The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-02-14
The Spider and
the Fly
By WILLIS BEECH POTTER

Mrs. BrindSley was calling upon
Mrs. Sternes and was lamenting the
fact that her son instead of marrying
and settling down was spending his
time with undesirable associates and
incidentally his money also.
IF | could only get him tied up to
some nice girl long enough for her to
become Il necessity to him 1t would
change him..
Il wish | could help YOU said her
friend.
You can. l have an idea that l
have come to propose to you. | will
go away. and you and Ethel come to
my house and take care Of it during
my absence. The servants will be
there and will need looking after. Be-
sides. there's Zip. u little dog, and
Spot, the parrot. | wouldn't trust
either one or the other to any except
one who understands dogs and birds.
l will go to Florida for a few months.
and by the time l retur l shall ex-
pect Ralph and Ethel to have become
engaged. OF curse all this is con-
tingent on your approval Of a match
between them"
Mrs. Stefnes very much approved Of
the match. Ralph Brindsley was
worth $3OO.OOO in his own right. and
there was nothing bad about him.
What he needed was an anchor. and
Mrs. Sternes was sure her daughter
was, just the anchor needed. She as
sented to the proposition after pro-
nouncing 1t impracticable.
Mrs. Brindsley went to Florida. and
Mrs. Sternes and Ethel, as agreed,
went into her house to take care of it
during her absence.
Fol a few days after his mothers
departure Ralph didn't appear at home
at all. Then one afternoon he came
home to replenish his wardrobe.
While Ethel had nothing whatever to
do with the conspiracy against his lib
erty. she being a young girl and he be-
ing a young fellow, there was the
same natural relation between them
as between the spider and the fly. She
heard him come in, &c to his room and
after awhile come out again. The H.
brary was on n side of the hall and
the parlOr on the other side. Ethel
took position in the library. and when
she heard Ralph coming down she
started across the hall to go into the
parl0r, so timing the movement as to
meet him at the stairs.
Ralph's treatment of his mothers
friends had not been very civil. He
knew there was a girl, but she was
neither an actress nor a chorus girl,
and he had no use for any other. See
ing a very pretty young lady. he con-
sidered it his duty to say something
to her. so he bid her good morning.
adding that he hoped she and her
mother were comfortable and asked If
there was anything he could do for
them. Ethel had prepared a list OF
things concerning the house and its
contents upon which she needed in
formation. So she said that If he had
time she would like to submit them to
him. She glanced toward the parlor.'
repeating to herself the couplet:
Will you walk into my parlor, said the
spider to the fly.
It's the prettiest little parlor that ever you
did spy.
There is no necessity; indeed, 1t
would be trespassing for us to follow
the couple into the parlor. The young
lady. knowing that the gentleman was
not to be won away from the gilded
set that held him in thrall by prudery
during the few weeks that she lived
under the same roof with him. granted
him all favors that were proper. invit-
ing him to a late supper ut home in
stead Of at a restaurant and with her
instead of his boon companions. The
result was that by the time her mother
was ready t return he IA quite ready
to have her remain away.
Ethel. however, was by no means
sure that she had landed him. Indeed
she was quite sure she had not. She
expected that as soon as she and her
mother removed to their own abode
Ralph would return to his actresses
and chorus girls. But her mother, OBJ
serving that Ralph spent several even
ings in the week at home with her
daughter. considered the matter settled,
and being anxious to return to her W
domicile wrote Mrs. Brindsley that she
might as well come home.
Ethel was right and her mother was
wrong. If the girl had become a ne
cessity to Brindsley he didn't realize
it and had no intention Of seeing her
again after she left his home. How
ever. he went to the station to receive
his mother while the Sternes awaited
her coming before taking their depart
ure. Indeed. Mrs. Brindsley was not to
arrive till haif past 10 O'clock ut night,
and the others We're not to leave till
the next morning.
Mrs. Brinds!ey had come In with
Ralph. aud the four were chatting In
the parlor. Zip. the dog. was jumping
M on her mistress lap. and Spot, the
parrot. was hopping about in his cage.
chatt.ring to himself. evidently aware
that sonnet hing important had happen
Ell. The clio. struck II.
.t;oo'by." said Spot. Gimme a kiss.
] wont. Yon shall. Smack. smack.
HNAAEE Erf IE 30 ~ &lEM ZI NA N