The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-10-04
THE
MATCH
MARRER

! @oNNY Glade. glancing up from
III her late roses, saw dscon.
~ ISOLATE little figure in blue NOV.
ing in the adjoining yard and
Deckoned.
Come on over, Hortense, and get
one of my Sunbursts," she called.
Hortense Gray came slowly across
the grass. She was sweet-faced girl
whose pallor, usually becoming, today
gave her a haggard intensity of ex-
preston.
Danced too much last night at the
midmonth party?" inquired COMFY. 81
didn't go myself, Junior is teething."
81 didn't go, either"
"YOu didnt?" COMFY nearly dropped
the marvelously tinted rose she was
handing to Hortense. Il thought you
and Norman never missed q chance
to dance. Was he out of town."
No" Hortense pressed the roses 10
her lips to hide their trembling. Con-
ny, glancing at her left hand, started
and spoke before she thought:
"Why. HortenseI Your ringl Have
you lost it?'
Hortense looked up with such I.
piteous, dim lift to her blue eyes that
COMFY instinctively put an arm about
her.
"You don't-you can't mean that"
COMFY could go no further.
Hortense nodded.
ic oil oh
a little sob. u think he doesn't care
any more. And-and don't want
anybody who doesn't care. So gave
I him back his ring. We're unengaged
you see" Her laugh broke into tears.
"You poor little darlingl" was all
! COMFY could say.
"It's all right" Hortense said. But
can't think what changed him. |
haven't done anything. Welt | shall
live through it some way" And be-
cause she was afraid of breaking
down she marched away with her
poor, quivering chin held high in the
air.
$50 that's thatp' COMFY confided to
her roses. why, it will spoil Hor,
lenses whole life. She has had show
ers and her hope chest is full. Nor.
man is fine fellow | can't think
| what has happened, and can see that
| poor HOrtense does not know"
COMFY was troubled. Her own mar
ried life was so beautifully serene that
she would have had all her friends
happy in a like fashion. Hortense and
/ Norman had seemed particularly well
suited to each other. and she had
looked forward to having them for
neighbors. Another young ma rried pair
in the neighborhood would be so
pleasant.
SLOWS your roses coming on?"
COMFY, interrupted in thought.
turned tc see a tall dark old woman
crossing the grass.
"Oh, good morning, Miss Plopper 20
she said. but IT was as if dark shad-
ow had obscured the sun. COMFY did
not like Miss Plopper.
Now, however, with patient desire
to be neighborly, she broke a ravish-
ing rose from its stem and gave it to
her visitor. Miss Plopper shifted and
shook her head.
mo smell to it," she commented.
"That is because it is a tea" COMFY
smiled. How is the world with you
this morning, Miss Plopper?'
"Just as good as it is with others,
guess" Miss Plopper looked across at
the Gray house. "How's Hortense TAX
ing her broken engagement" she
asked.
COnny jumped. The uncanny old
thing! She simply knew everything.
81 knew that wouldn't go through
went on Miss Plopper. ''Norman's my
great nephew, you know"
$50 be is" murmured COMFY.
"He don't want to marry yet for
| FIVE or six years, till he's made his
way. It's a mistake for folks TO marry
so young" She moved away. home,
ward.
| COMFY sat down on the bench un-
! der the horse-chestnut tree. She was
| surprised, bewildered, suspicious
! SnatcheS of talk came to her, things
she had seen with her own eyes
! There had been a perfect train OF
! broken engagements during the past
year. There were Ivan Howe and
Hifda Tucker. ready TO be married and
yet parted There were Joe Van Colt
and Lillian Rhodes, there were-Conny
( knew them all Her own engagement
I had wavered for a time; Miss PIopper
had told her something about Jack and
she had foolishly believed it. Miss
\ Plopper had gone TO Lillian Rhod IS
with a story. Miss Plopper-why, ii
was Miss Plopper all the way through
She knew everybody, her tongue was
like a needle. she had influence, she
was related to the Howes and the
Rhodes and TO Norman Wilcox; her
opinions carried weight because she
Was extremely wealthy and some day
Norman and Ivan and Lillian would
be her heirs. to say nothing of many
more whom COMFY could not name
upon the instant.
"The old match marrerw Conny