The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-09-12
Her Unknown
Admirer
BY DoROTHEA HALE

10 be wooed and won for wife. me
George Merryman. who straightwa.
caught her fancy. Mr.. Merryman wa
attentive to her for "a time, then sailet
OFF to sip honey from another flower
One day Mrs. Travers said:
Gwen. what has become of Georg'
Merry
Gone over to the enemy"
what enemy?"
Louise Childs. She has been angling
for him while he has been paying at
tention to me and finally hooked him.
"And what have you seen doing
meanwhile?"
Nothing. If he prefers Louise
don't see how ] can help It"
"And SO you are content to have q
designing girl take your lover away
from your"
II am above design in such matters
Eyes, you are made of too good stutl
to take an unfair advantage Of rival
but you can at least act as though you
still considered George friend, or
can do 1t for you. I'm going to invite
him to dinner"
"Oh. mamma, dont@
There was no reply to this. Mrs
| Travers went to her writing desk
wrote the invitation and sent 1t 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 1t fiattered him.
Louise received him as graciously as
IL 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-
qulred.
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 drlfters.
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 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 a ring. and a
servant brought In a box addressed In
a mans hand to Louise Merryweather
bearing the trade name of well
known florist. Opening 1t, 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 IL 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 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 1t on the table beside him. Pres
emily he handed 1t 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 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 It difficult In !
the first place. Louise had shown no
feeling at bis 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 a scowl on his face, Merry
man broke forth:
Its 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 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