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Show : ' AN ENGAGEMENT FOR FUN By few to McMahon Charlie Cator walked quickly along Oxford street. He was amused, b ". not a little annoyed. Thai very moru-; moru-; ing his mother had taktn him asiciu and tearfully unburdened herseU. She 1 bad. It appeared, been very greatly troubled at th'; number of carriages i between peers a'td chorus girls an l. ', !n order thar her so.; Bhould not commit a like folly, she had implored end commanded him to Ml in love i w 'h some nice girl and be safely Ejrr ed as quio'-iy a3 dosjI:. I Charlie laugh.-'! :t n is l'lother 8 ' fears, and assurt:i her tht.'. he was CLite safe; but his laughter had only-increased only-increased her anr-.-i'y, and at last, to P-it an end to a smew'nat puitiful though equally humorous sumc, Charlie had promit;eJ to look ri'iud and. let her know. a. motorbus crashed along, spurting i mud with complete uncurcern. Cator waited, carefully out of .-ange, until the evil thing was past, llo then " crossed over and turned in the direc tion of Itegent strt-et. Mo lad only : been down from Oxford about three j years, but he h.-id not grown out of ' the habit of wearing his Bulllng'rrjn lie at least tw. dayu a week, and It cai too absurd. Im; thoiight. to have to tbink about 3,-tilnn engaged and settling down Just as be was begin-nlj.t; begin-nlj.t; to taste the Joys of -ire. But he j tame to the conclusion t liu. Ills I mother, was far too precious to be ..i.-,: .rl on hi:-; account, nnd he de termined to humor her as -.:nt bo ; Co..!-;. : Ho Cator, dodging the wond and tils wire with the uticons'.- ous dexterity dexter-ity of the born Londoner, corlinued on his way. OutHlflo a fiuitoufl shop bo saw a largo car. which h-) recog nized as belonging to the Wood-roughs. Wood-roughs. He hurried toward it, seized with a brilliant idea. Looking in, ha caught the eye of the only occupant and raised bib hat Mary Woodrpugh smiled. "Good morning!" she said. "Isn't this disgusting dis-gusting weather? Come in and talk to me while mother does her shopping." shop-ping." "Rather." fcaid Cator Ho opened the door and sat down beside .her. "This is awfully lucky, as I've got a proposal to make to you." Mary beamed. "That's ripping of you," she said, "but I had hoped that my first, proposal would bo at a danco with soft music and a m-f -"oon." Cator laughed. "Well, JT lin t exactly ex-actly that," bo said, "but someLhiui; like it." "Ob!" said Mary. "Well, tell mo' what It is." Cator was silent for a rromcnt. The chauffeur took out a green handkerchief, handker-chief, polhihcd the left-hand lump glass, and then blew his noRe loudly. "Well, this is the Idea," said Cator. "1 want to be engaged to you without with-out any Idea of our bolng married." "Great Caesar's ghost!" gasped Mary. "You see," said Cater, "I shall r.oino i into the title ono day, though I hopol not for ages yet; but, anyhow, I've got to think about getting mi'.nljd. I'vo had no cxp'-rlenoo !n tha nort of thing yet, and, before I become engaged to the rlht woman, 1 want to hud out jut-t what one tines and how one does it." "IJiit, why do you como to mo. of all people?" oskeu Mary In amazement. amaze-ment. "Well," said Cator. "bocauso you're perfectly charming, dress well, put jour bats on at the nht angle s-iy tnd do the right -.ling at the rfc.'-' iroment, and because, also 1 think It will bo useful to yo'.t." Mary laughed and made ft sarcastic bow. "Not at all," alio said. "How sill It be useful to me?" "You don't get man opportunities going about," said Cator, "so your chances o! meeting some good chap and getting married are practically nil." Too I'-ie," sighed Mary. "Well. I know heaps of dci cnt men, and can introduce you when wo go about together, and it's a hundred to one that you'll Uko ono of thera sufficiently to accept him. They are all good chaps, and nro hound to fall in love with you. That's whore you como In. You can correct my dally lovo-lottor3, which, of coitrso, you need not answer" "Thank Heaven!" put In Mary. "And generally put mo on to the various ropes, which Is where I come In," fluitihcd Cator. "it's a glorious idea," snld Mary. Cator lit a cigarette. "Now, as regards re-gards money," he said. "I'm afraid I shan't alwu.vH be oblo to run to the Carlton, but what do you think of places like Giovanni's'.'" "Topping!" said Mary. "Ril.'ht!" said Cator. "To return to the subject of lovn letters for a moment. You know thnro Is no university uni-versity course on tho art of writing love letters, so If you will go through and correct my dally efforts they have to be dally, don't thny?" Mury nodded "I can mug them up and It'll be moHt. useful to mo. You don't mind?" Mary laughed. "Oh, no any llttlo thing like Hint!" "Thanks very much," nabl Cntor. "Now, what about tho qucHllon of kin, ilng?" "Woll," naid Mary, ariera moment's Oep. J lj;hl, I-. pause, "of course juu'Il have to kiss mo and let me kiss you. All engaged en-gaged people do, you know." "All right." taid Cator. "When does one do It?" "Well," 6aid Mary, thoughtfully. "Sundays are always very boring, and If I could look forward to a kiss at the end of them, It would help to pull mo through. What do you think?" "Splendid! On Sunday evenings, then." "And perhaps." Mary continued, "when you've soon mo home after a show, and have to drive back all alone, you might like ono then?" "Oh, rather," said Cator. "By Jove, you think Of everything." Mary laughed. "I want to do my share," she said. Cator nodded, "l-'inally, " ho said, "and not the least Important, is tho question of ending tho business. As soon as you meet the right man, or I meet the right girl" Mary broke in. "Wo tip each other tho immedlato wink, eh?" Tho chauffeur again pulled out tho green handkerchief and trumpeted loudly.' Cator looked up. Tho man caught his eye and jerked his thumb, with a slgnillcatit raising of tho eyebrows, eye-brows, toward tho sjiop. Cator throw his cigarette out of tho window. "I take It your mother's coming," he said, "Oughtn't we to celebrate our engagement by Musing now?" "Ilrlght notion," said Mary, holding up her lips. Cator kissed them. "Hy .love," ho ( said, nfter a pause, "that was groat!" "Shall 1 let. mother know to-day?" asked Mary quickly, with, a faint thumping of tho heart. "Yos," said Cator. "The thing Is well started. Good morning. Mrs. Woodrough," ho added, as shn appeared ap-peared nt tho door. "Permit mo." He sprang out and handed her in. Mary held out her hand. "Gooil-by, "Gooil-by, Charlie! I'll loll mother ns wo go." v "Thanhs, very much- - Mary. I'll Mi. Iiy tliu Slar Ceinluiny. Great lirituli ring you up later about dining some-whore some-whore to-night." Catojr shook hands and raised his hat. The motor leapt forward. II. Cator was standing In front of tho wardrobe ono morning, some two months later, absorbed In the choosing choos-ing of a tie suitable to the near approach ap-proach of Summer. The problem was not an easy one. and he rejected tie after tie before he at last found one to satisfy him. A tnp came at tho door just ns he was about to put it round his neck. Cator was thinking think-ing of Mary, and it was almost mechanically me-chanically that ho called out "Come In!" Tho irrangemeiit had succeeded succeed-ed most miraculously. His mother, now that ho was safely tied, ns she thought, to a perfectly delightful girl of whom she thoroughly approved, was blissfully hnppy. All her fears w-ero at rest, and Charlie was able to congratulate himself on his great idea, not merely hecause. of having pleased his mother, but also because ho found tho experience most delightful. de-lightful. Mary and lu hud been everywhere and done everything together to-gether theatres, raco-nieetlngs. din tiers and dances. He hail, according to the bargain. Introduced her to all his men friends mid Mary, thorough, ly enjoying herself, had carefully trained him In tho things ..n engaged man ought to know, t'haiiio had not yet met the Ideal girl. nor. apparently, apparent-ly, had Mary shown any sign of being In lovn with anyone, and his careful choice In the mailer of a t.lo was due to tho fact that ho was going racing with her that morning. In aiiHW-er to his "Come in," the man entered with a telegram. "Any answer, sir?" he asked. Cator llnlalied his tie, opened tho telegram, and read II. Ho remained silent until the num. thinking himself forgotten, iisked again if there worn any answer. Cator starled. "No," he said quietly. Tho man left the room, and Charlie read tho wlro again: "Have met tho right man. Mary." ' i lilulitn Hn.orvoil. So this was tile end. eh? Mary had found someone to her liking, after all. Cator forgot all about dressing and sat. thoughtful, on the side of his Ltd. There would be no more delightful dinners and dances, no more Sunday evenings, which be ha.l come to find so pleasant. The tiling was finished. He was by Limseif again, while Mary was going to become be-come really engaged. How strange it would be! lie got up and lit a cigarette. No: it wouldn't be strange it would be frightful! Hang it! Mary was a ripper, absolutely top notch, and sonic blighter had stolen her heart. "It's impossible!" thought Cator. "I can't lot her go! She's tho Ideal girl, and I, blind fool, didn't see it! Where's my hat?' He rushed about the room, sprang Into his cost, seued his hat. and was downstairs in live leaps and in'.o the street. A taxi whirled him away, and In less than five minutes he was holding on to the electric, bell out-slifo out-slifo Mary's house. Ho was shown Into a room which ho did not know, and paced violently up and down, waiting for her. "Good morning. Charll"!" Mary had opened tho doer quietly and stood nervously insl.lo the room. Cator strode over to her. "Who is bV?" ho asked tierrely. Mary crossed the room before answering, an-swering, and stood at t'.io window, "1 met him some liuio ago," she said c asivclv. "Well, tell me who he Is," demanded demand-ed Cator, following her. ".-.mi I'll i and tell lilm to drown himself, and see that he does It. too." A smile flickered for an Instant round Mary's eyes --a smile of triumph tri-umph "I don't want hl'.u drowned, thank you," said Mary. "He's far too nice, and I 1 Iiko him too well, so I shan't tell you." "Where did on meet lilm?" Cater was Irving hard to keep cool by doing his best to smash tho hark of a chair with his lian.ls. "I niol liini lint 1 don't pre why 1 shou'd answer all these qaes ttons.'" Mary tuned ui " Cstcr. "Our bargain seen as either of ns net person, we should let efcl ' know, and as I'vo met In ;-eyes ;-eyes dropped from Caters "1 toil you." Cator turned awsy sad s-:' There was silence for --Mary --Mary blew a kiss ath:sia voice, when lis faced Mir? was quiet- "I'm most tt.' I I threatened to dromit-" forgive ms! You've bee: ' kind ia keeping our supb& I Good-by!" Hst":- hand. . "Can't you guess "" -: asked Mary, softly. ( "No: I was nerer S- guessing." said Cator-see Cator-see you again. May we end or.r arrangene:! gaii it that day in tb s":' ,. 'Wou.d it be fair " asked Mary. .. Cator picked up ll "You're right." he caddish. Geod-by." They shock hauls la:- Marv watched a!r-' cr" " door, 'lie hadn't f-u'-..,'. really going. "OV called softly. ,. c Gator shut the "f" turned. "Yes?" he. a"' "lvn't yon really Varv clasped her . ;'. a latest angrily, tai " 011 1,i,u v.tlV?!-' "No," said C.iler, f-1 bo awfully liai'Py" , M.,rv still km" "''r met him in Ko'nt J1"-"just J1"-"just about two n""-1"' .,-,.-ator stared at 'T " r unsHo tobole k'j:,; droppd his !' ,'''', -:( c-:il her round "l;,v-' you mean- me ,f "Yes." s.r-1 C.-.G't- scire,! l , the real .'a.a'"' w other one t'-U """" '"' n eter. |