Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-18
The Ar, US Da " Story
Catspaws-By Esther Sumner.
Copyrighted 1911. by Associated Litera .sureau

slight that had dashed his happiness.
The seventh lady, Miss Wetmore. had
negatively indicated that to her he
would be undesirable. Possibly he
might be mistaken in this matter. II
she would add proposal from herself
to the other six he would then take
the matter up, and there was every
reason to believe that he would accept
one Of the seven.
The morning after the receipt of this
note Miss Wetmore received six tele-
phone messages from the young lady
proposers asking IL she had received
reply She told them all that she had
received a very deferential communi
cation, but there was an indefniteness
about 1t that led her to believe the
writer was meditadng an evasion of
the subject matter. She would let
them know Just as soon as she could
pin him down to something tangible.
Miss Hackstaff. who had objected to
trying to snare n lawyer, said, 81 told
you So" Miss Turner, who doubted
that even a lawyer was a match for
woman, said that she would like to
have a hack at him. These and other
comments came over the wire and
were duly noted by Miss Wetmore.
Mr.. Bradford, having filed his an
swer, rubbed his hands and waited.
He had admired Miss Wetmore ever
since he had met her a few months be-
fore, but nothing had occurred either
to concentrate his wishes upon her or
to induce him to think that a suit Of
his would be successful. The turn af-
fairs had taken was eminently salts
factory to him, since it enabled him to
make her an indirect proposal, or a
back handed proposal, or by what
name it may be called, which might
mean a great deal or nothing, but in
any event would result in his gaining
some intimation as to her feelings to-
ward him. Surely for the present at
least he had the whip hand of her.
Miss Wetmore wrote that 1t was
necessary for some one to remain aloof
to act as a medium and that she had
volunteered to do so. Her position to-
ward Mr.. Bradford was no want Of
compliment to him, since 1t was the
same as all other women except the
six leap year proposers. She hoped he
would take the matter up as it was in
tended by the proposers. To this note
Mr.. Bradford replied that his own po-
sition toward Miss Wetmore was as
complicated as hers toward him. As
the matter stood he would be guilty Of
q want of gallantry toward her IL he
consented to proceed without her be-
ing included in the proposing six. =
He chuckled as he read over this let
ter, for 1t was evident that instead Of
being drawn into a trap he had Miss
| Wetmore cornered.
! While this and more correspondents
| was in progress Miss Wetmore was in
receipt of frequent inquiries from her
| six proteges, every one of whom had
! a vague hope that she would be chosen
/ by Mr.. Bradford. To those queries
| that came over the telephone Miss
| Wetmore replied that matter of such
| delicacy could not be taken up over a
! phone. especially a party wire, with
| probably a dozen or more ears at re-
ceivers. To the inquiries she received
| by note she gave evasive answers. To
| those who came to see her or whom
she met casually she attempted to give
! plausible excuses for the delay, laying
| It principally to the proposed victims
attempts to avoid being caught in the
| web that had been woven for him.
! Hope deferred maketh the heart sick,
! and gradually the prOposers came to
| look upon their leap year plan as a
| joke. Miss Wetmore gave them no sat
| isfaction, averring that though she had
used all her arts to induce Mr.. Brad
/ ford to come out into the open and
| give battle. she had failed.
One evening a member of the pro-
| posal club saw at the opera, sitting side
| by side, Mr.. Bradford and Miss Wet
more. There was a sudden falling of
! the scales from the observers eyes.
/ That night before retiring she reported
the fact by telephone to all her leap
year sisters she could communicate
! with. and the next morning the rest
were informed. That afternoon the
young ladies met to discuss the situa-
ton
We'll, I never
"Any one who takes Clara Wetmore
for a fool will be awfully mistaken"
ITS the smartest thing ever heard
Of"
do you think she'll get himT'
by the bye. l heard 1t reported yes
terday that he was engaged"
These and other comments were
made. producing babel which was in
terrupted by one OF the party suggest
ing that some one call up Miss Wet
more by telephone and ask her how she
was getting on with their proposals.
The plan was adopted. with the follow
ing result:
"Hello. Clara. IS that you?"
eyes"
''Any news about-you know whatf'
eyes. The plan Is a failure. The gen
tleman is out Of the market"
We've heard he's engaged Are you
the LADY,"
yes
Happy wishes from all of Us To,
Tar
"Ta. tai