The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-10-07
TAKEN AT Her
WORD
A Conspiracy That Was Emil
nently Successful.
BY JOANNA SINGLE.

Resale. She was watching his depar-
ture from the window, and he was an
grily conscious that she knew he
would, as usual, return in few days,
although she had said she hoped she
would be rid of him for awhile. She
was so young and so beautiful-and so
provokingl
At the entrance to the little park, al
ready growing green In the April sun,
he met her sister. He did not know
Anne very well-he had been too busy
with Rosalie. He wished now that he
had made friends with her; her blue
eyes were so like and still so unlike
Rosalie's. Anne stepped In front of
him and stopped him unceremoniously.
Been trampled upon again. she OBJ
served "John Mason, for so clever a
man generally you're sometimes an aw-
ful-foolr' She submitted this thought
fully, in voice too gentle to be in
sulting.
"Then you and Resale are agreed,
and suppose you are expert testi-
mony. May / turn and walk with
your
She nodded and then asked a matter
Of fact question, How many times
has she refused your"
81 had not thought to keep count.
Resale just now informed me that this
was the last time. | didn't know / had
been the same sort of-fool so often.
But don't you think she ought to give
me credit for my persistence. Not ev-
cry man proposes so many times-to
the same girl"
Anne laughed dryly as he continued:
81 would have given up long ago II
were not unexplainably sure that she
does-care for me. In fact, she never
has said directly that she does not. She
simply says she won't marry me.
What's the matter with me? Am too
rich? / can give away the stun II she
likes. Am I too successful? l might
lose a case to please her Should ! be
as ugly as Satan? Perhaps she would
like a beauty and the beast effectl
w INT NQtS buc want VIC odAO anu
done everything under heaven, and she
walks on me-she trails mer'
Precisely! That's why called you
what / did. A girl likes to trail a
man, but hates the man that will be
trailed. Not logical, is it; To use her
own words, you are always around,
underfoot You give her no time to
want you or miss you or think about
you. She's too sure OF you. She
knows just where you'll be. You never
let her want anything bad enough to
appreciate II when It comes. She has
always had her own way. She needs to
be bit afraid OF you. She needs TO be
bullied."
He frowned 81 am not a brute. That
is not my way"
mo? Well, what has your way ac-
complishedY"
He tried to laugh. "Oh. I'll take your
advice. I'll do anything you say. 1t
can't be worse than IL is now"
"well, l hate the responsibility. II
you get her you'll fight. II you don't
you'll both be miserable anyhow. You
must get her-and then work out your
own salvation. In the first place. you
must give her shock. Write her a
note and accept your dismissal. Tell
her you begin to see that she is right
and that you wish to be friendly with
her and the family. Then call some
times-on the father or on me. Don't
stay away. Absences OF that sort are
fiattering. You must be quite unaf-
fected by her presence"
"You know that is impossible. You
know how the sight OF her.
you've got TO do IT, And you must
take another girl out occasionally. Be
ing naturally modest, dislike to sug-
gest that you send me flowers some
times and come for walk with me.
That will bring things home 10 her. A
girl hates to have an admirer transfer
himself bodily to any one. but espe-
cially TO her sister"
When they had planned their cam
paign and he left Anne at the gate she
had him laughing. Rosalie saw them
and shrugged her shoulders. While
removing her hat In the hall Anne re-
marked to her sister:
"Well, dear, John tells me that you
have dismissed him for good. You
know l never would have interfered IL
you had wanted him. but am glad
you do not. Now yon may find time
for your music Your talent is too
marked to be neglected. II will be
relief for you to have him out OF the
way awhile. You're too young to leave
father and me. and. after all. I think
you're right about his not being the
right man for you"
Rosalie shrugged her shoulders
The next day Rosalie. without com
ment. handed Anne this note:
Dear Miss Carleton-l want to thank
yor for your frankness OF yesterday. and
! assure you that shall not annoy you
again as l have In the past Can ytu for
give me for having troubled you 50 much
and 30 long? You are probably right IN
deciding that I could not make you hap
py, as I hoped to be able 10 do. May
hope 90 continue nv present friendly re-
lations with you and the rest OF the fam
N.Y. II / may I viii not again trespass on
your Kindness. II win be. as you said.
the last time you shall have the pain Of
refusing Yours sincerely,