The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1916-04-20
A DOUBLE
MISTAKE
By El.lNoR MARSH

':Ah, Mr.. Edn1onds! Happy to see
you. But l confess that am sur
prised."
cat what, may I ask?"
Mother wrote me that you were
very young looking for your age. but
I did not expect to see a man who can
not have reached middle age"
"And l have been told that you, too,
do not look your age"
II? Why, how old do you think me-"
"a man has no right to think at all
about a lady's age. l was given to un-
derstand that you do not look forty"
Forty!
'sThat's what l was told. To me you
don't look over twenty. But perhaps
there are two Of you about twenty
each"
"You speak in riddles"
ibid you never hear Of the man who
said that a woman of forty should be
like a bank bill that may be changed
for two twenties7 Ha, haw
Mr.. Edmonds was the only one of
the two who laughed at his own joke.
Miss Fielding looked at him, wonder
ing If he were not a tri1e daft. Her
mother, who was a widow, had writ
ten her that she was engaged to be
married to a Mr.. Edmonds. who would
call upon her; that he was Of suitable
age for the mother and she hoped
Gwen would be pleased with him.
Was her mother to marry a man who
appeared to be fifteen Of twenty years
younger than herself, who cracked
Jokes about changing the woman he
was to marry for two girls? What did
it all mean?
As for Edmonds, his father had
written him of his engagement and
had asked him to call on his fancee,
who would be at home after a certain
date. He supposed he was calling on
his future stepmother, and Gwen sup
posed she was receiving her future
s%tepfather.
II must confess, Nj. Edmonds," said
Gwen coldly, that you are quite a diff
ferent man from the one I expected to
l,see."
"And I confess" was the smiling re-
ply, "that l am very agreeably disap-
pointed in you"
Gwen looked at him with a blank
stare. "What kind of a person did
you expect to meet?' she asked.
GA woman twice your age"
GA-a ornooAo1 20 G~d So -o,, n roop
from fifty to sixty"
my father in that case would be
from eighty to a hundred." s.
II am not considering your father.
I am speaking Of a man Of suitable
age
"But would you consider a man
three-quarters OF a century old a suita.
BILE match for a grip
"Girl! Do you consider my mother
a girl?"
It was now Mr.. Edmonds' turn to
be astonished. II was given to under
stand that both your parents were
dead" he said. 7a,,
"My father is dead, but l assure you
that if you are to talk as nonsensically
to my mother as you have been talk
ing to me you'll find her very much
alive. I assure you she will not brook
a proposal to change her for two young
girls"
"AN have to say" rejoined Mr.. Ed.
monds, with a puzzled look on his face
'tis that, while l know nothing what,
ever of the prospective mother-in-law
the bride to be is very charming"
what mother-in-law"
my fathers. 1 fear that If she is
disposed to be cranky there will be
trouble in the family. My father is q
well disposed man and I am sure will
be able to get on with his bride, but
%. for a mother-in-law, If she is like
the most Of them it will be q monkey
and = parrot business between them"
Miss Fielding stood looking at Mr.
Edmopds with amusement and grow
ing anger for q few moments, then
swept ont Of the room. saying A. sshe
went that her mother must have gene
stark, staring mad. Reaching TIKI
ffopt, door she went oqt shutting Il
behind her not over ~carafnlly. u,..
II wonder what the governor mean
said Nj. Edmonds to himself, "lyyty
ing himself. up to a young thing Nks
that and evidently with = 1ne temper
And won't she make It hot 1or meF''.
He waited until Gwen had had tim<
10 get some distance from the house
then went into the hail. took his hat
mammed It down on his head, and
went his way.
The next day MrA Fielding returned
learned that Mr.. Edmonds had called
and asked Gwen If she. was pleased
with him.
HPleased with him!" said Gwen
"Mamma. have you gone mad to en-
gage yourself to a young fellow who
says he would like to change you 70,
two girls, each twenty years old?"
"Gwen! What do you meanr'
"Why, mother; he's young enough t.
be your son."
"He is sixty-two."
Mother and daughter looked at eact