Barton County democrat., 1915-02-12
THE CASE OF ALFRED
BY AMELIA PRICE.
SOOOSOOsOOooOOsoSossOOOOOO

with sigh OF relief MY, but | got
tired waiting on that corner!" she
said, to her companion. II hate this
standing around waiting for street
cars when there might just as we'll
have been an automobile in the fam
ny! As was saying to my husband
this morning. 1t does beat all that
after you slave and plan all your life
for your children things never turn
out as you want them TOT"
That's 3d." agreed the woman in
the shade-too-bright heliotrope suit.
They just do as they please!"
Not that Lizzie is not a good
daughter" went on the middle aged
woman. IT'S Just that you can't tell
about men. They can be the blind
est, most exasperating, contrary crea-
lures! AS I was saying to my hus-
band, when he took Alfred Guam for
a partner, who on earth would have
dreamed that such boyish, pleasant
fellow could have such will of his
own and be 30 absolutely deaf to the
call Of what are really his own IN
terests?
He has money, you know, and as
his folks did not i've here l made up
mind that it was my duty to be kind
OF mOtherly to him." explained the
middle aged woman. Il think there
is nothing so pathetic as a nice young
man far from home and a prey to
every designing creature who sets
her eyes on him, especially when he
Is a good looking young man like
Alfred"
Il thought" said the other woman,
that lie and Lizzie
81 don't believe in trying to make
matches" said the middle aged wom-
an, firmly. 81 wouldn't dream of IN
terfering with fate! Lizzie may be
26, but she doesn't look It, and any
one with taste would realize how good
looking she is-in a quiet way, Of
course. l don't think it is refined to
have the sort of looks that attract
attention, Mrs. Carver, indeed l
DON'T"
THE first night that / had Alfred
Guam to a good home-cooked dinner
l'let Lizzie stir up the French dress
Ing and stuff the baked potatoes and
II ! happened to mention that she
got the dinner l can't see that there
was any necessity Of my explaining
Just what part Of 1t she got. Alfred
always was glad to get an invitation
to dinner. Afterward l had Lizzie
show him her book of photographs
There's nothing like letting young
people get acquainted.
Anyhow. Alfred Guam might have
s'-considered himself In luck to get a
nice girl like my Lizzie-not but that
she could have her pick Of far better
than he! There's no telling what a
man will like-and to think that he
should lose his head over that silly,
giggling George MacPrang, who grew
so fond Of Lizzie all of a sudden on
the evenings she found that Alfred
was coming! Lizzie is so unsus-
picious.
When he got his runabout I men
toned that Lizzie was perfectly crazy
over autos and that the fresh air was
30 good for her health. He took her
out several times when I invited him
to come early for dinner, so they
could get a ride afterward, but 1t
wasn't month before that George
MacPrang was driving the runabout
= with her own hands and smiling con-
descendingiy when she passed our
house!
You don't know what | suffered at
the hands of that George MacPrang.
Mrs, Carver! I'd ask Alfred out for a
nice little family game Of cards and
he'd have an engagement and the
next day George would drop in and
tell what a fine time she and Alfred
had at the theater the night before!
He was perfectly nice to Lizzie
and II she dropped into the coal Of
nce near closing time, as 1t was per.
fectly natural for her to do, since It
was her fathers Office. Alfred would
usually bring her home. Don't push
yourself / told Lizzie. Only don't
be backward about showing him that
he's popular with you! That fatters
a man-having him think you like
him and are too modest to show IT,"
Just az had arranged to have Al
fred take his summer vacation at the
same time we did and be our guest
at the cottage we we're going to rent,
IN comes that George MacPrang with
q solitaire as big as a paving stone,
all smiles and applied bushes and
throws herself on Lizzie's neck and
says she must tell her first, because
1t was through her that she and AL
fred found each other.
Isn't that enough to make WON
az give up in despair, Mrs Carver!
Not that I'd have dreamed Of trying
to force Alfred or Lizzie in each
others direction-not me-but being
a junior partner and, Of course
what's her fathers will be Lizzie's
some day. and then Alfred would have
i