Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1912-05-03
Picked Out For
Each Other
An Attempt at Matchmaking
That Met With a
Setback
By EDGAR MlNTURN
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.
By EDGAR MINTURN

In the autumn Of 19- l received {
note from Eileen Duncan, who haC
married my chum, Charlie Duncan
inviting me TO their country place IL
the New Hampshire hills. 1--WE are tt
entertain u house party" said Mrs
Dun, IN, which will be incomplete
without you. Charlie and | are SC
happy that we wish to confer like
happiness on you. A girl will be a
member OF your party whom we have
picked out for you. We are not going
to tell you which one Of our guests
| she is, nor are we going to tell her
who Is the man we have picked out
for her. though we have told her that
such Il man is to be present We are
going to leave you to find each other
well, now" | said to myself. 81
like that. Heaven protect me from
those girls whom | am told | am eX.
pected to marry! But in this case
there Is an element of uncertainty. !
am left free to choose. and the lady
Is as free as l. There's something of
the game Of hide and seek in it
I'll attend the house party"
Charlie inherited large fortune and
owns one of those big tracts Of land
on which our rich Americans are set
ting up their country places The
house would easily accommodate fifty
/ guests. On my arrival | found near
" that number assembled. three-quar
ters Of them being young unmarried
persons. have no faith in woman
idea of justice or fairness and thought
1t more thau likely that Eileen Dun
can would give the girl for whom she
had picked me out IN advantage over
meat least q hint as to when she
was warm" or when she was "cold.
as the children do IN their hiding
of honor we should neither Of us re
ceive the slightest assistance In the
matter.
| looked the women over, feeling
|
right one for me | would know her at
once. Whether or no struck the gir
they had decided upon, certainly no
ticed one whose general makeup pleas
ed me very much. She was Il Miss
Hester Adams. One Of the guests
John Crowell. was attentive to her. sc
that | did not ut once get much op
portunity to devote myself TO her.
And here was Il point in this little
game wherein |. man, had an advan
tage. could seek out the girl who
had been chosen for me, while she
must remain passive. On the othel
hand, she might remain hidden within
herself corps of observation. watch
ing the enemy's movements.
Within Il week | found myself rival
ing John Crowell and several Other
men for the favor Of Hester Adams
She was by no means the most promi
nent young lady In the party. but any
one with discernment could detect il
her a certain worth which, after al
other things being equal, determines
the real standing of both men and wo
men. Crowell seemed to have the in
side track. the rest of us standing
about even, although | can remember
looking back to that far period. that
was not left without an occasional
morsel of comfort.
But one afternoon a terrible gull
\
came up between Hester Adams and
myself. We men were all roomed on
the third floor. while the women were
on the second Going up to dress for
dinner. | was obliged to pass Crowe!l S
room. His door stood ajar, and. look
ing in, | saw lady standing before
the dresser She took up jewe'ed
scarfpin and examined it. Her back
was toward me. but | saw her face
reflected in the mirror over the dresser
She was Hester Adams. Sticking
the Din in her corsage where it would
be hidden. she was turning when l.
not wishing her to see me. went on to
my room.
OF all the positions in which | have
ever found myself this was surely the
most singular. the most unpleasant
had seen IL guest. one in whom J was
beginning to be Interested. In the
mems quarters steal jewelry. Wheth
or she knew it or not | could not tell.
but the man from whom she was pill
fering was Crowell. who was devoted
to her.
An hour later we assembled at din
ner. Naturally I looked at Miss Ad
ans. failed to catch her eye. but
saw in it troubled expression. Dur
ing the dinner she seemed to be think
ing of something else than what was
said to her Fearing to show Il diner
ence in my treatment Of her. l did ho'
address her while we were dining nor
during the evening.
NV secret weighed upon me. "ha'
SURPRISED me was certain dlsappoia'
ment felt in Hester Adams. 1t con
yinced me that the little god had
wounded me. though | had not knowl
It. brooGed over the theft had
seen. Was it an effect Of klepton!a
MIA? Surely the girl had no occasion
to steal. | had noticed frightened
look on her face which indicated tla
she was cogniZant Of what she waE
doing. wondered if she knew tn"
Sue was in Crowe!!'S room. I saw hr
going into her own room the noI
morning and noticed that it was di
rc:'tly unGar ihr one in whirh she hat
committed the theft. | End s"en Grow
eli wear ihr 81 ar,rain "nd w"t"4cc f'
snc i? If I'D b.:n returned to him.