The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-07-18
An
Interference
BY JOHN Y. LARNED

Eeth and l were great chums. There
was not much more than year be-
tween us, and was used TO giving her
nv confidence about everything. re-
solved to throw my burden upon her In
this case.
"You know Alice Woodson'-
"Oh. case of lovesickness,"
made no reply to this. ] was sorry
n had begun confession.
go on. Billy Beth added.
81 won't. You'll only poke fun at
me-"
mot a bit of it. I'll help you. Don't
YOU know that I, being girl, know
Dust how a girl should be treated to be
wonT
"You can't tell me how to win Alice.
In the first place, she's In love with
Fred Perkins; In the second, she seems
to have some sort of grudge against
me. and in the third
That's enough. You needn't tell me
any more. Now, listen to me. ] knew
nil about this before asked what was
the matter with you I've been watch
ing Won and watching Alice, and I'm
convinced she's playing you.'
"what?"
playing you-a sort of cat and mouse
business"
"Oh. bosh! For a week past she has
treated me abominably and all the
while has been looking up with her
oros ~ Erad like a.
Like a chick In thunderstorm.
will you do what tell You to dor
THAT depends upon what you tell
me-"
"The next time you meet Alice pre-
tend to be thinking about something
else and don't see her"
"That will make matters worse,
Every well; if you won't take the
medicine l prescribe, go your own
road"
I concluded to try Beth's prescrip-
ton. The next time / saw Alice COM
ing pretended to be absorbed in some
thing else, and just before we were to
come together | turned off in another
direction. That was in the morning.
IN the afternoon of the same day we
met again. l couldn't play the same
game twice in the same day, so
looked at her. She looked at me- too,
or, rather. she stared at me with cold,
blank, whitening stare that froze the
marrow In my bones. | went TO Beth
and abused her for getting me into
such pickle.
you're as weak as watered milk. I'm
sorry / tried to do anything for you.
couldn't love man / could bluff
like that"
"What would you want him to dor
Crush me like worm"
How crush your?
"Wil you simply do nothing so far
rs Alice is concerned and leave the rest
to me?"
Since l felt entirely incapable of
carrying on such a contest myself l
agreed to this Fabian policy. During
the next few days | kept out of Alice
Woodson's way SO far as / could.
When / saw her coming toward me I
changed my course. | tried not to look
troubled or angry or anything In par
ticular. did my best to show no espe-
cial emotion while waiting for Beth to
do something.
One day | met Alice face to face
She babe me good morning in rather
huffy tone. l replied to her salutation.
Il can understand now" she said
syour recent unfriendliness to me
since have learned the cause"
What cause?'
"Oh, don't pretend ignorance! used
to think that you had a mind of your
own"
And you don't think SO now?'
you're the first man | ever knew
who would permit his sister to run
him"
began to catch on to what was at
the bottom of this. Beth had evidently
been at work.
what do you mean by my sister
running me?"
I'm not supposed to tell, but l made
no promise. Beth has told me all about
st."
about whatT'
about your new fancy, Mr.. 1gno-
rance, or. rather. her fancy. Any one
can see that she is trying to bring
It about herself, and with such PHI
able brother dare say she will"
plucked up lot of courage at this.
Beth had evidently produced revolu-
ZION.
do you mean to say that my sister
has been betraying my confdenceT
Your confidence. Why, she told
me herself that she was bent on max
ing a match for you. She said she
wanted you to marry a girl that was
her friend"
was pretty stupid. but not so stu
rid as not TO see Beth's device and
what II had accomplished. / cut the
matter short by saying that when |
married would consult no one but the
girl I wanted and began to talk OF
something else.
II would have been better for me 10
have had the pluck to manage the
AFFAIR myself. for my wife has never
forgiven my sister for trying to
switch me or to one OF her especial
friends" I have told her the true
story. but she won't believe H. Beth
doesn't expect her 70 believe IL. she
saws she wouldn't believe such a thin