Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-02-05
An Admitted
Charge
By LOUISE CARPENTER

and the young ladies who had met for
inc ment;l! Improvement to be gained
by an exchange of IDEAS. having ex-
hausted the topics the young hostess
had laid ont for them. descended at
once to ordinary conversation. which
In common rarlance meapx gossip.
i've he;trd." said Miss Phillips. that
this new arrival. Mr.. Edmonds. is the
best catch that has come to this town
in years"
"And | have heard" said Miss Ather-
ton, that he's not Il marrying man"
\ man is 4 marrying man." re-
marked Miss Gregory. unless he be
tired Of single life and hunting a home.
Men don't seek nlatrimony as we girls
90, because a man. especially a young
man. is not ambitious to take care Of
some one. We, on the contrary. must
look out for ourselves. Which one of
you is willing to be an old maid:"
But I've heard,~ Miss Atherton
went on. that Mr.. Edmonds has ex-
pressed himself openly as being a wo
man hater."
Then" said Miss Mathews, lit is
our duty to give him to understand
that VIC don't wish to have anything to
do with him. What do you say, girls?'
Il don't see" said Miss Gregory,
that there is any necessity to show
the gentleman hat we don't wish to
have anything to do with him since
he has avoWed himself q woman hater,
| u~hitI y,n1rc t1n< 1o I>~--4 .,r DO
have anything to do with us"
"Thats just like You, Kit" put in
Miss Britton. You're always on the
Off side
"How do you know that he is a wo-
man Halter: Did You heal him say
so?' Miss Gregory asked.
NO, but May Farnsworth got it di-
rect from Betty Fiske, who knows him
very we'll"
~"SuppoSiH"." Miss Gregory replied.
} that we girls were a jury to try Mr..
EdmondS on the charge of being a wo-
man hater. do you think the judge
would admit such evidence? If l were
his counsel | would show a motive on
the part of the girl who reported the
confession.'
What motive%'
why. | don't know any better way
for her if she wants him herself to de-
stroy competition, Mind you. | don't
accuse her of intending to do so. |
only use the point as an illustrations"
1t looked for a time as though the
matter would be dropped. but another
: girl had heard the same report, and
;, the majority admitted that it must be
so. 1t was finally agreed that no no.
tice should be taken socially Of Mr..
Edmonds until it was known whether
he was or was not Il woman hater.
Then the young ladies separated, each
and every Il except Miss Gregory.
who was not in sympathy with the
rest, resolving that she would find out
for herself whether the charge was
correct.
1t was not long before it was no.
ticed that Miss Betty l'iske. who had
spread the charge. was seen Il great
deal with Nj. Edmonds. Then the
conspiracy broke apart. and each Of
the young ladies of the tea party man
aged by hook or crook to make Mr..
EdmondS' acquaintance. \ CONVERSE
ton very like this was apt to follow:
I'm very glad to meet You. Mr.. Ed
monds. but l don't suppose you're glad
to meet me"
"Why?" was the surprised rejoinder.
Because I hear you are a
hater."
Mr.. Edmonds Knit his brows
Are you?"
Yes"
After the question was thus put to
him six times. each time with a sim
TAR reply. the gentleman began an in-
vestigation as to how the report about
him came to be circulated. One Of the
girls present at Miss Mathews tea"
had given an account of the discussion
to her mother. and that lady gave it to
the accused.
Suddenly Miss Fiske found herself
dropped by Mr.. Edmonds. and he show
ed by his to the girls who had
asked him about being a woman hater
that he had no use for their society.
q However. there was one exception.
MI. EdmondS solicited an Introduction
r to Miss Gregory and On obtaining it
said:
! 81 have understood that l have adj
mitted myself to be a hater of women.
= and I have admitted the fact. But
r there are few statements that do not
= need a qualification. I hate all women
who are unwomanly. who are backbit-
ers and slanderers. who spread false
reports and who believe anything that
is told them without an investigation"
This is all the gentleman said to the
lady at the time. He remained for
: some time in the town and during the
period of his %sojourn lavished upon
Miss Gregory every attention she
would accept, while to the others who
had been implicated in the charge
against him he showed himself all that
: he had been accused Of being.
Il do believe" said one of the con-
spirators to another in discussing the
matter. "that Sue Gregory told HIM
n 4