The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1921-03-26
The Slater-Ashley
Affair
BY RAY LEWIS
!. -..~.. .".-.".-.~....-. -.-.-.".-'~s-."'' Il
20 1921. by Mcclure Newspaper SyndLcatel !

1900 -..'"'~'-'~','~' $1,000 IL
/ %, 1921, by Mcclure Newspaper syndIcatey
George VanderpyIe gazed from the
/ balcony down upon the animated
scene below, where many couples
moved in rhythm with the seductive
cadences of the palm embowered or
cheStra. He had wandered into the
chapter house in search of an Old
classmate and had paused for mo
ment 70 look on.
Suddenly, "Who is that wonderful
woman" he exclaimed, grabbing the
arm of the young fellow nearest him
and pointing out slim figure swaying
in the dance on the floor beneath.
"Who dye mean?" Billy Walters
leaned farther over the balcony. "Oh.
that. Why, that's Miss Slater, libra
rian of the Mary Webster Memorial
has been here several years.
The man who had addre SSed him
made no comment, but merely con
tinued to wait for the temperance of
the slender silk-draped figure in the
round of the waltz. George Wander
pyle had seen many women in his
| forty-odd years of life, but never, so
he told himself, had he seen as beau
tiful, as graceful, as attractive one.
And to think of her being incarcerated
in the Mary Webster Memorial
! Where were the men, to permit such a
! thing?
Nanderpyle, back for his twentieth
reunion, had dutifully done what was
expected of him as a wealthy alunnuS,
and made the rounds Of the various
university buildings. He recalled the
Mary Webster Memorial, erected since
his time as an architecturaIly perfect
severely classic building of cold stucco,
with a dim, vauItlike interior -admira-
bly, adapted, no doubt, for the preser-
Walton of fragile first editions and rare
manuscripts, but hardly a suitable en-
vironment for the Winsome, glowing
bit of flesh and blood he had just seen.
He did not remember having seen her
there. No doubt she had an assistant.
Suddenly, the man smiled, Whimsi-
cally. All his life a mere desire on
his part to see a thing accomplished
had predicated its accomplishment.
And although thus far the field of
matchmaking was for him virgin soil,
that fact might make a venture there
all the more interesting.
Surely out of all his vast acquaint-
/ ance he could pick some wellfavOred
bachelor sufficiently cultured and
worthy to rescue the beautiful libra
rian from the clutches of the Mary
Webster Memorial and place her in the
environment to which her loneliness
and charm entitled her.
But first he would like to meet her
to make sure that she fulfilled upon
acquaintance the promise of her face.
who'll introduce me to herr? he
asked young Walters, much to the lat
ter's amusement These old fellows
coming back We're dandy chaps and all
that, and demanded loyalty as fra
ternity brothers, but it was odd to
think of them being interested in the
female sex! He considered a moment,
retlectiyely.
Then, why, let me see,' he said de
cisiveIy. You might ask Jack Ash
ley-he knows everybody"
Jack Ashley The boy had hit it.
jack Ashley not only knew everybody
but everybody knew Jack Ashley, knew
of him as one of the finest products,
mental and physical, ever turned out
by the university. Nanderpyle knew
a little of his history since graduation.
/ He had hunted big game in Africa.
I had served with the Canadian troops,
! had become an American ace, and was
/ now being spoken of for an important
! diplomatic post. And there was the
very man he was looking for! What
a pair they would make
He found Ashley ut the Union, swap
ping cigars and stories with other
members of his class, which was about
ten years later than that of Wander
pyle. Like the canny financier he was.
the latter approached his object OBJ
/ lQuelY. OF lie was DeCOIui1S as ell
thusiaStic over the match as was his
! custom in closing a business deal in
volving millions.
Settling himself in a deep-cushioned
chair, he joined in the conversation.
Not till it's close did he direct his at
tention particularly to Ashley. Then,
I'm interested" he began, "in the
Bereton Americana. Come over with
me in the morning to the Mary Web
ster Memorial and tell me what you
think of the collection"
Ashley amiably agreed, and the con-
yersation drifted to other channels
Vanderbilt, regarding the man oppo-
site. wondered how he had escaped the
matrimonial net. Surely 1t could not
have been through neglect on the part
of the women! Perhaps he was await
ing an. ideal, so perfect that he had
never found her.
At the thought Vanderpyle nearly
chuckled aloud. She had been found
for him