The Tupelo journal., 1917-07-27
A COMPLICATED
CASE
1t Resulted From an En-
deavOr to Make a Match

Suits for breach of promise are not
always the vulgar affairs to which we
are accustomed, though / admit that
many which are made public are not
very sweet smelling.
Kate DevereauX was my chum in the
woman's college. and l confess she fas-
cinated me-. Girls who have brothers
are fond of picking out wives for them,
and it usually happens that the brother
doesn't see the matter in the same
light as the sister at all. When | told
Ralph that l proposed to make a match
for him with my college chum he
showed no interest in the proposition
whatever.
wait till you see her." / said to him.
IF she is as homely and uninterest-
ing as most of the girls you have
picked out for me-" he replied, II don't
want to see her."
l invited Kate to spend the spring
recess with me. | had been just as
stupid in telling her that l had a broth
er for her as | had been in telling
Ralph that l had a chum for him,
though my plan was rather a fancy
than a serious intention. / was quite
curious to see how these two persons
who had been thus informed would
greet each other. Ralph and went to
the station to meet my guest. and | did
not have a good opportunity to see how
they We're impressed with each other.
After our return home l said 20 Ralph.
well. what do you think of her?'
She's not SO homely as the rest of
your favoriteS." was his only reply.
| asked Kate If she did not think my
brother a fine fellow, and she said.
Very nice" but in an Indifferent tone.
We were all together for two weeks,
with other young persons of our bunch,
but l could not see that Ralph and
Kate were especially interested in each
other. Ralph seemed rather to favor
another girl and Kate another man. 1t
struck me that L had made a new fail
ure in picking out a wife for Ralph.
but, as | have said, my doing so was
not a matter of great concern to me.
and l thought 10 more about it.
Kate and l went back to college. and
since we were to graduate in June. we
were absorbed in our preparations for
the final exams and commencement.
Ralph came to see me graduate. Kate
took part in the graduating exercises
sof the class, and l asked Ralph If she
didn't look very sweet in her pure
white costume. He replied Indifferent
-ly that all girl graduates looked sweet.
Kate invited me to spend a few
weeks with her after our graduation,
land we left college together. The day
after our arrival at her home Kate took
me into her room and said to me:
"Estelle, l have a very unpleasant
announcement to make to you"
do tell me what it isl" I said.
catching my breath.
Il am going to bring a suit against
your brother for breach of promise Of
marriage"
l looked at her with as much amaze
zment as if she had drawn a pistol and
ordered me to throw up my hands.
Observation-Disclosures began. but
-lgot no further.
You may remember what you said
about Ralph to me before We met.
Well, | had no sooner gone to your
house for the spring recess than Ralph
began to make love to me. Fortunate
S1y l did not trust him and showed little
interest. When we returned to college
@he wrote me- letters repeating what he
had said to me. We mel several times
after th~at-without your knowledge
and l accepted him. l have no doubt
now that he was simply DESTROYS to
make a conquest, for when he anne on
lat commencement he treated me very
coolly. not mentioning our engage
ment. Now. don't you think. dear, that
asuch treatment merits punishment"
81 certainly do. but
But what?"
I'm surprised that you should think
of making the affair public"
"Estelle. you are barking back to a
time when we women were expected
to suffer any treatment from men they
felt disposed to give US and hide our
feelings of grief or resentment under a
bushel. a time has come when such
self abnegation has passed. l take
this step not because l wish to-in-
deed, on your account especially l
dread it-but because I deem it my
duty to do So"
/ could not but admit that in princi-
ple Kate was right. but in this particu-
lar instance something must be done to
stop such a proceeding. / cut short my
visit, returning home at nee. called
RalDh info fha library WHARF ua MORO
alone. and after telling him that 1
knew Of his outrageous conduct l told
him that Kate in justice to her sex
was about to bring suit against him
for breach Of promise.
How much damage does she claim 2"
. he asked imperturbably.
"Ralph" l cried. what do you
mean? You don't mean that you are
going to let this ~disgraceful conduct