Williams news., 1917-01-11
Dear" she said, q am the bappiest

Lear, Sne said, 'l am the happ1eSt woman in the world"
 And Jim, looking wretchedly from Ethels happy face to the grinning one of his brother, realized that it was not so easy to tell her as he had thought it would be.
 He arrived home in Harry's wake, raging. Nothing would satisfy him but that Harry should go to Ethel and at once confess the prank that he had played. But Harry was adamantine.
 Jim, old man, it's for your own good" he said. "It's time you were married; you like Ethel, you know, and one day you'll come to me and thank me for what I have done."
 "Get out of my house!" stormed Jim. From this moment you are no brother of mine. Confound you, it's another girl was thinking of," he added.
 It was, for now Nora Doyle began his imagination. He knew that if he had any sense he would have proposed to Nora long before.
 But he could not tell Ethel. She looked so happy, her manner was so loving, her greeting so affectionate. And sadly Jim came to the conclusion that he would have to marry her.
 Nora Doyle and he seemed always to be meeting now. Ethel asked Jim that their engagement should remain se- cret for the present; consequently Nora suspected nothing. And Jim found it impossible to avoid telling her of his love and of his tragic mis- take.
 He avoided her, but still they met; he would go for long country tramps, and he would encounter Nora on the way; he went to town once, and Nora happened to be taking the same train. And at last, utterly worn out, he re- solved to ask Ethel to marry him at once. The sooner it was over, the sooner he could learn resignation.
 Ethels manner had been little cer- emonious of late. Jim had not seen her for two days. AS he entered the garden of her house he heard her voice, then a mans and, to his aston fshment, it sounded like Harry's. The next moment he had turned the corner of the hedge and come upon Harry holding Ethel in his arms.
 He stood still, struck speechless, with mixture of wild relief and al- most ungovernable fury. The pair, surprised, started apart; then Ethel's ringing laughter broke upon Jim's ears.
 You tell him, Harry" she said.
 "We're engaged, old man," said Har- ry, approaching his brother a little warily.
 "What do you mean?" shouted Jim.
 "Now, don't get mad, my boy! l knew you loved a certain party, but were holding off, and that you'd lose her if you didn't hurry up; so Ethel and contrived this little trick on you. We've been engaged all along, and"
 Forgive me, Jim," said Ethel, con- ing forward.
 But Jim had bolted-bolted is the only word that can be used to describe the method of his movement. Harry and Ethel, watching him, saw that his course was uphill, immediately toward Morals house.
 Tt workedW said Harry ecstatically. "Ethel, you're a wonder. You're an angel. Kiss me as many times as you've kissed Jim."
 An hour later, little shamefaced, Jim Scanlon returned. "It's all right" he said. "She's accepted me. And why shouldn't we all be married on the same day?"
 "Just what Ethel suggested" an- swered Harry. "Say, are you glad now?'
 Harry" said Jim earnestly, "I thank you from the bottom of my heart"
 But he did Lot quite understand the meaning of Harry's very enigmatic grin-till he remembered.