The Taney County republican., 1918-10-17
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
AN ENGAGEMENT
BY MILDRED l.. DAVIDSON.
.eS sasA sa4ANeaN AHNs.ANAAAAaHA
per Syndicate.)

Il don't see that you have to 60 any
where" her mother replied. "Why
cannot you stay at home and be nice to
Frank for one night"
Il just cannot bear that fellow, and
why he has to come when l have told
linn twice that | would never marry
him, is more than can understand.
| have avoided him every Sunday night
for two months and yet he comes. |
won't stand him, aud I'll tell him SO,
so there" and Barbara slammed the
door and left the room.
~ can't understand Barbara" said
Mrs. Lawton, turning to her husband.
Il thiEE Frank Paige is a very fine fell
low; he has a good position and |
know he loves Barbara and could make
her very happy If she would only lei
him. She has made up her mind not 20
like him and nothing will change her"
AS Mrs, I,awton had intimated.
Frank Paige had been calling on Bar
bara Lawton for over n year and had
already asked her to marry him but
she refused. She told Frank that she
did not care for him, but she told her
mother that he was too slow for her.
lie did not care for movies, dances Ol
dinner parties, and Barbara told her.
self that She could never be happy with
man who would not give her plenty
Of those things.
So that night Barbara went over tc
visit her chum, Dora Glare. To Dorp
She conHdcd all her troubles with re.
gard to Frank, After Il while Dora
exclaimed:
oh ! have just the dandiest plan
for you to get rid Of Frank Paige, Bar.
bara.' Barbara listened eagerly to her
plan.
You must lead him on aud let him
think that if he proposes again you
VIII marry him. Then when he doe,
propose you must say yes Take hi,
ring and just Imagine the excitement
Of being engaged You can have q
grand time with parties and announce.
mcnts and then after a while decid,
thnt you made mistake and break IN,
engagement, Wouldn't that be fun
And you are always looking for ex-
element"
barbara was little doubtful as TO
the success of this plan, but as she
really did not care at all for Frank,
She had no thought for the harm she
would do him, and SO consented to the
plan.
For seyeral weeks Barbara stayed nj
home on Sunday night and entertained
Frank quite nicely. OF course treat
Wcnt of that kind soon led Frank tC
ask Barbara to reconsider her answer.
and when he asked her again, she very
shyly said "Yes."
As the weeks went by Barbara found
It harder and harder to make up her
mind to tell Frank that it was all a
joke. Not that she intended TO tell
him the plan, but she would Just say
that she had made mistake, but the
longer it was put off the harder II be.
came.
Matters went on for considerable
length Of time until one Sunday Frank
did not come to call. Barbara was
surprised to find herself at the front
window looking for Frank. She tried
to tell herself that she was merely
cross because she had stayed home
to entertain him aud he had not come,
but that explanation did not seem to
satisfy.
The next morning came q note from
Frank saying that he had been very
busy the night before and begged Bar,
bara to excuse him for not calling
lie asked If he might come over the
next night to say good-by as he was
going away on trip.
Tuesday night came, and with Il
came Frank. Barbara went to the
door to let him in; but the Frank who
stood at the door was not the Franz
she had known. He was dressed lr
the uniform Of a soldier. Barbara
gasped and said nothing. Frank ex
plained that he had enlisted and wa,
to be sent the next day to Texas t
train.
AS Barbara stood listening TO him
she knew that she must tell him tht
truth before lie went. Frank" sht
said, "when I became engaged to you
did 1t just for fun"
! 'For fun" Frank cried IN amaze
ment and despair, his mind alread,
pictGring the days and nights Of lonelI
ness with no letters from Barbara t,
cheer him up.
'Yes for fun" said Barbara. "YO,
know / love excitement, and | though
that 1t would be sport" And Barbart
dropped her voice. Il have change,
my mind. | was only going to be en-
gagged for a few weeks, but"
, On Thursday morning Frank left TO
! Texas, but the girl who kissed hlr
good-by at the station wore not onl
: diamond, but q plain gold band o
: her third finger.