Middletown transcript., 1922-12-09
mo VENTURE"
BY FLORENCE e. M'cAsE


"Please stop this nonsense, Dick. l
don't love you. Why, I've known you
for simply ages, and l will not marry
you unless l love you. The man
marry will be someone whom l will
meet and fall in love with instantly"
Barbara's face was determination it,
self, and the word Instantly" was
very emphatic.
$50 you see, Alice" Dick finished
telling his sister, who was herself hap
PLY married, and therefore dOubly in
terested in all love affairs, "where l
am. l think she loves me, and doesn't
know it. That sounds conceited, but l
believe it's true. She's the only girl I'll
ever love, and how I'm going to have
her is beyond me. Alice, she won't
even let me touch her!"
Dicks voice was hopeless and indig-
nant, all in one.
Alice's eyes sparkled in u way which
Dick well knew. 1t was a sure sign
that her brain was busily Matching
some scheme. Alice had never failed
Dick. and this was to be no exception
to the rule.
Listen, Dick, have it. Fully guar
anteed. III have Alice down here for
the weekend. You are to come down
on the same train. I'll let you know
just which one. Barbara has wonder
full new coat and you, my dear sir,
are to foot the bill for twin sister
TO that same coat, If l can possibly
find one like it In the city tomorrow.
Are you On?"
Dick nodded. His face was a study.
He was striving to follow Alice, but his
face was so blank that his sister
laughed outright.
"Then, Dick, you are to leave the
train only after you are sure Barbara
gets off. Then, no matter WHO is at the
station, you hear, no matter if the
President should be holding a wedding
| reception at the very train steps-you
are to rush up and kiss Barbara. Sie'll
| be furious, of course, but you can eX-
plain the mistake easily because of the
likeness of her coat and mine. .. X. ?"
Dicks face had frightened, but his
smile WAS soon succeeded by frown.
Alice, she'll never speak to me again
and then I'll be worse OFF than bel ore
However, I'm game, and will do the
Prince wake em up act. Barbara will
be wild. You don't know her.
Il don't know her! know Barbara
and / know you. And what is more to
the point, l know girls. Nothing ven
ture, Dick, nothing gain, you know"
The 5:14 was never quite so slow to
| Dick as it was the following Friday. In
the car ahead he caught II glimpse Of
Barbara, keeping himself, however,
well out of her sight. To Dick 5
wrought-up nerves the wheels seemed
to repeat over and over, Nothing Ven
ture, nothing gain. Nothing venture,
nothing gain"
AS the train stopped at his station
Dick braced himself. The time to ven
ture was at hand
Three strides brought him close to
Barbara, and, forgetting his instruc-
tions and obeying only his natural inn
pulses, he caught her up in his arms.
1t would have taxed the strongest i'm
agination to have called that kiss but
| brotherly. For Ih0ment Barbara was
stunned, and then her wrath was
poured upon Dicks defenseless head.
Ii Alice had not appeared hurriedly
upon the scene with eXclamations Of
surprise upon noting the likeness Of
| Barbara $ coat to the one she herself
was wearing, Dick would probably
have boarded the train and gone on,
not caring where it took him
"Of course Dick mistook you for me.
Naturally he would My dear, where
did you get coat SO like mine?"
Dick breathed sigh of relief.
Thanks be to the stars for a sister like
Alice. But the end was not yet.
Dick spent wretched half-hour
waiting for the girls to come down to
dinner. Alice's husband had taken
himself off, for which Dick was de-
voutly thankful Not that Bob WASH t
nice enough chap, but this was no
time to talk politics, etc. In Dick s
opinion something more than the fate
of nation WAS to be settled within
the next few hours. He turned quick
ly upon hearing the door OF the living