Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1913-10-04
IN LOVE AND WAR.
Old Saying That "AIl's Fair" Ex-
empIified in This Story Of
a Substitute.
BY WILLIAM FREEMAN.

to move away. Our eyes met.
George" he said, 81 find myself
driven to the border-line Of destruc-
ton by the diabolical sameness Of ex-
istence. l don't want my youth
again, for / shouldn't know what
to do with it if had it; i don't want
to be poor, for I'd sooner struggle
along with my $4,000 a year than
work for my living. But if you've
any suggestion to offer"
Merely" said (the thought had
been in my mind from the frstJ,
chat you should become an honorary
member Of the R. T. P. club"
"Beg pardon ?" said my uncle,
sharply.
'The r. T. p, or, in palmer Eng
lish, the Right-to-Propose club. II
is quite the newest idea, and refresh.
ingly unconventional. 1t is run BY
ladies, but there is a large honorary
membership Of men.
"Any members Of the r. T. P.
may, without losing caste in any way,
take her fate into her own hands
with regard to any of the honorary
members.
members are placed in rotation
upon what is termed the active
List Each is given ten days in
which to propose to the honorary
member upon whom she has set her
affections.
eff by the end of that time she
has failed to meet the situation she
is dismissed the club with ignominy.
If, on the other hand, the man
should fail to respond, he must give
excellent reasons for not doing so,
failing which, full particulars of the
case are sent to every paper in the
city"
"But, from the merely masculine
point of view"
"The honorary member has the
delightful uncertainty of never know
ing whether or when lady member
has, vulgarly speaking, set her cap
at him. Nor does he even know who
is upon the active list. The secret is
as jealousy guarded by the commit
tee as the existence of the club it.
self"
1t was five days afterward that |
received the note from Uncle Mich
olas which announced that he had
been formally elected. The fact was
no news to me. Miss Craske, the
clubs secretary, had already alluded
to it. / called at once upon my uncle
to tender congratulations.
We took taxi to the club forth
with. Miss Craske met us in the
hall.
My uncle is not a man whom one
would accuse of shyness, but his step
lacked, thought, something of its
usual confident briskness. We intro
duced him to several people, and al
lowed him to drift away.
For ten days afterward / did not
see him at all. | had other things
to think about-Millicent Craske
among them. But one particularly
grilling afternoon ! returned to my
rooms to find my Uncle Nicholas.
George" he said, 81 want your
assistance. It's all due to that dia-
bolical club of yours. I've been
there every day since | joined. The
very atmosphere of the place seems
hypnotic. George, whose name is
next on the active list? Is it's it
Miss Craske's?"
"Why are you so anxious tc
know"
Because she's after me-"
"I'm sorry" | said, "but I'm
afraid you'll have to see the thing
through"
My uncle rose, favored me with
one last, despairing scowl, and de-
parted.
Two days passed, and then at the
club, | found myself shaking hands
with my uncle, who was sitting on
the window seat. Miss Craske was
near--yery near
George said my uncle family,
you will perhaps be surprised to
learn that-that Miss Craske MILF
cent-your future aunt"
81 think" she said. kindly, "that