The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1911-04-28
Matchmaking
BY LUCY M. ROE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.
BY LUCY M. ROE

= AVA ASOAA oSAAS WV AA SSS
after you have come home all tired
out, but some one to come in and chat
with us or play cards."
"Vell. my dear, all l 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 l won't have to go out
and e them l don't object"
II have a plan all laid out. There's
Ralph Eldridge. He's thirty-1ve, 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 a game of bridge OF five hundred
in the evening. 1t may be a great ia
Vol to them to bring them together.
They may make a match"
"Do 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.. Eldridge Of course
played with Mrs. Vandcveer. Mr.. Van
deveer playing with Miss Shaw. 1t is
singular what a little thing will start
persons Oh 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 trif1e ir-
ritable. 1t produced a corresponding
%exhilaration in Miss Shaw. Further
more, seeing that Mrs. Vandeveer was
frritated. Miss Shaw. moved by per-
versity, became very enthusiastic in
her expressions to her partner, giving
him chances that his wife. being in an
i'll humor. construed u%nfavorably. 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 Il
word. Mrs. Vandeveer suspected that
in introducing Miss Shaw into her
house she had warmed a 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 and
attractive
The next week when Mr.. Vande-
veer 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. Els wife
was much surprised and set down his
willingness to a 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 a defer
ence that was. to say the least, ex-
.tremely noticeable. Not for the world
would MI. 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 a part Of his irri-
tation was for his wife that she did
not resent such treatment instead of
seeming to be pleased with it.
. The four continued to nee. onc a
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 so
urgent when it came their turn to do
the entertaining that the v~andeveers
felt obliged to yield. Mrs. vandeveer
attributed Miss Shaw's persistence to
q desire to meet her husband. and
Mr.. vandeveer attributed Mr.. FL
dridge's persistence to a 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'mw was the retort. Miss Shaw
seems to be predisposed in another di.
rection."
II don't know anything about that"
snarled the husband. but it's very
plain that Eldridge Is ~preoccupied."
1.-THE next time I attempt to make a
match" rejoined the wife. "Tl see
that there Is no one about to lead the
lady in the Ease from her suitor."
Half an hour later the party was
1t Me-. Eldrtdge's bachelor quarters,
where. the meeting vas 10 .taEesplace1,
When the game. eomimsneedssfdk ths
first time MI. Eldridge and Miss Shaw
~refrained from any Jealousy inspiring
glances at the vandeveers. Mrs. Van
deveer, who was more observant than
her husband. detected a tender look
passing between the unmarried cou-
pie. When the cards we're put aside
Mr.. Eldridge got out a light luncheon
and q bottle Of iced champagne wal
brought into the room. There was Z
cork salute. and the host oiled the
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"
Wyhnu <hn VemNavAaRn rafnPnoA II