The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-09-23
John Smith
By JANE OSBORN
g by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
(WNU Seryicel

the luD n0u; that night Madge
UPTON was fully aware that a certain
rather nice looking young man, ap
parently stranger, was trying to get
up enough courage to ask her for a
dance. Madge was rather pleased to
notice that he did not dance, though
1t would have been easy enough for
him to introduce himself to some of
the other men who would present him
to more girls than he could possibly
dance with. Madge watched him as
she danced with the other men. And
then she saw him walking toward the
door that led out of the club house
she said to the very young man with
whom she was dancing:
"Oh. please excuse me, just a min
ute. There goes Mr.. Smith, / want
to speak to him before he goes"
The very young man released his
timorous hold of Madge's slender
waist and she danced her way be-
tween swaying couples to the young
man in question.
"Oh, Mr.. Smith, want to speak
to you. You are Mr.. Smith, aren't
you"
Much to her surprise the young
man said he was. She had intended
to say that an aunt by marriage, she
didn't want to make the connection
too close, had told her that a GER
tain young man named John Smith
was going to stop at the hotel and
would go over to the club house and
had asked her to look for him. She
had expected the young man would
say that his name was not Smith but
that he wished it were, and then she
would say she was so sorry she had
made the mistake-and he would say
he was glad she had, and then she
would smile and he would ask her to
dance-and after that they would be
as well acquainted as if he really
were named Smith and her aunt had
really asked her to look out for him.
weren't the girl" said Mr.. Smith. 'You
see my aunt said she had heard your
aunt speak of you and that you were
here and your aunt said she would
speak to you about me. My name is
John-John Smith"
"And mine is Madge Upton"
MAY l have this dance-or what
there is left of it?' he said.
Madge was spending the summer
holidays with a married sister who
had a cottage at the summer resort
not far from the hotel where John
Smith was staying, and it was quite
natural that thereafter Madge and
John should spend much time togeth-
stranger and natural for Madge since
his only serious competitor for
Madge's societ,' was the eighteen
year-old Walter.
There were wonderful mornings
spent together in the surf, afternoons
sailing in Madge's catboat Oh the bay
evenings dancing together at the
club house. Madge introduced John
Smith to some of the other girls, but
always with keep your hands off
my property" sort Of way, and she
never planned any parties where John
might get acquainted with them.
incidentally John fell in love with
Madge. He had come to the Marden
hotel merely as a resting place in
his trip by mot to spot some two
hundred miles further along the shore,
where he intended to spend his three
weeks of vacation. After he had dined
he had strolled over to the club house.
when the clerk at the hotel had told
him that guests there had the privil-
eye. He had~'t intended to stay, but
sight of Madge made him linger.
Then one day-three lays before
the end of his vacation-he felt that
the time had come to tell Madge that
he loved her. He was somewhat trou-
bled as he faced the ordeal.
They were sitting on the beach I'M
der the protection of Madge's enorm-
Gus beach parasol which shielded them
from the gaze of chance passers-by.
Really a very appropriated not en-
tirely original-setting for the impor-
tant declaration.
Reversing the order of procedure
that he had planned John Smith first
told Madge that he loved her-and
asked her to marry him. He was
then ready for his confession-but
Madge got ahead Of him with hers.
Il did a perfectly dreadful thing"
she said. 81 wanted to know you so
much that made up about my aunt
I've never mentioned her since for
fear you would find out l had de-
ceived you. 1t just happened that I
hit the right name-but then Smith is
not unusual"
"Still it is not my real name," said
her companion. "As matter Of fact
my name is Archibald Pepperell-I
said was John Smith for fear" but
the erstwhile John did not finish.
"Not Archibald Pepperell. You
don't mean that you are the nephew
Of Mrs. Gordon Burke"
"The same Archibald" he said.
sAnd Mrs. Burke is my aunt's very
best friend-rve heard a lot about you
and all the time we have been both
bluffing we might have been properly
introduced"
"Then maybe you'll forgive me-"
suggested Archibald. maybe you'll
marry me after ALL"
"Well, of course" said Madge, II
was rather counting on being Mrs.
John Smith for life-not so easy to
say Mrs. Archibald Pepperell, I'd al
ways have TO spell it out when have
things sent, still"
But Madge got no further with her
objections.