Smyrna times., 1917-02-21
The HUSBAND HUNTER
BY ERNEST A. YOUNG.

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Heart smashing is bound to end in
husband hunting" proclaimed Charles |
barton, the cynic.
What do you know about it? You
never had a heart to smash" taunted
Billy Drew.
Bert Temple, the host and presiding
genius at many a smoke-talk in the
cozy bachelor quarters, pricked up his
ears, for his friends were getting on a
subject which had acquired a new in
terest for him.
He had lately discovered that he had
heart, and he was inclined to feel
a bit heady over it. '-'
You are wrong, Billy" Charles as
| serted, ''for it was a wOman's perfidy
that bleached my hair years ago."
STORY I-old brand of romance" an
nOunced Drew with a wave of his fat
hands. .... l...- ......
1all to see any romance about the
process of getting stung at time of
| lie when a decent young chap of a
mushy temperament thinks he is in
love for the only possible time, and
the girl plays up the delusion until
she finds what a boob he is and then
lets him. drop. t- .E 81
THAT, in substance" continued the
cynic, ''was What happened. was the
boob and Miss Doris Ward was the
perfdiOus maiden, and it happened
eight years ago, when was twenty
10 IL 4
mOrOus, because l see the joke now as
plainly as you do. also see how MISS
Doris Ward comes to Dunbury for q
winter of sport-husband hunting"
They laughed at the story, of course
all except their host. He had been
pOking the fire and he dropped the
poker as if it had burned his fingers.
The party broke up and no note
was taken of anything unusual in
Temples manner.
Charles, the cynic, Tilted eight
years ago by Doris Wardy" mumbled
the host as the door shut out the last
of his guests. s.E-g.
1t was like a clip from q blackjack
to the senses of Bert Temple. Twen-
ty-minutes ago the memory of Doris
Wards voice was thrilling through his
soul, as he had listened to that voice
the evening before. Sure enough, at
the ripe age of thirty-six he had fallen
heels over head at first sight. AL
though they had been hardly two hours
in each others society he had as good
! as told her that she was 1.-The wonder
full woman" and that he was prepared
to close up a marriage contract for the
earliest date that could be fixed upon
compatible with the conventions.
Now Temple felt sick, dizzy, be-
wildered. 81 was the boob and Miss
Doris Ward was the perfidious maid
en-" were the words that bored into
Temples consciousness. In other
words, at the callOw age of twenty
two Charles Darton had been Tilted by
Miss Ward, and now he, Bertram TEN
pie, at thirty-six, had betrayed the
same brand of callowness as thai
youngster, whom Temple had never
particularly admired 5o 4''2
Now, according to Charles, the cynic
this young woman, whose unique
charm had appealed to Temples un
tutored heart was husband hunter
That meant that she was done with the
royal sport of killing for amusement
and had taken up the practical vOca
ton of bagging the game. And i
seemed that she had marked him
Bert Temple, age thirty-six-as a like
! ly mark. t....r .,.
! There was little time in which t.
! make up his mind what to do. In al
B hour he was to call at the inn to tax
D Miss Ward motoring. = sg Ts Z
D There wasn't time to think out
B really good plan for showing DOri
Ward that he was aware of her littl
B scheme of marrying the first man il
Dunbury whom she chose to smile Ut
D on. So he got out his car and aske
Mollie Clews to go with him.
Temple in his racer, with the chat
- tering little magpie snuggled on tn
seat beside him, slackened the 2ace i
front Of the inn. He could see Mis-
Ward at the foot of the walk, waitin
for him. ~'- ~
j He meant to slow up just enoug
SO she would be sure to see how ,prett
and happy Mollle looked, and thel
like a cad, he would speed on an
leave the husband hunter to gues
what had happened.
ChugI 4n~oMa yypnugAE
The racer stopped short. The ei
CINE went dead. soo.8sa 81
Ar that iuncture Charles DartO
i. came up with his car and in a twin
Fling he had Mollie beside him,
"You didn't speak to your-er-
Charles Darton," stammered Temp
4 as Doris took Mollie's place in IL
ia stalled motor.s assf o.raor. r.oa
urHWas that Charles DartonT' she e
49, claimed. Really, / had the impre
sion he was tall and blond" ''-
"He told u.s." Bert persisted, eth