The Columbus commercial., 1913-08-07
ndng the
Ostrich

e # H|I# HE#~ "IH6zFN" y
VIA HHam g. had faWdiad aHuul
tz#fiaz asAlaz. sHimmina. danelnr-
= ahezz 9ulns lhaae fhinas enfh.
Hhsa aana ln compang with . pretty
ziFi. szasfais lofe almoal as sufsiy as
: drnamo uin slnsFalu eie<iFicity.
Duflna ~ peFiod that lhsy were to
EelheF a1oifsf Touas mas aamed par
zan I'D cone fFUm Ghe eils. eFideallT
for The pugl,oas " being with The giri.
TT be Innedinfsiy procsesied to mo-
sepolizs bar Binre he showed plainly
that ne was : suitor the younE man u
ths Dirt pafl. Emery. who bad no more
idea u marrying a uife than be bed of
establishing bank. dropped out 10 he
favor. leaFlng the young lady free to
accept hia attentions after several
days passed In eompany with ber Mr.
Darean left tbs resort. and Miss Math.
ews was again unabsorbed Mr. Em'
cry slowly drifted back to bis former
stafus
There = no position more capable OF
exciting q mans self contempt than
to occupy the time and attention OF
young lady whom be has no thought Of
marrying. But LEI bim once realize
that be Doesn't wish any one else to
marry her and be cannot but consider
himself veritable dog In the manger
Such was the position occupied by Mr..
Emery when he recommended spend.
Ing bis time In Miss MathewT com
pany.
As be afterward said. be was like
the ostrich that hides It's head In the
sand TO avoid being observed. YET be
was observed not only by others. but
by himself.
When Mr. Emery left the resort and
Miss Mathews society be had made
step In advance He knew that be
would rather be hanged for Mr.. lar
gan's murder than that the said Dar.
gan should marry Miss Mathews. But
whyf Did be want her himself Sure
iy he had not gone on his outing with
the intention OF becoming engagedi II
was not feasible that he should become
engaged He had but $1,000 year.
aud 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 i've or six weeks after the part
ing be was weak enough to 60 to the
place where Miss Mathews lived He
went there to see her. but why be did
not know. BE had no more intention
Of entering the lists with Dsrgan-- or
any one else, for that matter-than be
bad gone away in the summer to mar.
ry wife. He had written her that he
would be Ia the vicinity Of her home
aud would make stop for the purpose
of renewing IN acquaintance 90 pleas
antly formed during the summer" He
would call on certain afternoon.
Why will persons say things they
don't means knowing that those to
whom they say them know they mean
something elsei
In what occurred during that visit
don't charge Miss Mathews with hav.
Ing purposely brought It about Never.
theless II she did she had perfect
right to do so When Emery called on
her that afternoon he was ushered by
a maid into coy library, where
stood a iady's writing desk on which
Miss Mathews wrote her letters, and
he had no sooner entered than he saw
d letter ready for the post lying where
Il had been written. He could not well
help seeing the superscription.
The epistle was addressed to Dargan
Was It one OF correspondence
Was II an acceptancef Was It a re.
Jectionf That was for him to tind out
When Miss Mathews came in
tastefully arrayed. OF course-she ex.
pressed herself "much pleased to meet
again summer acquaintance"
A summer acqualntance-tkat was
true, but II was Calling He had said
that be was pleased ito renew an ac-
etc. That, he knew,
was all folderol. but the same thing
coming from Miss Mathews was very
different 1t was depressing. saddsA-
Ing. Indeed. It was worse than a doH
en- funeral bells al tolling at once.
Aiss Matthew'S eyes fell on the letter
on the desk She started. Emery
didn't start. but there was a sudden
whiriwind OF feeling within him which
with q purpose. He piung-
ed into the Rubicon.
Nevertheless be plunged so quietly
that the net was not perceptible He
asked Miss Mathews whether she
wonld 60 back to the same resort
next year. and she said she didn't
know; she hadn't thought much about
L Then be remarked that he thought
he should spend his vacation next sea.
son In the autumn since he proposed
to hunt both were talking about one
thing and thinking about another
letter on the desk. There was a pause
IN the conversation Both looked up
from the letter at the same moment.
and their eyes met Emery reached
FOR II and tore 1t into little bits.
"You had no right TO do that" said
the giri
"l'li write another"
Taking up pen aud paper. he wrote
'n u; Il have to announce to you my
engagement TO Mr.. Emery. whom
met last summer 10 the country"
Holding II up before her. he asked II
'he would put 1t 10 her own handwrit-
ng and mail II.
Yes" shs said. and that ia the end
1f the story aReonf that aha affoF.