The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-08-16
Striking First
BY ELlkoR MARSH

had noticed GOODNESS OF late on tn,
part of his fiancee's parents and had 1
foreboding that he was summoned q
receive dismissal. He took tim,
enough before answering the summon,
10 prepare himself for the ordeal
After much thought he resolved thai
II he must be stabbed he would stat
first. The principle of the superiority
Of an initial force is as true in the
game of love as In war. So on meeting
Lucy, without giving her time to say a
word he spoke himself;
''well, who is the party who is to
take my placer
That's very unkind"
whats unkind, throwing me overt
Would you have written me that cold
blooded note for any other purposef"
Worse and worse. Cold blooded
note! What was there cold blooded
about it?"
"Let us not waste words. Since
know why you have sent for me. you
need not explain. / come, firstly, in
obedience to your summons; secondly,
for a purpose of my own"
Toms assuming the upper hand In
the matter had its effect on Lucy.
What she had to say to him was really
from her mother, not from herself.
"Whnt is it?" she asked in a low
voice, in which there was a suspicion
of tremolo.
ITO ask the question ! propounded
when entered. Who is the party that
is to take my place"
Lucy made no reply for awhile. She
sat with her eyes cast down to the be-
trothal ring which Tom had given her.
1t was on the third finger of her left
hand, and she was turning 1t as
though 1t troubled her. Thoughts, re-
grets, duty. INDIGESTION were coursing
through her brain like water through a
fiume.
i've asked you simple question
Tom added. ut calls only for a sim
pie answer
Mrs. Edmonds, who had worked her
daughter up to do her bidding. had
foreseen that if Lucy gave the name
of the new sutton Tom would probably
riddle him and thus undo all that had |
been done, so she had enjoined upon |
her child that If Tom suspected he |
was thrown over for another he was
not to be told who that other was.
Mother has very justly said that
you would naturally be prejudiced"-
II did not ask what mother says. l
asked you for the name of the man
who is TO take my place.
Whether 1t was through obedience or
that Lucy shrank from an admission
that he had been supplanted, she could
ing various methods to get it out of her
Tom wrote dozen names on slip of
paper, showed them to her and asked
her II the name Of the other man was K
among them. Lucy ran down the list
till she came to Legrand Atwood, {
when the expression changed Toms {
eyes were fixed upon her, and he saw
that he had got the secret.
"That'll do" he said tearing up the
paper. This name has been concealed 7
from me by your mothers orders be-
cause she does not consider me
proper person to crit1cise the man che
approves instead of me. / will not e
honor the party by considering him a
rival for your love. But your mother
Is right in assuming that from my past
position toward you 1 am not COM
petent witness against man who has =
downed me- have but one request to a
make OF you"
What Is itw said Lucy In an almost
voice. I
THAT you take no definite action V
with regard to Mr.. Atwood for one c.
month from today"
Lucy made the desired promise, and
Toms manner changed toward her at
nee. When he left her he assumed VI
lone of a lovers privileges, simply
PRESSING her hand. Lucy begged him
o tell her how he had hit on Mr.. At.
wood. She had met him during a visit CO
o another city and was not aware &C
hat Tom had ever heard of him. Tom OF
leclined for the present to crafty her d
tt
Lucy pined for Tom for two weeks, 81
vhen the status was suddenly changed II
fr. Atwood was arrested for misuse
4 the mails, the charge being that he ~
lad sent circulars and received mon -
VS. for investments In fictitious COM 80
any. r
Lucy at once sent for Tom. This 81
lime her note began, Dearest Tom" til
nd ended, Your loving Lucy" Tom
answered the summons at once.
"Did you know anything about this
he hesitated
"Rascalr supplied Tom. 81 did. IL
card through a chum Of mine that
uring your visit to A. he was en-
eavoring to be attentive to you; that Rs
e was lavish In his expenditures and mi
as under suspicion. When | parted fol
'om you recently | made inquiries and tel
,u5d that several persons whom he col
ad swindled were getting after him l -
len simply waited for what has oc-
lrred"
1T was very unkind of yon not to
II me of your suspicious" said Lucy,
putting. We
You mean that 1t was unkind of me
II to tell your mother Of them through
~" was the smiling reply.
That was the end of the opposition hal
Tom as a husband for Lucy. and ne
ey were married.