed uufavorably. This
led the hostess to say number of
nice things to Mr. Eldr.dcp.
When the evening was over and the
guests had departed Mr.. and Mrs
Vandeveer went to bed without q
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
spark Of jealousy of Mr.. Eldridge. who
was an extremely good looking anG
attractive man.
The next week when Mr.. Vanfe
veer came home one afternoon from
business his wife told him thet Miss
Shaw had invited the party to dinner
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 a
smothered fury. and part Of his irri-
tatlon 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 a
week at the house Of one or the other.
Mr.. Vandeyeer would have been glad
to give up the meetings, and his wife
made no objections to doing so. but
Mr.. EldFidge and Miss Shaw were SO
urgent when II came their turn to do
the entertaining that the Vandeveers
felt obliged to yield. Mrs. Vandeveer
attributed Miss Shaw's persistence to
n desire to meet her husband, and
Mr.. Vandeveer attributed Mr.. En-.
dridges persistence to desire to meet
his wife.
"Your plan, my dear" said Mr.. Van
deveer one evening before one Of these
meetings. "for making a match be-
tween Eldridge and Miss Shaw doesn't
seem to work"
"H'mr was the retort. Miss Shaw
seems to be predisposed in another d.
rection."
81 don't know anything about that"
snarled the husband, but it's very
plain that Eldridge is preoccupied."
1.-THE next time l attempt to make
match" rejoined the wife. "Ill see
that there Is no one about TO lead the
lady in the case from her sutton"
Half an hour later the party was
at Mr.. Eldridge's bachelor quarters.
where the meeting was to take place.
When the game commenced for the
first time Mr.. Eldrdge and Miss Shaw
refrained from any jealousy inspiring
glances at the Vandeveers. Mrs. Van
deveer, who was more observant than
her husband, detected tender look
passing between the unmarried cou>
pie. When the cards were put aside
Mr.. Eldridge got out light luncheon
and bottle of iced champagne was
brought into the room. There was d
cork salute. and the host filed the,
glasses and said to his guests:
"Many thanks for giving me the lovy-
Hest woman in the world. Miss Shaw
has consented to be my wife,"
When the vandeveers returned to
their home the husband embraced his.
wife and said
my dear, think you and can get
along without any more couples to
come In end spend our evenings with
us. And I'm not interested In match
making. These two have been making
catspaws of u.s."
uT oypart vou'ra rtpht daor rr,,c1,