Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-12-28
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Gwendolin's
Failing
How a New Year Resolu'
ton Was Kept

I By z. A. Mitchell :!
Observation-Disclosures
Miss Gwendolin Caruthers was q
bankrupt in Irritation. During her sum
mer outing she had become involved
with three suitors; two more had been
added in the autumn, and the Christ.
mas holidays had increased the total
by one more. OF those two were seri'
Gus, three were semi-seriOus, and one
was to be counted credit instead OF
debit, for the gentleman had not been
brought to a proposal.
Now, considering the fact that Miss
Caruthers had but one heart for the
five or six suitors. her assets and liabil'
tiles may be said to be as one to half
a dozen. Notwithstanding this dis
tressing condition Of her heart affairs,
at q party congregated to see the old
year out and the new year in she
yielded to the temptation to take po'
sition In q window seat behind cur.
tain with still another young man and
then and there deliberately drew him
into q proposal.
Miss Caruthers' disposition TO 60
heart hunting had been noticed by
both her father and mother and had
given them great concern.
"She's not only declining desirable
parties" said her mother. but div
ing away other desirable young mel
who do not dare trust her"
"Too bad.' said her father. THE
day may come when she has passed the
mating age and will be forced into en-
during spinsterhOOd."
It was a great relief, therefore, when
Gwendolin astonished her father and
mother by coming down to breakfast
with them at 8 o'clock New Years
morning and announcing to them that
she had made q New Years resolution
not to incur any more heart liabilities
during the year she was entering upon
In other words. she would not act to
ward any young man in an encourag
ing manner.
Good for you, Gwen" exclaimed
her father, taking her In his arms. I'll
you assure me one year from today
that you have kept your resolution II
give you an automobile"
"Donew cried Gwen, kissing hin
first on one cheek and then on the
other.
But said her father, holding bel
of and looking her In the eye.
"But whatr'
.rhere must Of course be an excep
tion."
II see; the exception is al acception.
"You mean an acceptance. II you
accept q man and marry him that
won't count"
Suppose / accept him and don't mar
~ him?"
"That will count"
Gwen gave her father another kiss
and sat down to breakfast. She dis
missed the matter of her newly made
resolution from her mind, for she only
realized its Importance In relieving hel
from having to make excuses to re-
jected suitors and had no doubt what
ever Of keeping 1t.
Unfortunately there was just one
weak spot In Owens resolution. In
the list Of men who had become en-
tangled with her during the past year
mention has been made Of one whom
she had been unable to bring to his
knees. This was George Underwood
q young man much engrossed In bust
ness and so steady Oh his pins. to use
a slangy phrase, that 1t was very diff
fcult for any one to bowl him over
He was not a woman's man. never
danced. and, as for an affair Of hearts
1t had not occurred to him that II
could be played as game.
Gwen had tackled him just as she
had tackled the others, not having
looked upon my Of them as q prob.
able husband. Underwood's attention
was not easily secured. and when II
was secured there was no favorable
response to Ovens advances. In vein
she had endeavored to batter down
that Indifference which stood between
her and his heart. When trying to Sc.
cure an entrance she would be miffed
at q commonplace remark about the
weather or some other event equally
far distant from what was uppermost
In her mind. The consequence was
that when she made her resolution on
that New Years morning she had but
one regret-she would be obliged to
leave Underwood unfinished.
Mr.. Underwood was in control Of q
large business that brought him often
In contact with Mr.. Caruthers. Occa.
sionally he had come into the latters
home Of an evening to talk over some
business enterprise, and Gwen had lain
In wait for him as he was about to
depart He was past thirty and was
beginning to consider himself too old
for girls still in their teens. Conse.
quently when Gwen wished to hold
him for the rest of the evening she
was obliged to resort to subterfuge.
She would ask for his opinion on some
matter upon which she was in doubt
or beg him to help her out for the rest
tf the evening at q game Of cribbage.
Once she asked him to play at hearts
with her In a tone that would have
made any other man suspicious Of her
at once; but, whether Underwood un.
derstood her or not. he gave no respon-
sive sign.
Gwen never saw Underwood. who
eschewed social functions. except on
these visits to her father. The first
time the former called after the reso-
luton she locked herself in her room.
One would have supposed that instead