Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-08-13
Initiating the
Ostrich
By ELLIOTT SMITH

Ill
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ODe crisp October day young man
elighted from Il train in q quiet vii
lage. During the summer he had met
at country resort Miss Mathews,
with whom he had dawdled about,
boating. fishing. swimming. dancing
In short, doing those things which,
when done In company with a pretty
girl, generate love almost as surely as
q dynamo will generate electricity.
During the period that they we're to-
gether another young man named OAR
gan had come from the city. evidently
for the purpose OF being with the girl,
for he Immediately proceeded TO mo-
nopoiize her. Since he showed plainly
that he was sutton the young man of
the first part. Emery. who had no more
idea of marrying wife than he had of
establishing bank. dropped out In his
favor. leaving the young lady free to
accept his attentions. After several
days passed In company with her Mr..
Dargan left the resort, and Miss Math-
ews was again unabsorbed- Mr.. EN-
cry slowly drifted back to his former
status.
There Is no position more capable of
exciting a mans self contempt than
to occupy the time and attention of
young lady whom be has no thought OF
marrying. But let him once realize
that he doesn't wish any one else to
hor b.. hsrf comedian
himself veritable dog in the manager.
Such was the position occupied by MI
Emery when he recommended spend
ing his time In Miss Mathews COM
pany.
As he afterward said. he was like
the ostrich that hides its head in the
sand to avoid being observed. Yet he
was observed not only by others, but
by himself.
When- Mr.. Emery left the resort and
Miss Mathews society he had made a
step In advance. He knew that he
would rather be hanged for MIR. OAR
gan's murder than that the said OAR
gan should marry Miss Mathews. But
why? Did he want her himself? Sure
ly he had not gone on his outing with
the intention of becoming engagedf 1t
was not feasible that he should become
engaged. He had but $1,000 year,
and 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 five or six weeks after the part
ing he was weak enough to go TO the
place where Miss Mathews lived. He
went there to see her. but why he did
not know. He had no more intention
of entering the lists with Dargan-or
any one else. for that matter-than he
had gone away in the summer to mar
ry q wife. He had written her that he
would be In the vicinity of her. home
and would make stop for the purpose
Of renewing an acquaintance so pleas
antly formed during the summer" He
would call on certain afternoon.
Why will persons say things they
don't mean, showing that those TO
whom they say them know they mean
something else:
In what occurred during that visit
don't charge Miss Mathews with hav-
ing purposely brought it about Never
theless IL she did she had a perfect
right to do So When Emery called on
her that afternoon he was ushered by
q maid into a coy library, where
stood lady's writing desk on which
Miss Mathews wrote her letters. and
he had no sooner entered than he saw
a letter ready for the post lying where
1t had been written He could not well
help seeing the superscription.
The epistle was addressed to Dargan-
Was 1t one of correspondence?
Was it an acceptance? Was 1t re-
lection! That was for him to find out
When Miss Mathews came in
tastefully arrayed. of course-she ex-
pressed herself much pleased to meet
again summer acquaintance"
A summer acquaintance-that was
true. but 1t was Calling. He had said
that he was pleased Ito renew an &C.
was all folderol. but the same thing
coming from Miss Mathews was very
different 1t was depressing. sadden-
ing Indeed. II was worse than dozr
en- funeral bells all tolling at once.
Miss Mathews eyes fell on the letter
on the desk She started. Emery
didn't start. but there was sudden
whirlwind of feeling within him which
coagulated with purpose. He plung-
ed into the Rubicon.
Nevertheless he plunged so quietly
that the net was not perceptibie. He
asked Miss Mathews whether she
would go back to the same resort
next year. and she said she didn't
know; she hadn't thought much about
It. Then be remarked that he thought
he should spend his vacation next sea-
son in the autumn since he proposed
to hunt Both We're talking about one