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Show Strong?" lnialred M!!l!-ent Dein, Airl whose buby fa-- and Lar-ocrnt tlu errs alrooet belled the meaning look ah gave th others aj she asked the question. Margaret flushed, and replied: "He wu here, but Charlie Sums rate with aim and. gliis. he was so Infatuated Infatu-ated with Kate he hard! addreej three words to ne during toe entire venlng. What will we do with this Northerner. If she corn's among as and carries off the handsomest man In town?" "Oh, Margaret! Why, glrla. ee and Margaret got Into such a heated d.s-cussion d.s-cussion on 'Modern Woiran.' you could almost aee the sparka fly." returned re-turned Kate. "Did Margaret agree with Mm; what did Charlie eay?" asked Maude, trying hard nut to look too interfiled In that young gentleman views of the "weaker va-aseL" "Of course she didn't agree with him. Why. he says the modern woman wo-man la aa bold and Independent as a man, and aa for the restraints of custom cus-tom and UtlDgs conventional, the utterly ut-terly Ignores them." "Yea." Interposed Margaret, "he grew so much In earnest that he said, "why. ladies, to show you how convinced convinc-ed I am that I'm right. I've got a bet of a hundred dollars with a certain fellow who shares your antiquated Ideas, and tomorrow evening I'll blow that hundred on a swell dinner at the Club; ladies, consider yourselves engaged en-gaged for Tuesday evening. May 20, and we'll toast woman, old and new." "How lovely! I wonder what the Charlie p'rirantly but, at she give bar hand to Laurence, she i-lt. hed "frailly, and hla emharrasemeLt was hardly less than her own. In Part, m Kate a ps!rg on sr-.d mingling with the other guerta. Charlie had to put the question thrre times. "Wasn't sbe tr- prettrest girl he ever saw?" before be had a ifficiently recovered to reply In the aPlrrrtl ve. Iin.i-i being announced. It was Laurence Lau-rence good or bad fortune, aa th 'as atigbt be, to take out Kate who uppoed him at th lower end of the I rable. At the upper end. with Mauds on hi right, sat ( harl:e. Ths affair progressed merrily, though Charlie and Kate were the re-clpienta re-clpienta of many an Inquiring glance. At last toasts were In order, and Charlie rose to his feet. "Ladles." he aald. "to you alone Is dus this festive scene. Two days ago I made a bet with my unsophisticated friend. wh graces the lower end of thla groaning board, an even hundred to bis ten that, should be send a Personal to the paper be would receive an answer Inside of two days my admiration and observation obser-vation of the fair in leading Lie to believe be-lieve that you alwaya have an eye to the main chance in fact, you are like that early bird who always gets the wr:m. but, pardon these digressions. In proof that it was sent, listen." and he rad from a paper he drew from his po ket. "A young, honest. Intelligent nian desires acquaintance of young lady possessing similar attributes; object, ob-ject, friendship; possibly matrimony. Address L. 4.5 Nipoalnk Club," further fur-ther than that the Personal was answered, an-swered, behold!" and he flashed ten crisp teaa before their eyes, "which I blow on thia dinner, and now, lad.ei. congratulate the winner." I With an auda i us look on his far-. J Laurence srran to bis feet, "Ladles and gentlemen," Le cried, "my contest- j ant speaks truly, but." and taking Kate's hand he forced her to stand by ' bis tlde, "do you think I am altogether the loser?" A Persona!. BT IXriSK HOLLAND. fOpretjrnted. 1J: Iwily Btory Pub. Co.) T ay, boys, there's more than on way of getting married nowadaya. Ltxten to thia." exclaimed Laurenc tferedith from the coiy corner of th Club smoker, whera his tall, graceful form and handsome blonde head wer almost lost from view under th numerous num-erous ahoHts of a Sunday morning P" per and th smoke from his cigar. "A young man, thirty years ov axe. of exemplary habits and goo4 buaiaee poeluon. desires acquaint -ance of young lady about twenty-tva, twenty-tva, (rood looking, educated, relin- ed; objnet. matrimony. Addrea K. 10." "Doesn't It beat all what fools soma In en are f "Yes, and women, too; for 111 bet Sums antiquacrd female Will answer hat personal before nlabt," declared Charlie NorrU. "Oh. I don't bellev It," returned Laurence. "No woman would sell herself her-self that rtieap." "How much do yon want to bet?" Inquired Laurence. "Well, you write the personal to be ddrted to yourself (some flctltloua tame, of cours-). at the Club, and you re to show the answer to the rest of us, S3 that we can be sure It's no tofrus biliet duji; and 1 11 Let an even fcuudnj to your ten that you 11 get an ai.bner luoids of to davs." ' It s a e. k No come and help me out with tiie I'e i-soiMl. It makes a fel- 4. MM II low feel like a fool to try and write a description of hiu,oelf.'" "How would this auit you?" asked Charlie. "A young, rub, baudsotne. Intelligent, In-telligent, Interesting, aQectiouat and Kni.g young gentleman, desire's acquaintance ac-quaintance of a lovely young girl; sylph-like type preferred; object " "Kin off. you cadi" cried Laurence angrily, "what do you take me for?" "Why. It's a perfect photograph of yourself, and the other Is Just the kind of a girl you like," said Charlie with a sly look at the others. "I have It!' cried Charlie. 'A young man with a gla.sa eye. cork leg, and tin ear wishes to make the acquaintance acquaint-ance of a young lady likewise endowed; endow-ed; no Imposition; even trade; object, Oiatrimony.' " "Now, Charlie, shut up. Laurence, listen to this." and John Strong read what be bad Just scribbled on the fly leaf of hla book: 'A young, hon.st. Intelligent man desires acquaintance of young lady possessing aimilar attributes; at-tributes; object, friendship; possibly matrimony. Address L. 4:5 Nlposlnk Club.' You see that qua ifying o;ens to you an honorable road for retriat; will that do?" "Just the ticket." said Laurence. "Heavens. Ja k. but you're a deep On"." said Charlie. "He uses bis bead to think with as well as to eat and drink and talk wl h. you'd do well to cultivate him, my Leiy," put In I.aureace, giad to give Charlie a hit for bis tuo accurate description des-cription of a girl he admired. "Well, boys, 1 must be moving," declared de-clared Charlie, Ignoring Laurence's hot. thinking It well to retire before if got another, and he was off. to le followed soon after by his companions. m m ' In a girl's dainty blue and silver room were gathered a knot of South-'ern South-'ern debutantes to talk over the details of the next ball, the experience of the last one. and to become more lntl-niitely lntl-niitely acquainted with Margaret De-lands De-lands gay young cousin, a pretty brown-eyed, brown-haired girl from the North, who. with her alert, vivacious viva-cious and Independent ways, formed Quite a contrast to her quiet, demure and more conservative sisters of the South. Kate Irving was but eighteen, and this visit to her Southern cousin witnessed not only the first Bight from the tome nest, but her In.tial entry Into the social whirl as well; and, to iter It seemed a veritable peep Into fairyland. Yet she carried herself well, and her head was not turned by the many flattering attentions she received re-ceived from the Southern gallants whom she met. In a momentary lull of the details of ilaude Clare s reception gown. Margaret Mar-garet put tae question. "Who do you think called last nisht?" t "It couldn't Lav been John "Here It Is." bet's about?" And Millicent clasped her white hands above her head and gazed up at the blue and silver ceiling as if Its Intricacies could unravel the mystery. "G.rls. I have It!" cried Kate, who had been idly fluttering the leaves of a book which John Strong had the evening before brought Margaret; don't you remember, Margie, how John said, 'don't get too personal. Charlie,' and Charlie laughed and said, 'what do you know about personals?" and John answered. "Nothing, only I don't think It safe to bet an even hundred to f n on them; and girls, look here on the fly-leaf of this book. "A young, honest. Intelligent man desirea acquaintance of young lady of similar attributes; object, friendship; possibly matrimony. matri-mony. Address L. 425 Niposlnk Club.' Hand me that paper, Maude; Charlie must have written this and bet on a girl's answering It. And here it Is." she exclaimed, as she ran her eye over the Ad. sheet; "and. girls, I've a great mind to answer it" "So thnt Charlie ran win h a bet?" queried Maude, who was dying ta know If his Interest In the fair Northerner North-erner was returned by her. "No! Just for the fun of the thing; and then we won't go to the Club d.n-ner d.n-ner If he loses." "Would you dare?' asked Millicent. who longed, yet dared not. "Of course I dare," and In lesa time than It takes to tell It, a dainty perfumed per-fumed mlttive was sent to L. 425 Ni;o-tink Ni;o-tink Club, with an Invitation to me t K Tuesday 2 p. m.. In the alcove of the North room of toe Art Callery. m m m Tuesday. May 20. at Ave p. m. The Club smoker presented an unusualiy gala appearance; flowers abounded, chairs and tables were disposed In social, yet convenient form, n t bunched, bunch-ed, as was usually the case; magazines and papers were placed, not seattered about, and not a cuspidor or cigar stub waa visible. In the dining room covers were laid for twenty, and at the door, waiting to receive the guests, stood winner and loser of the bet; the former exultant and smiling; the latter, though not depressed, de-pressed, strongly preoccupied. "1 say, old feliow," this from Char-He. Char-He. "It's a burning ahame; you're not telling me a word about her. What was she like? Lady of uncertain age, or an airy, fairy Llilian?" "Neither." was the short rejoinder. "Well, I'll have It out of you when I give my toast." Charlie replied. Laurence amiled. but made no answer, an-swer, as be turned to greet the first comers. Among the last to arrive were Margaret Mar-garet and Kate, Margaret with a pux-xied. pux-xied. mystified look on her face, and Kate atracgely excited. She grid |
