The Tomahawk., 1919-09-04

she founded the Women's Tennyson
club; and her word upon art. letters
and the drama was accepted more as
law than as opinion. Naturally when
"Hazel Kirke" finally reached town,
after its long triumph In larger places,
many people waited to hear what
Mrs. Henry Franklin Foster thought
Of 1t before they felt warranted in ex-
pressing any estimate of the play. In
fact, some Of them waited in the lobby
of the theater a. they came out and
formed an inquiring group about her.
II didn't see the play" she in
formed them.
''What! Why, we saw you, right in
the middle Of the fourth row!"
"Yes," she said, smiling, ''but was
sitting just behind Isabel Anderson.
I couldn't look at anything except her
wavy brown hair aud the wonderful
back Of her neck"
The ineligible young men Uf the
town (they were oil ineligible) were
unable to content themselves with the
view that had SO charmed Mrs. Henry
Franklin Foster they spent their time
struggling to keep Miss Amberson's
face turned toward them. She turned
1t most often. observers said, toward
two: one excelling In the general
struggle by his sparkle. and the other
by that winning IL not. winsome old
trait, persistence. The sparkling gen.
tleman lied germans with her, and
sent sonnets to her with his bOu-
quets-sonnets lacking neither music
nor wit. He was generous, poor, well.
dressed. and his amazing persuasive
ness was one reason why he was al-
ways in debt. No one doubted that
he would be able to persuade Isabel,
but he unfortunately Joined too merry
party one night, and during MOON
light serenade upon the lawn before
the Anderson mansion. was easily
identified from the windows as the
person who stepped through the bass
viol and had to be assisted to wait
ing carriage. One of Miss AmbersOn's
brothers was among the serenaders,
ana when the party had dispersed re-
mained propped against the front
door in a state of helpless livellncss
the Major going down in a dressing
gown and slippers to bring him In, and
scolding mildly, while imperfectly con-
cealing strong impulses to laughter.
Miss Anderson also laughed at this
brother the next day, but for the
suitor 1t was a different matter: she
refused to see him when he called to
apologize. you seem to care q great
deel about bass violsv' he wrote her.
II promise never to break another"
She made no response 10 the note, un-
less It was an answer. two weeks
later. when her engagement was an.
nounced. She took the persistent one.
Wilbur Ainafer, no breaker Of bass
viols or of hearts, no serenader at all.
A few people. who always foresaw
everything. claimed that they were not
surprised, because though Wilbur Min
afer might not be an Apollo. as 1t
were," he was n steady young bust.
ness man and a good church goer," ;"
and Isabel Anderson was "pretty SEN
sible-for such q snowy girl" But
the engagement astounded the young
people, and most Of their fathers and
mothers too; and a. q topic It sup
planted literature at the next meet
Ing of the 'W0men's Tennys0n club"
"Wilbur Minafer!' a member cried.
her infection seeming to imply that
Wlbur's crime was explained by his
surname. "Wilbur Minafer! It's the
queerest thing I ever heard! To think
of her taking Wilbur Minafer, Just
because a man any woman would like
a thousand times better was q little
wild one night ut q serenader'
mo, that wasn't her reason" said
wise Mrs. Henry Franklin Foster. "If
men only knew it-and it's a good
thing they dont-a woman doesn't
really care much about whether q
mans wild or not, II 1t doesn't affect
herself, and Isabel ANDERSON doesn't
care a thing!"
MRS. Fosterl"
mo, she doesn't. What she minds
Is his making q clown of himself in
her front yard! II made her think he
N1oo ~0AS AAVNAA OUVOS AOEs EJuC y
probably mistaken, but that's what
she thinks. and It's too late for her
to think anything else now, because
she's going to be married right away
tho invitations will be out next
week. It'll be q big Amberson-style
thing, raw oysters floating in scooped-
out blocks Of Ice and q band from out
Of town-champagne, snowy presents
a colossal present from the Major. |
Then Wilbur will take Isabel ON the |
carefulest little wedding trip he can |
manage. and she'l be q good wife to
him, but they'll have the worst spoiled
lot Of children this town will ever
see"
How On earth do you make that |
out, Mrs. FOSTER"
"She couldn't love Wilbur, could |
sheT Mrs. Foster demanded, with no |
"Well. It will all 20 to |
her children, and she'll ruin 'emI"
Tho nronhotoeo y,rovod - ho ,.s.