Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1913-12-11
BEST LAID PLANS.
BY A. Maria Crawford.
Copyright. 1913. by the Mcclure News
Daper SyndfcateN

BY a. Maria Crawford.
Copyright. 1913. by the Mcclure News
paper syndicate3
You certainly know human nature to,
well. Jean. to suppose that a man get
to be 90 without having had any low
affairs, or, at least. without having be
Heved himself to be in love several times.
How do you know that our affair 1
any different from the others when yos
merely supposed yourself to be in love
Ihat has been my argument all alon&
You tell the next girl about me just wha'
you have told me about all the others
You didn't really love them, you said
you only thought you did. Walter. Ios
can't convince me-
You are inexorable! It Isn't fair *
bring up a dozen petty love affairs. ]
me-"
Il am nattered." Jean smiled. II won
der how l managed to get you to PROPOSE
! am certainly not as clever as Mira
Humphrey Carter"
AT last the cat was out OF the bag
thought tho man, The arrival Of the
pretty little widow to be enc OF his sis
ter,s snssts at a small house party was
responsible for changing the Etrl's attl-
tude 10 him. He Looked at her as she
leaned her head against a ~AiSh-eacSed
chair and stared into the dre. She was
evidently unhappy.
He tnwardly cursed himself fes having
been a fool. Why. he asked himself bit
teriy, had he ever made love to please the
/ vanity OF little Martha Hall. who later
became Mrs, Humphrey Cartere Her
husband haa lasted 3 tstle less than i've
yeas and lust because he hsd never
married IN the aaeanstnss Carriers widow
attributed his ssats OF single e~iexseSness
70 the fact that she had married another
mar. Ee was sincerely and honestly In
love with jean. She was the frse stri he
hsd ever thought about seriously In hts
life
jean raised her frank L u eyes 70 his,
"Sea u.Sy hsve thought that you loved
U.s. Walter, h0t II Mrs. Carriers mar
EfaEs. SO Gsaay yeats ago, affected you
80 ssas yea never wanted anybody else, Il
E.ass hare eeen the best love OF your life.
Sa-2 Know ] SIN Just cid-fRshioned enough
10 believe in and want the only great o
s -sAa ever feels for any There
zzsy De nasny little loves. but there Is
s2sg Z great and abiding love
~IsaSs dear. I never wanted to marry
Maria Lots OF women are like that. II
gSas tel .ham they dance we'll. they are
Saa&sa enough to think that you want to
-saery them.
SKI STE told me. with tears In her
eyss, sas. how dreadful you looked when
sssa saAs you that she was going to marry
Mr., Cater"
"sas did" burst out Walter angrily.
II ye- want to credit that woman, then
ycn can last believe all she says!"
re suns himself out of the room before
jean could realize what had happened.
a sought solace in tears until she re-
r.sulbered that In a little while all the
guests would come In to dress for q big
lime to which a dozen supplementary
guests had been invited. Swollen eyes
would give Mrs. Carter an ~undeniable adj
vantage over her, SO she dried her tears
instantly, resolved to look her best and
so prove to Walter that she didn't care If
he did love somebody else. She thought
over what he had said. Could a woman
as sweet as Mrs Carter appeared to ba
really attempt to keep her from marrying
Walter? He was the best looking man in
their set, and certainly the cleverest, for
he had established a wonderful reputation
for a young lawyer. So, reviewing her re-
cent conversation with the widow tho
apparent sincerity OF Walters declara-
ton to her. she changed her mind about
the truthfulness and honesty Ct women
and determined to defend her rights.
Walters sister had accepted her offer to
lock E the dinner table and arrange
to seat The guests. With the belief that
the unattatnable is greatly desired by
ulAl, jean OSCA0cO 70 Adt0 waiter LdA0
the widow In to dinner and put her w
place card as far away from them az
possible. Then h went upstairs and be-
gan preparations for an attack on a foc-
midable enemy
All Of the guests had arrived when Jean
went down. Her appearance caused a rip
pie Of excited admiration. She wore q
soft, clinging white gown, with one per-
feet lily caught in h laces OF her bodice.
vi N FLU thu Gfro MO CT
had never been so desirable to Walter.
He dared not approach her. for he knew
that he had behaved Ill q boor in the
afternoon. 4
To Jean he seemed very Indifferent, 30
she laughed n talked q great deal more
than usual, in order to make It seem that
h was having q g%loriously good time.
On any other occasion his pride would
have forced him to be attentive to his
interested partner to make Jean believe
that he didn't care any moro than she
did; but the food stuck in his throat,
Mrs. Carter found him strangely silent.
Jean. covertly watching him. saw his mis-
cry. n her heart ached and was glad all
at the same time. Once she caught his
eyes and smiled, q very tremulous, tender.
young girl smile. that told him all that
between them then marked the beginning
Of their betrothal.
When the, women left the men Waiter
stood near the door to whisper to Jean:
"Wait in the den, off the first landing on
the stairs. VIII you. sure?"
She nodded, smiling at him.
Mrs. Carter stopped Jean In the hall.
Haven't you q moment for me. my deas
girl2"
Several OF them" answered Jean.
trained by society to appear as cordial
as II she really meaelt what she said.
She had determined to make Mrs. Car
ter aware OF the fact that she had found
out the subterfuges she employed to spoil
her own happy manc with Walter, but
the best laid plans often go awry and Jean
was SO radiant to know that Walter really
loved her, loved her so that he could
not eat eve when Mrs. Carter was by
him, that she could not be unkind to
anybody In the world.
IT was just telling Walker, late this
afternoon, what 9 charming girl you were,
and he said there were so many lovely
girls here. It was hard to choose.
beamed the widow,
But he has chosen, dear Mrs. Carter,
and you. who have known him for "a
ynanv vnnPa and Dof~hnAf hir, a%.,~ ~.,< 3