The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1912-12-13
Matchmaking
During the Christmas
Holidays
By F. TOWNSEND SMITH

Il desire. my son." said my father
not long before his death. that our
estate should be kept together. II
Helen would only marry some man
who has the means to enable her to
live as she has lived thus far l would
leave her, say, $4,000 and you the
business. You will need all the capital
In 1t to operate 1t and can make
handsome income out of It Unless
Helen Is otherwise provided for 1t
would be unjust to her to leave you
the lions share"
1 made no reply to fathers state
ment, but at once commenced to do
a job Of thinking In the matter. Could
I not bring about match between
Helen and some good fellow who had
fortune? One of my classmates In
college. Ned Cuiberton, would fill the
bill very nicely. l hadn't seen him
since we were graduated. but l had
heard that his father had died and left
him some $4,000 year. The more
thought about the matter the more In
clined 1 was to try my hand at a bit
Of loves diplomacy or. as the women
put 1t. matchmaking.
wrote Culberton asking him what
had become of him; If he preferred the
real world to that preliminary world.
college; whether he remembered our
trying one night to get calf up Into
the belfry: if he was married or ex-
pected to be. He replied to my note.
saying that he remembered the episode
I had mentioned very well: that be
wasn't married and didn't propose to
beat least till he was too old to
have any fun-and ended his letter by
saying that he would like mighty well
to meet me and talk over old times
This drew from me an invitation for
him to Join us at our cottage In the
country, which we proposed to open
to few guests for the Christmas holt
days. The invitation was accepted, and
had made beginning.
But what more could 1 do than throw
the two together?
1t occurred to me to tell Helen just
what my father had said to me and
suggest that she capture Culberton. but
on second thought saw that it would
be the worst thing could do. 1t would
make trouble in the family. between
Nell and father and me. for a woman
doesn't understand the requirements of
business as man does. and Nell
wouldn't have appreciated fathers mo-
tives in not trammeling me with Sis
ter for a partner. Then. again. any
matchmaker who shows his hand to
either of the parties he Is bent on
bringing together-especially the WON
an-is fool. No: must work out my
own scheme without letting any one
know what was about.
Ned joined us a few days before
Christmas. He was awfully pleased lat
the reunion with his old college chum
and could see was expecting to spend
most of his time during his visit talk
ing over our larks while we were un-
dergraduates | told him that there
~seuld be soma vary pretty girls In our
Christmas party and hoped they
would succeed In interesting and anus
ing him. He reDVad that be wasn't
much on girls: he'd noticed since his
fathers death that every girl he met
was trying to get him for his money.
This didn't look very hopeful for my
purpose. but I'd laid down my scheme
and begun to act upon it before his ar
rival. and If 1t worked at all it would
probably work in spite Of Neds having
been hunted by women who desired a
feathered nest. What had done in the
matter was this: The day before Neds
arrival sat down with Nell. took her
hand In mine affectionateIy and. look
ing her in the eyes impressively. said
to her:
Before our party convenes there's
something l wish to say to you about
one of the expected guests. There's
hardly any of us in this world who
isn't afflicted with some weakness. My
friend Ned Culberton is as fine fel
low as ever lived. He was an honor
man In college. He and ! were in
innate friends for four years. and dur
ing all that period | never knew him
to do a mean thing. To go further
back
"Yes. yes: 1 understand that. What's
his weak spot?"
'I'll get to it directly. AS l was
saying. to 60 further back. he was
considered so fine fellow at school
that all the college fraternities were
after him. and he was pledged a year
before he entered. He hadn't been
In college q month
0D,,f xvbof'c h;o fo3hIo2
never going to get to it?"
Don't be In a hurry. 1 prefer to
show you that in other respects he's
splendid man: then when | give you
his weakness you will be inclined to
look leniently upon 1t and not con-
denim him for one blemish when most
Of US have lot of them. He hadn't
been in college a month before he was
picked out for head Of his class and
would have taken the valedictory.
only he wasn't a grind and preferred
to be captain of the university foot
ball team. stroke oar Of the university
crew and pitcher Of the baseball nine"
"Oh. dear! What a wonder! His
blemish must be something awful to
condemn one who is In other respects |
an Admirable Crichton."
This warned me that | might be put |
ting In too manv imaginary accom- |
plishments. and I paused In what |
was explaining to say that Ned was |
the most modest man in the world |
and would never admit that he was
either a scholar or an athlete. He |
might have granted the latter accusa
ton truthfully. To have granted the
former would have been a frightful
lie. for he had only scraped through
college
Well, put Nell off as to his foible
for while longer. then sadly and SYM
pathetically tapped my forehead with
my finger.
You don't mean she said and
stopped.
'Only in one particular"
what Is it?''
AHo haa a mo pia FOR proposfpc rpor