Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1924-10-01
Right Man in
Right Place
BY MARTHA WILLIAMS


David Allen asked not quite steadily.
with quickly averted glance at Elinor
Ware.
80! l don't know-let me see! Yes
i do know-wings-and freedom
Elinor began.
David laughed softly: That's two
/ in-one right out the box" he interrupt
, ed: with just one more, you'd never
! be able to choose what it was"
"Hm do hate wet blankets"
Elinor calculated with mutinous
| grimace. David took her hand.
"Wish you'd let me choose for you,"
| he said thicllly: "No need to tell you
what my choice would be"
REALLY! I'm no clairvoyant, Elinor
said. snatching away her hand Bet
ter tell me straight out what you'd
! pick for me-that will show if you I'M
derstand me the least nit
Here goes. hushand-six feet
/ tall-and named D-David," the sutton
I cried desperately. In reward be got
Elinors best baby-stare, and:
But where'd | find lam? You're
the only David I Enow-and unless
you marry Nancy Tilly, your mother
and the aunts will have cat-fts.'
"Tll take care they dnn't-if that's
all there is to hinder" David said
stoutly, again possessing himself of
her hand.
"You won't-not by several long
oboIl-ci JTIioor of him '"l'lpV
set up an Allen as too good for
Ware. Tell 'em from me straight out,
it's the other way round
"Honey-no matter what the name
Is, nobody in the world isn't quite good
enough for you" David answered hum
bly,. "Rut there may be-yes. there
are-fe,lows who deserve you less
than do. If ever one such took you
away from newell. I'd have to kill
him--that's flat"
A prophetic speech maybe-for in
side a month the unexpected happened
in the concrete form of Joe Lachlin
nephew and next heir to the richest
citizen of Broome county. A personable
young fellow. good to look at, open
handed. open hearted, but not quite
at his ease. He came, saw, was con
quered by Elinor-which was quite the
usual thing. The unusual thing was
she fell for him. nearly as hard They
had a whirlwind courtship-inside six
weeks the wedding was imminent,
frocks all made, cakes baked ready for
the icing-and Madame Allen and her
sisters the Miss Grimhals, easy in
their minds as to David-for the first
time since he began shaving In spite
Of Joy in his deliverance they were
a little sorry for him. He surely did
take 1t hard-this losing of Elinor.
Yet that did not make him unjust to
his victorious rival-he went so far as
to say to Elinor: It's mighty poor
comfort-but all I've got-that it took
better man to beat me-" Which hurt
her much worse than any scorn or
! railing could have done-indeed when
David was out of hearing, she sobbed
as though her heart would break.
Time ambling withal brought the
day before the wedding. In the dawn
Of it the bridegroom expectant burst
in upon David. lifeless and sullen of
aspect, saying duly: "David-unless
you'll help me, I'm bound to kill my
self. Here's the whole story. I came
here. the craziest fool ever-all be-
cause Of a girl. The only girl-you
understand. Never can be another
not slurring Elinor. But-we had quar-
reled-she sent back my ring-next
, thing I knew she was flashing another
fellOw's-and he giving me the laugh
up and down the country. Coin to
marry Lucy-that was her name
right out of hand-and take her to
Europe maybe all round the world.
She had money, you seas much as
I'll ever have-and he made out he
didn't give a thought to anything but
her. or course he lied-he was sharp
er, and thief. He got round her
mother, and wheedled away all her
Liberty bonds, with a tale of making
! 'em pay her double intereSt-and then
he persuaded the poor lady to let
I him have Lucy's share toO-So he
could double it for his weddin' pres
! ent to his bride If only I'd stood by,
! that wouldn't ever happened, no mat
! ter what else debut acted the COW
ard. and gave him his chance. Reckon
you can guess how he used it-ran
away with all the money-to nobody
knows where. And Lucy wrote-the
! letter came last night can't talk
about it-only Mis-she hasn't got
hardly dollar left-and she don't
want anything in the world-but sight
of big lummox-named me"
David sat spellbound, staring hard
through the recital He whistled his
keenest at the end, stopping suddenly
to say: 81 see" Joe went on miSer-
ably: "All see is-hangin's too
| good for me-messn' up things this
way for two of the finest girls Twin
| OIL.