The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-06-25
A Mythical
Lover
By MARTHA v. MONROE

friend, I write you first of all to an
nounce my engagement. Harry after
hanging about me for two years has
at last proposed. How much longer he
would have continued to do so had I
not by my own skillful manipulation
brought him to terms I don't know.
AS it is, l had a hard time landing him
and did so only after a number Of ef-
forts had failed.
Now, l wish to assure you, my dear,
that If you have occasion to bring a
man to terms, do not adopt any Of the
old fashioned methods that, are well
known-that is, If you are playing a
nan who is as adept at the game as
you. I tried a number Of them on
Harry, and he was too smart for them
all. First 1 told him that l was in
tending to study the law and would
make a VOW Of celibacy that I might
he welded only to my professional
work. He laughed me to scorn; drew
ironical pictures of my arguing a case
before a jury; said he would like to be
the judge before whom l pleaded a
case, and all that.
About the time Of. this first failure
the European wal broke out, and l
threatened to go abroad md take care
Of sick and wounded soldiers. He said
he was thinking Of going to France
and eAlisting in the Foreign legion.
I didn't go as a nurse, and he didn't
go as a soldier. He had met my bluff
with one Of his own.
|. Then Howard Wentworth came to
town, and of all the girls here he seem
ed to prefer me. Taking advantage Of
his preference, l encouraged him, es-
pecially in presence Of Harry. What
did the scamp do but devote himself
to Agnes Woodruff. l was frightened
for fear she would get him away from
me and dropped Mr.. Wentworth imme-
diately. After I had done so Harry
gradually ceased to pay marked atten-
ton to Agnes, but 1 knew that he was
still more or less devoted to her. and
1t worried me.
Having heard that Aunt Caroline had
been in her youth skillful at the game
of hearts, I confessed my failures and
my anxiety to her and asked her to
help me.
THE trouble with your expedients,"
she said to me, "is that they are too
palpable. One Of those you have tried
is excellent, but you did not apply 1t
in the right way. l refer to your at
tempt to pique your lover by accept
ing the attentions of another nan
You should not have called In the at
t%entions Of a real admirer. but an i'm.
aginary one"
Not understanding what Aunt Carrie
meant. l asked her to explain. She
did so and gave me the identical meth
cd by which she brought Uncle John
to terms twenty years ago. I made
up my mind to try 1t.
My first move was to nerve myself
10 treat Harry with indifference for a
stated period. This being a part of a
general plan. l was enabled to play
the part pretty we'll. 1 was careful
not to overact 1t, in order that he
might not see through what I was up
to. Having apparently grown more in
different to him for three or four
months, l accepted an invitation from
Elinor Trask to make her a visit. Il
remained away six weeks, and when
I came home l talked a great deal to
my intimate girl friends about a fasci-
mating fellow l had met. or, rather
had not met. during my visit. giving
them the impression that l had been
much taken up with him. OF course they
spread a report that 1 was either en-
gagged or was likely to be engaged.
md 1t reached Harry's ears.
Nevertheless so confident was he
that he could drop me and take me up
when he pleased that he placed but
little confidence in my preference for
him having been diverted to another
channel. He came to see me III my
return from my visit. twitted me on
having lost my heart during my alb
sence and asked for a description of
this "Adonis." as he called my myth
teal lover. who had been 80 fortunate
as to win such a prize as myself. !
turned the conversation upon other
topics. Harry asked me to go to the
theater with him the next evening. !
told him so decidedly that l had a pre-
yious engagement that he did not ask
for another evening.
Harry did not call again for some
time. Meanwhile l was talking to my
ehums about the fascinating man }
had met, confident that what said
would reach the man I really loved.
The next. time he called on me !
telephoned to a florist, with whom !
had left an order for flowers to be
filed on call, to send them at once.
Half an hour. later the flowers came
and were brought into the room to me-
where I was sitting with Harry. Pre-
tending to be anxious about them.
opened the box containing them. Ia-
side was a little envelope. ! seized It
and without opening it held 1t In the
palm Of my hand.
This was altogether too much for
Harry's equanimity. He demanded to
see the card Of the sender, and !
refused to give it to him. He turned
very red. then pale. and l saw that
k.u conditional ctorm u,oa raging within