The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-09-25
FAIR CON-
SPIRATORS
By SADIE CLCOTT

| rtageable man III peutoHville was Nc
| Donnel lie was young lawyer.
who went to the city every day. Pen
tOnville being a suburban town. and
did not know that in the consideration
or the marriageable girls Of the place
he was not only new thing. but a
very desirable thing.
This Mcdonnell fellow" said Emily
Chandler to number of young Pen
tonville girls who were discussing the
eligibIes, or, rather. the want of eIigt-
bles Of the town. deserves to be taken
down from his high horse"
What high horse:" asked Phoebe
Brooks
"Why. he has refused to be intro
duced TO any of us
Il doubt it," said Phoebe
why do you doubt it?''
Because there's no authority for it;
it's mere talk. Anyway if it's true
Mr. Mcdonnell probably has his own
reason for not making our acquaint-
ance"
For my part" chirped Lucy Ellison,
If he were to ask TO he introduced to
me- would decline the honor"
That's a good idea. Lucy said Miss
Chandler Suppose we all take that
stand If any one proposes to intro
duce him We'll decline"
An agreement was entered into by
the girls to this effect. but they had
no opportunity to show their spleen to
Mcdonnell, because be did not ask to
be introduced to any of them. An
aunt of his lived in Pentonville, and
Mcdonnell spent such hours as hung
heavy on his hands at her house. where
be was very much at home This lady.
Mrs. MeriWeather. very soon heard of
this conspiracy and got the names Of
the cOnSpiratOTs.
One morning Miss Chandler received
a note from Mrs. Meriweather stating
that her nephew, Ralph Mcdonnell,
had seen the young lady at church and
had expressed Il desire to be introduced
to her. Would Miss Chandler dine
with Mrs. Meriweather for the purpose
Of enabling the nephew to make Miss
Chambers acquaintance?
Miss Chandler dispatched an accept
ance in hot haste. Mcdonnell show
ed hxr the attention he felt called upon
to show his aunt's guest. and Miss
Chandler was delighted. But she did
not speak of the meeting to any of her
girl friends.
Soon after this Miss Lucy Ellison
received an invitation by telephone
from Mrs. Meriweather to come over
for cards, in the evening. Mrs Meri-
weather's nephew had seen Miss Eli
son at the Turner club and had ex-
pressed a desire to know her
The young lady accepted
During a period of several weeks ev-
cry one Of the conspirators had been
Informed by Mrs. Meriwcather that
her nephew had expressed a desire to
be Introduced to her, all receiving in
vttations for the purpose. Every girl
accepted the invitation, but not one of
them said a word to any Of the others
about the acceptance. Nor did either
Mrs. Merfweather or Mr.. Mcdonnell
say anything either. Phoebe Brooks,
who had doubted the report that had
leu W MI hCIOIillCll OSLLdCILdtI Dll.
was one who was invited to Mrs. Meri-
weather's house to meet the ostracized
gentleman, but was disinclined to act
contrary to her friends. She had nei-
Their acquiesced nor declined to take
part in the CstraciZatiOn, but. not Xix
ing to place herself in opposition to her
friends found it convenient to have an
engagement.
Mrs. Meriweather's next move was
to invite the girls whom her nephew
had expressed a desire to know to an
informal dance at her house partners.
of course. being provided. The girls
were invited at g, the men at half
past s.
The first girl to arrive was Lucy FL
lisOn. The second was Emily Chan
der. They arrived almost simultane-
Ously and met in the ladies' robing
room. They started on seeing each
other, and each stammered an apoI
Ogy for being there. When they went
down into the drawing room McDon-
neil greeted each as if he had known
her for years. As each girl came in
and stood on the threshold staring at
the oonspirators who had already ar
rived the host advanced and greeted
her cordially. indicating by some well
timed remark a previous acquaintance
The last girl TO arrive was Miss Brooks
When she entered Mrs. Meriweather
with unusual formaIity introduced
My nephew. Mr.. Mcdonnell"
The girls already arrived looked at
one another. Some cOlored. some gave
an embarrassed giggle, some were an
gered, but one feeling pertained TO all.
To use an expression common among
them and the young fellows they knew.
they had been ''stung."
Nevertheless the hostess and the host.
her nephew, manifested no knowledge
of the real situation, but set about Ell
tertaining them to the best Of their
ability. The young men invited soon
began to come in and it was not long
before the girls were forget -.c the les
son they had received in the dance
Fortunately that lesson had been for
all except Miss Brooks. but Mr. Me
DOnnell had the ma@naminity to show
her no more attention than the next
of his aunt's guests.
However. he was not always bound
to refrain from showing a preference.
and. though he had the good sense and
gentlemanlike instinct to treat the
other girls with friendliness. it was
soon manifest that he considered him