Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-10-17
Her Unknown
Admirer
By DOROTHEA HALE

GwendOlne Travers, who was ready
to be wooed and won for a wife, met
George Mcrryman. who straightway
caught her fancy. Mr.. Merryman was
attentive TO her for a time. then sailed
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 Childs. She has been angling
for him while he has been paying at
tentiOn 70 me and finally hooked him.
And what have you been doing
meanwhilef'
Nothing If he prefers Louise /
don't see how can help it."
And so YOU are content to have a
designing girl take your lover away
from you?'
II am above design In such matters
Eyes, you are made of too good stuff
to take an unfair advantage Of 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 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 graciously as
II he had not suddenly dropped from
being attentive to her and begun to
buzz another girl. AS she was too
proud to 20 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
CURED.
There was no other guest present
except MIR Merryman. and the dinner
went off much more pleasantly than
might have been expected The truth
Is that young men are usually drifters
To Il 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 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 a box addressed in
a mans hand to Louise Merry weather
bearing the trade name Of well
known florist Opening 1t. there lay
a supply Of cut flowers.
"Why. there's no card with It'll! ex
claimed Louise.
Mrs. Travers paid no more attention
to the matter than II 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 elation 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 it and
laid 1t on the table beside him Pres
emily he handed It back to her. saying
Excuse me; | appreciate your gift
but don't like to accept flower sent
by an admirer The flowers were in
tended for you. not for me-"
There was touch of bitterness in
this that smacked of pidue. 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
II 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 it 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 We're left alone by her mother
After saying little or nothing for some
time, With n scowl on his face, Merry
man broke forth:
IFS all hosh 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