Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1912-05-23
An
Introduction
BY ESTHER VANDEVEER

my dear Mr. Bradish," said Mrs.
Overaker, why don't you marry?"
Whom would / marry?"
"Well, ! know some one who | think
would make you an excellent wife"
you mean that you know some WON
an in whom you take an interest who
needs a husband and you would like to
provide her with one"
You are wrong. The lady / have in
view for you is well off, attractive and
in every way desirable. There is only
one thing about her that may be con
sidered Objectionable. She Is grass
widow"
Il am at your disposal, Mrs. Over
aker / confess / am rather interested
in grass widows There is something
about them different from all other
women. They are usually excellent
fighters What's the ladys manner
Miss Iddings"
- thought you said she had been
marriedF"
"a woman may resume her maiden
name, may she not2'
Certainly When and where shall
meet Miss IddingsY"
LET me see II she knew l intended
an Introduction between you and her
with a view TO marriage she would de-
cline. Her experience in marriage was
not happy"
"Her husband was brute. l sup
pose"
mo | think it was case of mutual
misunderstanding AS to this meeting
| Will invite her and my friend Chel-
tenham for a game Of bridge you to
play with Miss Iddlngs, Cheltenham
with me- How would that suit your"
ut would please me better to have
you for partner"
Thank you very much. You will
play with Miss Iddings"
When on the evening appointed Mr.
Bradish appeared he found the others
of the party already assembled and the
whist table ready with the cards. He
had met Mr.. Cheltenham before, but
bowed very low to Miss Iddlngs Miss
iddings also bowed low, with her fan
before the lower part Of her face. Aft
er a few commonplace remarks they
took seats as had been arranged by the
hostess. Mr. Cheltenham won the deal.
and Mrs Overaker asked Mr. BradiSh
il he would mind keeping score lie
took the score card she handed him.
turned It wrong side up, reversed IT,
wrote names on ii where they were
mot pnnuiraJ onHno xoroI RI r,,h tbnt,,
out and made smudge. Miss Iddings
attempted to reply to some civil re-
marks made by Mr. Cheltenham and
got very badly mixed
MAY | play?' asked Miss Iddings.
''If you please" replied Mr.. Bradish
with an excess of politeness.
The game vent on for an hour, dur
ing which Miss Iddings trumped Mr.
Pradish's aces, revoked several times
and when she played dummy usually
threw the lead Into the wrong hand
Mr.. Bradlsh did not make these mis-
takes, but it was evident that he was
thinking of something else than the
game. At last Mrs. Overaker called a
halt. The score stood 900 for her and
her partner to rs for their opponents
Putting her arm through that of Mr..
Cheltenham she walked him into an
other room. The other two being left
alone both made a hasty survey of the
exits, as II meditating an escape from
each other. The lady gave her fan Il
few short whisks, then seemed TO re-
sign herself to an adverse fate.
Are you resident of the city, Miss
IddingsT' asked the gentleman, using
hackneyed conventional phrase by
way of opening a conversation
"No. l am not. l am here tempo.a-
rily"
Il was not aware that Iddings was
your maiden name, icily
1T Is not as you know very we'll"
why did Mrs 0veraker introduce
you as Miss Iddings? With your con
sent2"
II didn't know what she was intend
ing TO do till l saw you. Now | see
It all She had no business to-
"She deceived me as Wen, but she
has done Il all out of the goodness OF
her heart"
"a mistaken kindness. Persons who
interfere in other persons affairs usu.
ally get what they deserve in the end
"One thing she said to me when she
proposed this-I mean when she told
me she would introduce me 10 WON
an not living with her husband that
struck me forcibly | remarked that
he was probably a brute
He acted like ore"
Mrs Overaker replied that II was
case Of mutual misunderstanding All
difficulties between those who love are
traceable 10 this cause"
You mean where one loves-has
loved
"The womang'
Yes"
Mr. Bradish took turn up and
down the room, then went to the lady
onH foEfpfg I,fb har hands in his