Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-09-24
ALL. IN THREE
WORDS
By ALLAN C. LAMOND

wear and tear of domestic troubles. Re.
unites divorced couples. Effects recon
Citation between parted lovers.
I cut the ad. out of the newspaper
and put il in my pocketbook. About
once an hour l read It over. l Won
dered If Nine. Durant could help me.
show her how unreasonable she had
been. At last started for the address
given, with no definite purpose.
/ expected to find Mime. Durant in a
dingy apartment, with worn furniture
and not overcleanly. Madame herself
would doubtless be either French, Ital-
ian, Spanish or of some other supersti-
upon any or all Of these peoples. She
would be of tawny complexion. hair
like an Indian and eyes piercing black.
She was nothing OF the kind. rang
the doorbell of neat little house, and
tidy young woman answered the
summons. She was Nine. Durant
only she was an American and Du-
rant was not her name. She bad
adopted it because she considered it
more attractive than her own. Ida
Smith She invited me into a neatly
furnished living room. and after hem
ming and having and stammering
finally got cut what ! wanted TO tell
her about my difficulty with Della and
asked If she would engage to bring
the young lady to her senses
she said that from what / had told
her she judged Della TO be entirely in
the wrong. while the position l had
taken was unimpeaehable, She would
engage to settle the matter between
us for 500, half of which was TO be
paid in advance and the other half
after the reconciliation. II there vas
no reconciliation l was not to pay the
remainder of the fee. she was TO
make the acquaintance Of my ex-
fiancee, and without letting her know
her mission gain her confidence and
convince her that she owed me hum
bic apology.
This was heads win. tails you
lose in favor of Miss Smith. But she
seemed very confident Of being able TO
bring Della and me together and had
an honest countenance. This and my
desire for makeup decided me. and
drawing q check for $50 gave it to
her. / sat some time after this listen
ing TO the cures she had effected. She
had brought together a father and a
daughter, the litter having been turn.
ed out of doors for marrying a man
the father did not Ike. She had re
united no end Of divorced couples and
parted lovers. She did it all on prin-
ciple which could be stated in three
words. When asked her TO give me
these words she laughed and said.
should / do so you would expect me
TO hand you back the retaining fee you
have given me. and there would be no
reconciliation.
/ heard from Nine Durant, or Miss
Smith, as / prefer to call her, within
two days. During this time she had
managed to make Delia's acquaintance
and learned about our separation. The
following was the letter ! received
from the woman / had hired TO con
vince Della that she had I'll treated me:
Dear Sir-I suppose you were giving me
q correct version of the disagreement be-
tween you and your fiancee. / am con-
WINGED from what Miss Douglas has told
me that you are entirely unworthy Of so
estimahle young lady. / return your
check. since ind that the conditions I'M
der which accepted 1t are entirely at
variance with the facts. Yours truly.
NINE. DURANT.
p S.-Should you desire any further In
formation IN the matter you are at hoer-
" to call at my house. and ] viii give II
10 you.
Astonished, chagrined, mortified,
began TO consider what had done to
bring about such a result. l spent
week thinking upon my own share in
the quarrel. At the end Of that time
j had made up my mind that was as
much to blame as Della. Then ii &C.
CURED to me that If was as much 70
blame as she the fault was all mine.
for man should have more control
ever himself than a woman whose ma
ture is supposed TO be more volatile
could not doubt Miss Smiths sim
cerity, for she had returned my fee
and had no interest in deceiving me.
/ went to see her and had talk with
her, but gained no Information. l
confessed the result Of my deibera-
tons and told her preferred that she
should be paid for her trouble. So
handed her the check she had re-
turned TO me. Before accepting IL she
asked me what was going to do.
told her ! would go TO Della and take
all the blame for our disagreement.
AS soon as I said this Miss Smith
put the check in her portmanteau and,
taking note from desk. handed 1t to
me. Immediately recognized Delia's
handwriting. II read:
Dearest George-Miss Smith has con-
WINGED me that II was all my fault. For
give me. Your loving DELLA.
/ looked up at Miss Smith and saw
her smiling at me. sat thinking for
a few moments during which an I'M
Outstanding Of her adroitness found its
way into my stupid brain.