The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1916-01-07
A Matrimonial
League
By SARAH BAXTER

who were slipping afternoon tea with
her. 'that If something is not done.
and that, too, pretty soon. we're all
booked for old maids. No young men
come to this town, and those who are
here are leaving. There are still left
enough Of them to provide MS with
husbands, but they have grown up be-
side us, with nothing occurring to
make them matrimonially inclined to-
ward us. Those men who have
ried have chosen wives elsewhere. It
provokes me to see some girl with
neither brains nor beauty brought back
here by one Of our fellows simply be-
cause she was new to him."
mo such thing, Clara" put in Mar
garet Stark. 1.-THE reason why girls
from other places are getting the fell
lows away from us is that they go for
them, while we sit here idly sucking
our thumbs. But you are right when
you say something must be done or we
shall all be old maids"
"I've heard of IL custom somewhere
said Dora Elkins, that gives the ad-
vantage to the girl. If a woman wants
a man she paints a red heart on n
Of her visiting cards and pins it on to
the coat or the hat or something of the
man she wants. Now, how would 1t
do for us to form a league of heart
Primers. each girl member pledged to
pin q heart to some mani"
0u0prih1oe" exclaimed T1,ov 10noo
throwing her eyes and her hands up
at the ceiling.
Better than everlasting spinster-
hood" said Evelyn Treborne.
The upshot Of the dialogue was the
formation of the league proposed. each
girl making the pledge, though 1t was
decided to leave out the card Of the
n pinning on the heart. Modesty
would not stand this. Besides, an anon
ymous heart would excite curiosity.
But the intent Of the token was per-
mitted to reach the young men who
were to be the victims. Miss Mans
field had a brother who was wanted
by one Of the young ladies-which n
she was not told-and she volunteered
to give him the notice.
One night the league was discussed
at the club by the young men. Every
man claimed that the idea was pre-
posterous and that If he received a
heart he would pay no attention to 1t.
But there was not 4 man jack of them
but feared he would not receive one.
The next evening when the men stray
ed In at the club Jim Mansfield con-
fessed that he had found a heart pin
ned to his hat when he took 1t up to
60 out in the morning. He said that
the lady could send him q dozen hearts
IL she liked; she would get no reply
from him. At the same time he was
racking his brain for a plan to find out
which girl had sent him the heart.
The next day S~tevenson's attention
was called to a red heart pinned to
his coattail. How It got there he did
not know. but supposed 1t had been
placed there by a small boy hired to
do the job. The same evening there
was a small social gathering at the
house Of n Of the league, and two
other men on going to the coat room
found hearts pinned to their 0%vercoats.
One of, these men when about to put
on his hat found another heart in the
lining.
Alas, this was the cankerworm that
was destined to spoil an excellent plan.
Ned Somers, who was blessed-or
cursed-with two hearts at his disposal,
instead Of keeping the fact to himself
boosted Of It to his companions. This
excited the spleen of Arthur Beem.
who received no heart at all.
As for the girls. the apple of discord
was also thrown among them. The
two girls who had set their hearts on
the same man each began q secret in
quiry as to who her rival was. Neither
was long in gaining the required In
formation. and soon after the discoy-
cry they were not on speaking terms.
Evelyn Treborne had sent a heart to
Andy Skinner. which he surmised came
from Jenny Brown. He accused Miss
Brown. who Indignantly denied the
charge. She spoke .disparagingiy Of
Skinner to, Margaret Stark. who had
sent him the heart. and this made a
break between the two girls. Within
a week after the establishment Of the
league there were half a dozen quar-
rels between the different persons send
ing and receiving hearts. including
some Of the men who had not been
h0nored by being wanted.
Then came Trimmingham. q stran-
ger. to the place. and. hearing Of the
league and having secured the names
Of the members. he wrote each u q
note stating that he had received q
red heart; that she was the only girl
In the world he wanted. and II the
heart came from her he had n to
give IN exchange.
For aSfeM days after this every mem
Der Of the league was In a. fiutter. Five
notes went ont ~ Trimmingham from
ave different girls. each acknowledg..
ing that she had sent him . heart
Then two girls compared notes. and
there were two expressions a 3S
"Well, I declafe!' l asSs@ l5s
The horrid thing!. Il
That led to more comparisons. and
the league was broken mp. u
NLNHE- ~ ~ A-ENa 4. GN .NFLfl TN IL I. - - M