The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1913-09-12
Initiating the
Ostrich
By ELLIOTT SMITH

at country resort Il MISS Matne"S'
with whom he had dawdled ABOUT
boating, fishing, swimming. danclng-
in short, doing those things when
when done In company with pretty
girI, generate love almost as surely as
a dynamo will generate electricity.
During the period that they were to
cetber another young man uamed Oar
gan had come from the city, evidently
| for the purpose OF being with the girl
for be Immediately proceeded TO mo
| nOpOiize her. Since he showed plainly
that he was sutton the young man OF
the first part, Emery, who had no more
idea OF marrying a wife than he had oil
establishing "A bank. dropped out In his
favor, leaving the young lady free u
accent his attentions. After several
days passed in company with her MT
Dargun left the resort. and Miss Math'
ews was again unabSurDrd. Mr.. EN-
cry slowly drifted back to his former
status.
There is no position more capable OF
exciting Il mans self contempt tnan
to uccIlpN the time aud attention of q
young lady whom lie mas no thought or
marrying. But let him once realize
that he doesn't wish any one else to
marry her and lie CannOt but consider
himself n yeritHbIe dog IN the manager.
Such was the position occupied by Mr.
,,,It, H.. an mi
Ing his riue III Miss Mathews com
pany.
As he afterwnrd said, he was like
the ostrich that mdeS its head in the
sand to avoid being observed. Yet he
was observed not only by others. but
by himself.
When Mr.. Emery left the resort and
Miss Mathews society he had made a
step in advance. He knew that he
would rather be hanged for Mr. Oar
gan's murder than that the said Oar
gan should marry Miss Mathews. But
why? Did he want her himself? Sure
ly he had not gone on his outing With
the intention Of becoming engagedt II
was not feasible that he should become
engaged. He had but $4,000 year.
and that was not sufficient to meet his
own personal requirements. He did
not know what Miss Mathews had and
didn't care MatrimOny was with him
out Of the question anyway.
Some five or six weeks after the part.
M, fn TN 10
place where Miss Mathews lived. He
went there to see her, but why he did
not know He had no more intention
Of entering the lists with Dargan-or
any one else. for that matter-than he
had gone away in the summer to mar.
ry a wife He mad written her that he
would be III the vicinity of her home
and would make Il stop for the purpose
antly formed during the summer" He
would call on certain afternoon.
Why will persons say things they
don't mean. showing that those to
whom they say thcm know they mean
something else:
In what occurred during that visit |
don't charge Miss Mathews with hav
ing purpospIy brought it about, Never.
theleSS If she did she had perfect
right to do SO When Emery called ON
her that afternoon he was uShered by
Il maid into Il cozy library, where |
stood a Iady's writing desk on which |
h.lN ~ h..r lpff Il
he had no sooner entered than he saw |
a letter ready for the post lying where |
1t had been written. He could not well |
help seeing the superScriptiOn.
The epiStIe was addressed to Dargan
Was it one of correspondence? |
Was it an acCentanceY Was 1t a re-
lection! THAT was for him to find out
When Miss Mathews came in
tastefully arrayed. of course-she ex
pressed herself much pleased to meet
again summer acquaintance"
summer acquaintance that was
true, but ii was CALLING He had said
hat he was pleased ito renew an ac.
etc. That. he knew
vas all fOlderol. but the same thing
'Oming from Miss Mathews was very
iil1erent 1t was depressing. sadden
hg Indeed. it was worse than a doz
N funeral bells all toIling at once.
Miss Mathews eyes felI on the letter
m the desk She started. Emery
Iidn't start, but there was a sudden
vhrIwind of feeling within him which
oagulated with purpose. he plung
d into the Rubiron
Nevertheless he plunged so quietly
hat the net was not perceDtibIe. He
Sked Miss Mathews whether she
would 20 back to the same resort
ext year, and she said she didn't
now; she hadn't thought much about
Then he remarked that he thought
e should spend his vacation next sea ,
On IN the autumn since he proposed
hunt. Both were talking about one +
mug and thinking about another-the I
tier on the desk There was a pause ,
the conversation Both looked I'M
'om the letter at the same moment, Il
M their eyes met Emery reached a
n it and tore it into little bits n
You had no right to do that" said I
lie girl
"lll write another" :
IaElng up pen and paper, he wrote Il
II: y have to announce to you nv
lgaGemont to Mr.. Emery, whom | =.
et last summer In the conntrv - :