Gilpin observer. (Central City, Colo.) 1897-1921, 1916-11-02
THE MATCHMAKER
sy SUSAN Z. cLAoETT.

The moon was at its full and the
old-fashi0ned garden at Ellerslie was
very beautiful this late September
night.
The Shelleys were entertaining the
young people OF the neighborhood. It
was not dance. merely a supper par
ty and after that the wonderful CUR
den and the tree shadows and the
scent Of late roses and sentiment.
And 1t was sentiment indeed. Some
Of it was very earnest. A good deal
of it was play, but so well played that
more frequently than not it ended In
game Of cross purposes that threat
ened serious consequences.
1t was in such play that Warren
Addison and Nell Iglehart were the
principal actors. The other boy and
girl were only accessories. They did
not know 1t.
Warren had come from Baltimore to
meet her here. She was late in arriv-
ing. When she did appear it was with
a man he did not know. The man and
| territorial thing-made him turn to the
first pretty girl in that garden Of
southern prettiness.
If they had known little more of
life the two foolish things would not
have had an unhappy moment, but
she was seventeen and Warren not
quite twenty-one. She cried herself
to sleep that night and Warren took
the early train for Baltimore. Neither
had spoken ten words to the other.
Uncle Charles was matchmaker
He would have resented this if any
one had had the assurance to declare
it, for his matchmaking extended no
further than his favorite niece and
that boy" as he called Warren Addi-
son. He had done everything in his
power to further marriage that was
violently opposed by the girls father;
had even promised to help them when
they were ready to set up housekeep-
ing.
This home looked farther away than
ever after that evening at Ellerslie.
Warren had not been in the country
since then and Uncle Charles could
not understand this. He questioned
Nell, but could get nothing from her
save shrug and toss of her head.
If Warren didn't care to come and
was tired of writing, she wasn't going
to worry herself about it, she declared.
He had not suspected the trouble
had gone so far as that. He must do
something to circumvent ruthless
fate. But what?
He talked the matter over with
Aunt Mary. She was interested, but
advised not to NEEDLE. That was ex-
actly what he had made up his mind
to do, however, and the best way TO do
it, he decided, was to have a house
party of his own.
Very much pleased with himself, he
went to church the next morning and
after service called two or three of
the young men to him. Telling them
of his intention, he was soon the CEN
ter Of a fiuttering group of femininity
all delighted with the prospect of a
week OF gayety.
And Uncle Charles did not make
them wait for their pleasure The
next evening found the gay crowd in
his home.
Nell and Warren were to all appear
ances the gayest Of the company, but
those who knew them well felt there
was something wrong between them,
possibly revealed by the extreme po-
likeness of the one to the other.
When two days had passed, and
then a week, and Uncle Charles saw
no prospect Of settlement of their
quarrel, he decided upon his final
scheme, ride to Annapolis-twenty.
seven miles away-dinner there and
return home by moonlight. He thought
Nell horsewoman. She was not.
She was coward about horses, but
stronger than her cowardice was her
pride, and she started with the others,
her heart in her throat and clutching
mt the pOmmel whenever she thought
the action would pass unnoticed. Her
escort was on newly-broken colt that
claimed all his attention and whose
antics, at last, made every horse in
the party FESTIVE. There was no sur
prise felt when he bolted and started
n stampede down the narrow country
road.
Nell was the only one incapable of
managing her horse. She tried, but
fright overcnme her and the reins
dropped. AS they fell from her hand
the horse SHE'D and she lay-a crum-
pied little hemp by the roadside.
year later, the scene was again
laid In the garden at Ellerslie. Under
one Of the trees sat boy and girl.
They had been very quiet and the
thought Of that other night was in the
minds OF both. Presently Warren
spoke:
Nell, Nell, to think how near We
came to missing this"