Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1918-06-13

quite n calculating manner the next
day to have his name proposed o. the
Founders club by friend WHO be-
longed. Needless to say, no one OPP
posed his admission. He was perfectly
eligible, and unattached, good-looklng
bachelors were at premium. Then
began the really hard part OF the mem
bership--that Of securing an introduce
ton to Martha. Bowden attended ey-
cry evening function at the club, and
as many afternoon ones MS he could
manage to, without actually giving up
his business career. The three hum
dred and fifty-five dollars that he had
estimated would cover his expenses for
the first year of course fell far below
the actually. This did not include
tickets TO the various benefit entertain
ments held at the clubrooms, nor did
IL include meals and refreshments
there, nor tips. And all the time that
Bowden was spending his money there
were no signs of Martha.
One day he dropped In the clubrooms
on his way from his office-as mat
ter Of fact to try to recover an UNI
brella he had left there at the last eve
ming entertainment. 1t was dark In
the entrance hall where the check boys
sat, and 1t was not until he became nc
customed to the subdued light that he
recognized Martha sitting there. She
was alone, and she was lingering the
pages of small note book. Bowden
found it imperative for him to take a
seat on the other side of the hall to
look over some notes In his own pocket.
From time to time he looked up at
Martha. She was the same delightful
girl and there was the same air of per-
feet grooming about her. He would
never have noticed the bIemish In the
grooming, had it not been for her quick
effort to cover up the wrists Of both
her hands at the same time. Then he
saw that over each was fastened, and
kept in place by a metal paper clip, a
large sheet of copy paper, such as his
own stenographer used to keep from
getting office CRIME on fresh blouse.
Martha had removed her cuffs In haste,
but Bowden caught the movement.
Then the check boy, who was at the
telephone, spoiled Martha's little game
OF pretenslon. Here's a message for
Mrs. Slodgrass secretary" he said.
and Martha had to take 1t. In her
confusion at doing so she let fall the
oh haap IA.
gering. Bowden seized 1t, and on the
absurd pretext of wishing to see to
whom 1t belonged, he read the name of
Martha Tunle. 1t was absurd that he
did not restore 1t to her until she had
left the clubhouse and he had followed
her half block down the street.
Il have seen you before" he said
And she did not deny that she had also
noticed the~colncidence of the frequent
meeting. "And I thought you belonged
to the Founders club"
II pretended I did" she said, "that
FIRST day. l wanted you to think | did
and now you'll dislike me because I've
posed to be something / was mott
and | have been pretending too"
he said. "I'ye been pretending chat /
could afford to belong to this club,
when I couldn't. wanted to know you
and wanted you TO think that / had
as much money as the other men who
belong"
"Then we're both pretending" she
said.
but if we hadn't pretended" he
said, 1--WE would never have met" il
seemed as they walked along In the
spring dusk, that they had always
known each other, and Bowden Pain
was already feeling relief at the
thought that his annual dues and other
incidentals would not have to be paid
for next year. He also looked with
more specific interest at the objective
of his savings. He took the girl be-
side him Into his confidence. "And il
Is better-and more like the Pains
not to marry a woman with money.
You knew from the first how 1t was to
beg,
And Martha's low answer in the
deepening dusk satisfied him.