The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-07-29
Initiating the
Ostrich
BY ELLIOTT SMITH

| One crisp October day a young mai
alighted from a train in a quiet VII
lage During the summer be had me
at country resort Miss Mathews
with whom he had dawdled about
boating. fishing, swimming. dancing
in short, doing those things which
when done in company with pretty
girl. generate love almost as surely al
dynamo will generate electricity.
During the period that they were to
gether another young man named Oar
gan had come from the city, evidently
for the purpose of being with the girl
for he Immediately proceeded to mo-
nopolize her. Since he showed plainly
that he was a suitor the young man OF
the first part, Emery. who had no more
idea OF marrying a wife than he had OF
establishing bank. dropped out In bis
favor. leaving the young lady free to
accept his attentions. After several
days passed In company with her Mr..
Dargan left the resort. and Miss Msth-
ews was again unabsorbed. Mr.. EN-
cry slowly drifted back to his former
status.
There is no position more capable OF
exciting a mans self contempt than
to occupy the time and attention OF a
young lady whom he has no thought OF
marrying. But let him once realize
that he doesn't wish any one else to
marry her and he cannot but consider
himself veritable dog in the manger.
Such was the position occupied by Mr..
Emery when he recommended spend
ing his time In Miss Mathews COM
pany.
AS he afterward said. he was like
the ostrich that hides 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
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 be want her himself? Sure
ly he had not gone on his outing with
the intention of becoming engaged? 1t
was not feasible that be should become
engaged. He had but $1,000 a 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
ing he was weak enough to go to the
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
~ wife. He had written her that be
would be in the vicinity Of her home
and would make stop for the purpose
of renewing an acquaintance so pleas
antly formed during the summer" H
would call on certain afternoon.
Why viii persons say things they
don't mean knowing that those to
whom they say them know they mean
else?
In what occurred during that visit
don't charge Miss Mathews with hav-
Ing purposely brought it about Never
theless IL she did she had a perfect
right to do so. When Emery called on
her that afternoon he was ushered by
a maid into a cozy library, where
stood a lady's writing desk on which
Miss Mathews wrote her letters, and
he had no sooner entered than be saw
4 letter ready for the post lying where
Z had been written. He could not well
help seeing the superscription.
The epistle was addressed to Dargan.
Was 1t one of a correspondence?
Was it an acceptance? Was 1t re-
lection? That was for him to find out
When Miss Mathews came in
arrayed, of course-she ex-
PRESSED herself much pleased to meet
lgain a summer acquaintance"
A summer acquaintance-that was
rue. but IL was CALLING. he had said
hat he was pleased Ito renew an &C
luaintance." etc. That, he knew,
vas all folderol. but the same thing
oming from Miss Mathews was very
Iifferent. IL was depressing. sadden-
ne. Indeed. it was worse than doz-
N funeral bells all tolling ct once.
Miss Mathews eyes fell on the letter
N the-desk. She started. Emery