Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1916-09-07
A DIFFICULT MISSION
BY NAPOLEON 6. zARIcK.


Both Rowley and Hart have long
honored me with their condolences.
Even when we were chums at school /
was the repository OF their secrets, the
mediator In their quarreIs.
It was one day when snt by my
studio window that Howley and Hart
arrived together at my door. They sat
down. Rowley lookedsat Hart. Hart
returned the compliment. Silence en-
sued.
Boys said I. OF length. you had
better toss up for who speaks first"
They grinned uneasIly and then Row
ley, who il. perhaps, just a thought
quicker than Hurt, opened the CONVEX
sation.
Jack he began. "you know Miss
annie SEYMOUR
nodded aiarmativeiy.
"Wellv be continued, fits about her.
You see we're both very much ia love
with her"
"Anil she1'' asked.
Hart took up the thread. "she has
been nice-yery nice 10 both OF u.s." he
sald. IN fact, Jack. we cannot decide
which u US shc prefers And we don't
want 10 take any unfair advantage
"Isutn begun.
.lau don't SEE what we're driving at,
ehl Well. Isl explain. " Hart win III.
iow me We just want you 20 be the
sAhae Kind old Jack yoH'ye always
been. We want You toto well. dash
.it ali want you 70 find ont for us
which 81 the two she really does want
10 marry"
sax up, ard 1T q cigar
You SEQ, boys said 1, there's a
little difficulty In the way which you
elon't seem 20 have considered. Miss
Annie Seymour barely knows me"
@Oh. but she does. and likes you,
too r This from Hart.
'Isoys.7 mid !, ITS n ticklish mis-
sien. but | PROMISE you Pn do my
best
sDear me. NJ wIntoni You have
been ~ uulastinnble time about CALI
ing
"My dens aliSs Seymour. one cannot
sec lightly abea, important functional
"You call on The muses. daily, ] am
tola.e
mat they arc never at home. / as.
sure you."
Il wish | were muse" remarked
Aiss seymour With an adorable smile.
Slut yoW nrc," protested aYou
eeFtalniy nret the tonth muse The
muse ~
'of afternoon teh, u course. won't
500 hsFr su5ne ten, Mr wintong
sg l Wsg seas sns tirst shot, Il
sAw john ll4rt yesterday.
"Indeelf sugar. SIR. wintonT
'And Rob Rowley. too. Saw them
both together"
Really Cream. Mr. WintonT
Both ~ ny shots had failed For a
young woman supposed 10 be deeply
Interested Ia Two young men. Miss scy-
Inour's matier-affact reception Of
those young tlen's names seemed SIN
gular indeed.
II weFe useless 70 detail our CONVEX.
salion snfisce Il that, although | re
turned again and again 60 tho chafge,
/ failed e. arouse Ia AiIHs Seymour the
slightest evidence Of Interest either IA
Hart or Rowley.
And the odd part n II was that she
changed the subject from my friends
aHairs 20 mlns displaying, indeed, a
ilnttering. IL unaccountablc Interest IN
an my humble dolngs IN the end.
became desperate. Daring tactics,
felt, were the only means NJ hand.
1Mlss Seymour said. "you do moi
seem 20 be enthusiastic over either
Bob ItuRley Or Jack Hart
Up went Miss Seymours eyebrows.
"Wull. hnrdlyl~ she exclaimed. y
don't see why should be"
Now suppose Just suppOsc-that
one Of them were 10 fall hopelessly IN
love with a certain Miss Seymour
would there lie any hope for hlmT'
Miss Seymour set down her tea cur
and looked at me sternly hat Is e
say. as severely as she could mfr
Winton." she remarked. 'yOu were
asked 10 come here and put that cues
tion to merT
NO" I said. mot That one--I hav,
oyerstepped my mission"
began studying The shape OF mJ
boots. aud wondering which was tbs
foot / had just Put into H..
Then there was little final chm
as took my lenye. / don't quilt,
know how It came to pass. but Jus
before I departed Miss Seymour askeS
me, "You don't read your Longfeliow
do you Mr. WInton4s
eWeil no. | replied: "not Shakes
perlally, as one might say
''There Is some really excellent com
mon sense in LongfelIow. Good-by. Mr.
wlnton."
About half way down the street
stopped suddenly.
'Longfellow remarked TO myself
"LongfelIow? Now what has Long
fellow got to do with my littil
schenesg SHE Is not young woman
who makes remarks without reason o.
connection. And then her look whei
she said--i I'll swear there Is som'
consolIng message for poor Bob an,
John concealed between the covers o
Longfellowr'
| And then, nil Of sudden. a pre-
suGptuous thought set my min,
awhirl.
FASTENED home and took down
copy Of lsongfellow's poems from m.
library Shelf As fate would have II
/ opened the volume at the line. @Wh,
don't you speak for yourself, John7"
Copyright. 1916, by the Mcclure Newspa
per syndicate)
Optimistic Thought.
| One Illustration Ii worth thousand
ahaf "a rffttua