The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-12-19
TIE d
.sHO STORY
I Manufactured Romance
by "A, IRVING KING

.
The engagement between Ger.
tfude Kendrick and Ernest Mars.
den had been broken off. The fact
made excellent tea.table talk for
two. whole weeks in the most sell
!, cot CIRCLES. It was all the moro In.
teresting because no one knew
anything at all about the details
Of the matter and so everybody had
: his, or her, own verslon-which
was quite as authentic as the YER.
sion OF anybody olse-and would
give fancy a free hand at embroid'
efing Il.
There was no scandal attaching
70 the average OF diplomatic rela'
iRtions between Ernest and Cor.
terde; the most malicious could
not suggest that. He was a mode!
young man and she was a model
Young woman, both OF the best SO,
cial standing and so publicly
known and officially listed. The
affair could afford at most no
more than a pleasing opportunity
for polite and entertaining gossip.
Vow. though no one OF Mrs. Van
Tappen's tea table had the true
story -interesttng and clrcumstaE:
tialEa as all the versions were-:,tt
was really this each party to the
engagement had become convinced
that tho other party loved some
one else and was holding to tho
contract through sense Of duty
and honor.
1T all came about through Aunt
Cynthia = Gertrude's aunt-who
was>,R romantic old spinster anl
8 boFa neddler. The loves OF Coz.
trnd6 and Ernest were entirely too
e6n1nonplace to suit Aunt Cynthia
stBho was great reader Of thos
satriafk nlar love stories in which
tie 6ngies violate all the laws o.
plain and spherical geometry. and
she Just reveled in novels where
two lnismated couples have Santa's
own time IN rearranging matters
more to their liking without get
ting arrested for higaniy. To Aunt
Cynthia a hundrun courtship. o
prosaic marriage and "they lived
happy ovcr after' appeared ort!ra
ia abnormal, SO she set about to
mold the love affair OF her niece :
little nearer to the standard OF he'
beloved fiction.
The material she had TO work
with was distressingly scant. but a
meddllng woman OF experience and
skill can accomplish wonders with
very little-it she is conscientious
worker.
Gertrude knew that before sho
and Ernest had met and fallen in
love he had been rather attentive
to Flora Wardell, and Ernest was
aware that when no appeared on
the scene to become the accepted
sutton Of Gertrude her heart was
being besieged by Arthur Greene.
But, bless you! these we're mere
youthful episodes-gone with the
snows OF yesteryear and seldom
remembered even by the four
young people involved, This was
alt5the material Aunt Cynthia had
to work with. and too much praise
calnot be awarded her for the skill
with which she handled It.
She revived Flora Wardcll 70:
the benefit Of Gertrude and TesuR-
citated Arthur Greene for the bone.
~ OF. Ernest. By talking first to
one and then to the othe. she final.
~ got Ernest to suspect that Ger
rude still loved Arthur-somsthme
she, had never thought o: doing.
and persuaded Gertrude that Er.
nests affections still fingered about
Flora Wardcll - where they had
tieser been.
Gertrude was the first TO sue.
clnb. She wrote Ernest letter
telling him that he was free. their
Engagement had been a mistake.
she was sure his heat was anoth.
er's-and a lot more baldordash in.
= spired by Aunt Cynthia. Ernest
saw in this letter a confirmation OF
his suspicious that Ciertrudo's al
fections were really fixed elsewhere
aud SO replied. magnanimously re.
laasing hor from her engagement.
OF course both. tho young people
we're observation-disclosures aunt Gym.
ttla was triumphant. a few days
after the interchange OF releasing
letters Ernest saw the names OF
Gertrude and Aunt Cynthia on the
passenger list OF an outgoing Eu.
ropeap steamer--and on the same
listlthe name OF Arthur Greene.
Y Two days later Ernest was speed.
ing out OF Jersey City bound Tor
ealitornia's Golden Gate. tho cher.
~ blossoms. OF Japan and tho spice
Islands OF the south seas. And ho
DIDN'T care whether the train ran
OF the track, tho steamer sank or
what happened TO him. A year Ia.
ter, after restless wanderingS in
realms afar, he found himself at
AIgiers and at the Hotel Splendtde.
which, from the palm.clothed
heights Of Aiustapha Superior, looks
down on the ancient city of tho
Barbary pirates apd the blue wa.
tsrs Of the Mediterranean. Turn.
ing over the leaves Of the hotel
register upon his arrival to see II
81 any chance any Of his New York
scquaintances were stopping there,
No came across the names OF "Mr,
Md Mrs. Arthur Greene"
ut was e shock He had expect.
ed Il, Of course. But not then and
there. He strolled musingiy out
Upon the broad terrace, and there,
leaning upon the parapet, looking
down at the blue sea. was a we'll.
Remembered figure. AS he ap.
preached Gertrude turned and faced
him with b little start.