Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1916-03-17
His Affinity
By WILLIAM CHANDLER

Jim" said my friend Mrs Now
bry "why don't you get married"
Nonsense Helen You know as
well rs that We men don't marry the
women; they marry u.s."
But" Helen persisted, "if no wom
an chooses TO take The trouble to bring
you down ana you don't care 10 re-
main single, deprived Of wife, chill
dren aud the comforts Of Il home, It
seems TO me that you had better bestIr
yourself"
Helen was Il matchmaker, knew
she had some scheme on hand aud
waited for her to declare IT,
81 can make II easy for YOU she
continued. II know girl who, like
you, has put of matrlmony too long
aud has begun to realize that she Is
drifting toward n lonely old splnster-
hood, | have offered to help her out,
| have invited her TO spend July and
August with me at Fernwood, shall
have other guests during the summer,
both men aud women shall tell her
that | have Il man In view for her
How would you like to be that MANI
"IIelen," exclaimed admlrlngly,
"you are the queen of matchmakers
Had you told me you had girl for
me and introduced me to her, she and
!, knowing Of Your plan, would doubt
less have spurned each other Your
proposal is delightful | enter into II
with all my heart, But why do you
assume that there will be natural Sc
lection between usF
Il don't, simply assume that YOU
are persons Of opposite sex who seek
mate. The mate being at hand, per
haps you will recognize 1t II You are
left to yourselves TO do So
spent number OF week ends at
Helen's country seat, besides two
weeks In August
| fancied she had got up the scheme
to make II match between me and
some dear friend Of hers and be
lleved that might find out the young
lady by the fact that she was some
one Helen adored, But | knew that
Helen would conceal this alteration
from me.
settled upon Miss Jewett, one OF
her guests during the summer whom
had heard her speak OF quite often
before as the lady between whom and
me there was to be natural selec
ton. Miss Jewett was evidently q
young woman not especially OF beau
" or endowed with such lightweight
frlvolities as are usually attractive t
men. In other words, there was LOT
to her. though ! admit the words are
n very poor description. | met her al
Il week end visit early in the summer
and having settled upon her as the
lady intended for me, showed her con
siderable attention. TO tell the truth
she interested me in conversation and
! preferred her company.
| met her at Hecn's again In Jul!
and was counting on further pleasan
moments with her, but this time sh'
was principally taken up with a Mr.
Judkins, whom she seemed never t
tire Of. If were talking with her ant
Judkins came up she would dismiss
me with nod, accompanied by
smile. and | was thus commanded t
give place to him. After three day
at Fernwood | went back to town dis
grunted.
During the longer period | spent n
Fernwood Miss Jewett was again
visitor there. She seemed delighted t
meet me again. and we We're gettinj
on nicely when that fellow Judkins re
appeared, and again my association
with Miss Jewett was broken up.
81 suppose" | grumbled to my host
ess, that you've got another coupl
besides me and my unknown to brin
together-Miss Jewett and that ca
Judkins. What she can see in him
Helen smiled and turned away with
out listening to the rest of 1t, and
went off to hunt up some of the othe
spinsters, none of whom interested IN
in the least Judkins went away Sun
day afternoon, and | spent Sunda
evening in tete-a-tete with his sc
lection" which was what / considere
her. She had the tact to ignore hir
now that he was gone, and had neve
known her to be so entertaining.
Not long after this l told Helen tina
her selection plan for me must hav
gone awry, since l had evidently ru
across Judkins' affinity. But she turf
ed the subject, giving me no satisfaC
ton.
The summer passed without any 81
lection between me and girl, so ia
as / could see, but during the winter
saw great deal Of Miss Jewett.
ceased to be interfered with by Jut
kins and-well to make long stor
short, made match with Miss jew
EFT. Tom Mowbry and his wife wei
II I'D nf hn