The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1930-03-06
THE
MATCH
MARRER
&c by D. ]. walsh.)

| ~
her late roses, saw a discon-
~ solate little figure in blue NOV
Ing in the adjoining yard and
beckoned.
Come on over, HOrtenseAn 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 haggard intensity o: ex+
preston.
"DanceC too much last night ut the
midmonth party?" inquired COMFY. IT
didn't go myself. Junior is teething.H
Il didn't go. either"
'You didn't?" COMFY nearly dropped
the marvelously tinted rose she was
handing to Hortense. Il thought you
and Norman never missed a chance
to dance. Was he out of towns"
"No." Hortense pressed the roses to
her lips to hide their trembling. Con-
ny, glancing at her left hand, started
and spoke before she thought:
"Why, Hortense! Your ring! Have
you lost it?" !
Hortense looked up with such d
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 60 no further.
Hortense nodded.
ut is all over. Norman" she gave
little sob. II think he doesn't care
any more. And-and l don't want
anybody who doesn't care. So gave
him back his ring. We're unengaged
you see" Her laugh broke into tears.
"You poor little darling!" was all
COMFY could say.
"It's all right" Hortense said. But
I can't think what changed him. I
haven't done anything. Well I 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 thatr COMFY confided to
her roses. "Why, 1t will spoil Hor-
lenses whole life. She has had show
ers and her hope chest is full. Nor
man is a fine fellow. l 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 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 married pair
in the neighborhood would be so
pleasant.
slows your roses coming on?"
COMFY, interrupted in thought,
turned to see tall dark old woman
crossing the grass.
"Oh, good morning, Miss Plopper!'
she said, but 1t 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 tea," COMFY
smiled. "How is the world with you
this morning, Miss PIopper?"
"Just as good as it is with others,
guess" Miss Plopper looked across at
the Gray house. "Hows Hortense TAX
ing her broken engagement" she
asked.
COMFY 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 he Is" murmured COMFY.
"He don't want to marry yet for
five or six years, till he's made his
way. It's mistake for folks to marry
so young" She moved away, home
ward.
COMFY sat down on the bench IN.
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
Hilda Tucker, ready to be married and
yet parted. There were Joe Van Cott
and Lillian Rhodes, there were-C onny
knew them all. Her own engagement
had wavered for a time; Miss Plopper
had told her something about Jack and
she had foolishly believed it Miss
Plopper had gone to Lillian Rhodes
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; hel
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 marrer" Conny
breathed. II see through her now.
wonder what ] can doi''
Nothing 1t seemed, and yet Conny
thought hard. She could not bear tt
see little Hortense's blue eyes full Of
that silent pain. Darling Hortense
Horrid old Miss Plopperl But she
1 4-4 khN l.