The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1916-08-25
The Fatefl
Miss Douglas
And the Man Who Didn't
Want to Meet Her.
By PROVIDENCE REVERE

JlOlliCl IICdlIdClNSlJ WIN ~
turned the scrutiny with smiling
c%hecrfulncss. John MACPHERSON
was enjoying to the utmost his lit
tie visit to his sister, whom he had
not seen since her marriage a cou-
pie Of years previous, so he did not
in the least understand why she
should sigh and remark seriously,
cts too bad; yes, it isl"
"What?" he asked lazily. 1t was
an extra fine cigar he was smoking,
and it did not seem possible just
then for anything to be of deadly
Importance.
"Why, that you got here just the
day after Isabel Douglas left town."
responded pretty little Mrs. Ran
som. She's the dearest girl! She"-
Olives in Kentucky, beautiful as
a dream, glorious brown eyes, most
charming disposition on earth, is
"Whcrc'd you meet herr" broke
in Mrs. Ransom brcathlessly.
81 never had the pleasure" laugh
ed her brother. "Only | had to sit
one whole evening during my visit
in Toledo and hear my hostess re-
count the charms of this most eva
sive Isabel. She had left there just
the week before my arrival. l seem
to cast a blighting shadow over her
enjoyment. At any rate, she runs
at my approach"
"Now, isn't that qucer?' said his
sister. "But, really, John, Pm in
earnest about wanting you to know
her"
$50 was my Toledo hostess" he
answered amuscdly. eff only the
lady and | we're of a similar mind
and as much in earnest nothing on
earth could save us from wedding
cake and rice. But We aren't, thank
the fates" he cried rather fc~rvently.
At the age Of thirty-fiye John
MACPHERSON, comfortable in his
bachelor quarters in New York,
wealthy enough to indulge any
within, looked with quiet and polite
pity at the un%fortunates he knew
tied down to domestic cares. He
had fully decided he wanted none Of
that for him. What happiness he
might miss was more than compen-
stated for in peace and quiet and
freedom.
"You're all wrong, jack" said
his sister rather wistfully. "Aren't
you ever going to abandon your
crazy notions and marry some nice
girl and settle DOWN."
He threw out his hands in mock
dismay as he got to his feet. "I'm
the most settled down person you
ever saw, Man," he protested. "l'm
as steady as Il railway time table
and perfectly contented just as L
am. 1 could attend the wedding Of
some other fellow to your amiable
Isabel without a qualm."
"No, you couldn't" said his SIS
ter forcibly. "Iou've never seen
her."
But if he had not seen her the
fame Of Miss Isabel Douglas was
destined to haunt his ears. During
his visit at his sisters he heard Miss
Douglas name so frequently on the
lips Of visitors that he grew half
irritatcd. 1t was impossible that
any girl could be such a paragon,
and if she was he had no desire to
know her.
Such perfection would be dccid-
edly tiresome, he concluded, and so
he dismissed her from his mind.
When he reached Chicago on his
homeward way he stopped to trans
act some business. Phillips, his
lawyer, was most cordial in pressing
his New York client to come out to
his house, and MACPHERSON was half
inclined to accept. His frame Of
mind experienced an instantaneous
change, however, when Phillips
added:
."We've a visitor coming tomor-
row you'd like to meet, l know
Miss Isabel Douglas of Kentucky.
She
Sorry" said MI. MACPHERSON
decidedly, 3'but l can't wait over a
day on any account, my dear man."
At that moment he would have
gone a hundred miles out of his
way to escape meeting this south
ern paragon.
He did not stop to reflect she un-
doubtedIy had not the slightest de-
sire Of meeting him either. The
constant sound of her name and the
rehearsal Of her attractions had
nodded itself into a haunting shad-
ow, pursuing him, and he actually
disliked the very thought of her.
He wondered Grossly why she never
stayed home, where she belonged.
He hated gadabouts. Then he went
back to New York.
Strangely enough, even there he