Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-23
MADGE'S LAST CHANGE
By Fannie KiIbOu1ne
Matrimonial Problem Is Shared by Sympathetic Friends
Friends

It was like that all the time. Be
cause. though we laughed at Rosie Tor
being worried by it, the truth OF the
matter is that Wells never saw the real
Madge at all We all managed by hook
and crook to keep him from it. We
held off her trunk, dressing her up IN
whatever of our clothes we thought
would be most becoming to her Wnen
7 saw Wells coming hid the terribly
heavy book she was reading. and
dropped a popular novel in its place;
stonned her a dozen times when /
could see she was on the very brink OF
starting some kind of discussion that
would scare Wells off forever. 1 would
, be in a perfect nervous state all the
time Madge was alone with him; there
was no telling what she might be saying
or doing.
But Wells kept coming, kept inter-
ested We simply couldn't believe our
luck. When we started, we hadn't
dared really hope to put it over, but now
we actually began to.
1--WE mustn't relax one bit, though,
Dulcie cautioned me. "One false STEP
and it would be all over. Wells mas
been awfully interested in other girls
before and yet it's fallen through" She
was silent a moment. IT have splen-
something that will cinch things. If
ANYTHING will Dot, you tell Wells in
strict confidence that you're terribly
worried, that you're afraid Will Is fall
ing in love with Madge."
well, of all things!" I said 1nd1g-
nantly, "I'll do nothing of the kind!
II don't see why you won't" said
Dulcie. at would be bound to impress
Wells. If he should think that even a
married man was crazy about her
well. YOU can tell him that you're
afraid Roger is, them" I interrupted.
Roger is just as much married as
Will"
ooh. I shouldn't exactly like to do
that" Dulcie said hastily. Its little
different with Roger
So we compromised by telling Wells
that we were terribly worried on Rosie's
account, that we were afraid Howard
seemed more interested than he should
be in Madge AS neither Howard nor
Rosie ever knew of this at all, 1t was
perfectly all right.
Things were going along amazingly
well, Wells actually telephonlng every
day and sometimes oftener than that.
It was just like walking along in the
dark, though, not knowing when you're
when Madge was going to make false
step and spill the beans altogether.
When, after a week, she announced
that she would have to go home next
Monday I realized how critical it was.
If she didn't become actually engaged
to Wells before she left she never would
be.
WE redoubled our efforts. I did the
w best could but there was so much
I couldn't manage. I couldn't get Wells
to see Madge when she was truly at her
best. For instance, she insisted on
bathing the twins for me every morning,
and no man could have seen her with
those two babies without asking her to
marry him on the spot She wore my
pink bungalow apron and she was so
sweet, no more like brainy woman
doctor than Dulcie Even the fake per-
son we had built up for Wells benefit
was no sweeter than Madge was then.
And the day that she spent with an old
friend of her mothers who is going
blind, told her stories of things that
happen in medical colleges till Mrs.
Keane was in stitches. Then spent the
afternoon getting Mrs. Keane all in
terested in learning to read by the
Braille method, so that she'd be pre-
pared that much. And all of it done
with such tact as nobody, seeing Madge
arguing with likely sutton, would have
believed she could possibly have.
But Wells never saw her these times
And Madge was going home Monday
It was who had the idea of taking her
and Wells up to the cottage at the lake
for their last week end. The cottage Is
a ramshackle old place up at Winnie
posockett, with nothing but kerosene
lamps and a gasoline stove that's going
to blow somebody up some day. But it
is in the most beautiful woods on hill
looking out over the lake, and is the
loveliest place.
Will always loves to go up there, so
didn't have to tell him any Of my
secret reasons. Our mothers would
keep the twins for us. AS said to the
girls, that week end would be the climax
of our scheme. The wild roses were in
bloom, the moon was full was on
hand to keep Madge from doing any
thing foolish. If Wells didn't propose
by Sunday But he wouldl All day
Saturday felt surer and surer Of it.
AS evening approached began trying