The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1913-01-30
The Spider and
the Fly
By WILLIS BEACH POTTER

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 a necessity to him 1t would
change him."
Il wish | could help you" said her
friend.
You can. | have an idea that
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 he
there and will need looking after. Be
sides, there's Zip, our little dog, and
Spot. the parrot. l wouldn't trust
either one or the other to any except
one who understands dogs and birds.
will go to Florida for few months,
and by the time | return | shall ex-
pect Ralph and Ethel to have become
engaged. OF course all this is con
tingent on your approval of a match
between them"
Mrs. Sternes very much approved of
the match. Ralph Brindsley was
worth 100000 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 anchOT needed. She as
sented to the proposition after pro
nouncing it impracticable
Mrs. BrindSley went to Florida, and
Mrs. Sternes and Ethel. as agreed.
went into her house to take care of ii
during her absence.
For 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 he,
ing a young fellow, there was the
same natural relation between them
as between the spider and the fly. She
heard him come in, go to his room and
after awhile come out again. The H.
brary was on one 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
parlor. 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 Il 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 We're comfortable and asked II
there was anything he could do for
them. Ethel had prepared n 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 Ia
him. She glanced toward the parlOr
repeating to herself the cOuplet:
WIFE you walk into my rarior, said the
spider to the fly.
It's the pretticst little parlor that ever you
did spy.
There is no necessity; indeed. il
would be trespassing for us to follow
the couple into the parlor. The young
lady. knowing that the gentleman was
not 10 be won away from the gildeo
set tat held him in thrall by pruder!
during the few weeks that she lived
under the same roof with him, granted
hin all favors that were proper. invit
ing him to a late supper at home in
stead Of at n restaurant and with he'
iustea., of his boon companions. The
result was that by the time her mother
was ready TO return he was quite ready
to have her remain away.
Ethel. however. was by no mean:
sure that she had landed him. Indeed
sic was quite sure she had not. She
expected that as soon as she and hel
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 hel
daughter. considered the matter settled
and being anxious to return to her owl
domicile wrote Mrs. Brindsley that she
might as well come home.
Ethel was right and her mother was
wrong. If the girl had become ne
cessity to Brindsley he didn't realize
1t and had no intention of seeing hel
again after she left his home. How
ever. he went to the station to receive
bis mother while the Sternes awaited
her coming before taking their depart
ure Indeed, Mrs. Brindsley was not t.
arrive till half past 10 o'clock at night
and the others were not to leave til
the next morning.
Mrs. Brindsley had come in will
Ralph, and the four were chatting IL
the parlor Zip. the dog, was jumpin:
up on her mistress lap, and Spot, thu
parrot. was hopping about in his cage
che ttering to himself, evidently awar
that something important had happen
ed. The clock struck II.
"Goo'by," said Spot. Gimme kiss
I won't. You shall. Smack, smack
smack
The spider had got the fly in her par
Ior, but the parrot had shut the doc
on him. Ethel saw her advantage ant
didn't even blush. Mrs. Brindsle.
looked at her son, evidently for in
formation. Ralph. despite his faults
IL