The herald., 1912-11-21
Her Unknown
Admirer
By DOROTHEA HALE

hlItuliNt " uCi lOl a bih''' thNA '''''NN
off to sip honey from another flower
One day Mrs. Travers said:
Gwen, what has become of George
Merryman?"
"GOne over to the enemy"
"What enemy?'
Louise Chlds. She has been angling
for him while he has been paying at
tention to me and finally hooked him.
"And what have you been doing
meanwhile?"
Nothing If he prefers Louise /
don't see how can help it."
And so you are content to have
designing girl take your lover away
from you?"
81 am above design in such matters.
"Yes, you are made of too good stuff
10 take an unfair advantage of a rival.
but you can at least act as though you
still considered George a friend, or
can do it for you. I'm going to invite
him to dinner"
"Oh, mamma, don't?
There was no reply to this. Mrs.
Travers went to her writing desk.
wrote the invitation and sent it to Mr..
Merryman. 1t was accepted and on
the appointed evening the gentleman
appeared duly clad in his glad rags
and n rose in his buttonhole. He look
ed rather proud of himself, for he could
not but regard the invitation an effort
TO draw him back to his first allegiance
and it flattered him.
Louise received him as graclously as
If he had not suddenly dropped from
being attentive to her and begun to
buzz another girl. AS she was too
proud to go after him, she was too
proud to let him see that his change
hurt her. She did her best to act nat
urally and friendly and succeeded.
Those were all the conditions re-
qured.
There was no other guest present,
except Mr.. Merryman, and the dinner
went off much more pleasantly than
might have been expected. The truth
is that young men are usually drifters.
To a girl the matter of her settlement
with the man she is to marry is an
important epoch in her life. The man
usually doesn't count on settling.
Many men don't wish to settle, and
some would run away from a settle
ment. George Merryman enjoyed the
preliminaries of matrimony. but had
no use for the article itself.
All was going pleasantly at the din
ner when there came ring. and a
servant brought In box addressed In
a mans hand to Louise Merryweather
bearing the trade name Of well
known florist. Opening It, there lay
a supply Of cut flowers.
"Why, there's no card with it." ex-
claimed Louise.
Mrs. Travers paid no more attention
to the matter than If her daughter re-
ceived flowers every day. The good
lady was giving a servant orders con-
corning the dessert which was about
to be brought In.
Mamma" said Louise. enlivened
with pleasure and curiosity, "some one
has sent me a box Of flowers anony-
mously."
"well, my dear, you needn't fear but
the sender will turn up in time.
Young men don't make such offers to
young ladies without intending to get
the credit of the gift"
Louise was puzzled and could not
help showing her citation at the atten-
ton from her unknown admirer. She
shifted several Of the flowers success
sively, then had the courtesy to offer
one to Mr.. Merryman. He took 1t and
laid It on the table beside him. Pres
emily he handed 1t back to her, saying:
Excuse me; appreciate your gift
but 1 don't like to accept a flower sent
by an admirer. The flowers were in
tended for you, not for me-"
There was a touch Of bitterness in
his tone and his manner when he said
this that smacked Of pique, to say
nothing Of downright jealousy. Louise
looked serious, and her mother re-
proved the butler. who had brought the
box into the dining room.
Hereafter, James," she said to him,
"when anything comes to the house
while we are at dinner you will leave
It In the hall till we have finished"
Merryman had come to dine with his
friends, feeling that he should exert
himself to act cordially. After the
flower episode he found 1t difficult. In
the first place, Louise had shown no
feeling at his dropping her, and. In the
second, some one was evidently ready
to take his place. After dinner he and
she were left alone by her mother.
After saying little or nothing for some
time, with scowl on his face, Merry.
man broke forth:
"It's all bosh for you to say you
don't know from whom those flowers
came. Doubtless the fellow sends
them so often that it's not necessary
for him to put In a card. II you're en-
gagged you might as well say So"
Mr.. Merryman was gentleman, and
nothing but downright jealousy could
have forced him into any such rude
ness. Louise saw her advantage and
made the most of It. With quiet dig
nifty she asked by what right he made
such demands upon her. The game
was won. Merryman left the house
joyful that. after all. her folly had not
cost him the girl he loved
The next day Louise went to the
florist and asked who sent her the