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Show .ii,.i,.i..t:,iii1..H.,1,.I..;,.:,.i.-1-i-i-i-i-H";-hr 1 i I The New Year's J I I Eve Wedding J I By MARION R. REAGAN : H'i l I il l I I ri''l"i"l"t-t-t-H-i"H-HH-r-HW YEAR'S EVE was set as ( t'le c'ale f"r l',e wedding of Rob Wailins and Charlotte TjK -Main. Their friends thought. YJ, "'K' S tlleJ'' tlli't y'i would mean excellent luck t0 DeK'n "le New Vear as ",1,n a,u' w'fH- f,ut us "ie ff-. time drew nearer. Bob. at tiro 3--' least, began tn have fears v!?$fflp ""d forebodings, not so much about the day us about the event itself. Marriage Mar-riage was a serious tiling. And after reflecting a long time on the subject perhaps too long, he wasn't so sure that he was taking a wise step after all. It would have made things easier if Bob's mother had agreed with him. but she hadn't. Charlotte was her idea of the right kind of a girl for any young man to marry She was thrifty, domestic and sensible. Sensi- j bie! She was too sensible. Bob J thought, lie would have liked her to be just a little bit foolish. Girls were supposed to be a little silly. That's what made them feminine! Still he had come to rely on her judgment and It would have been aniiflylng to have found her undependnble. She was a good pal and all that, and he liked her; of course he liked her But was that love? Was that romance? Oilier Oili-er fellows felt poetic nhmit the girls they were about to marry: couldn't sleep at night for thinking of them: couldn't eat. and the whole state wns loseribed as "love." Well. Bob never For , Hours She Sat at Her Mirror, "Practicing." felt that way about Charlotte. His appetite was. as good as ever and he was a long way from insomnia. Then he met Helen McKay at a bouse party, and his digestion at om-e began to sniTor It somehow look hint a long time tn go to sleep at ulglii and during the day his mind was in a Tog. lie couldn't cnnrcmrnlc- on business at all. Helen McKay with .r trim tigure and slyli.-h clotb.-s. her canuineil Hps and rouged cheeks. I, or artful, vamp Ish ways, came trimiing into his thoughts constantly. There was a t'irl. he thought there was a girl. He wouldn't have hurt Charlotte's feelings for the worM. but he was plainly enamored of Helen, ami surely he could go nut with her a few times without Charlotte's finding out? He did ; but Charlotte found out. At first she was blindly jealous. ''Ii? ;acl-ec- the diamond engagement ring injo its little box. and was about to mail It back to him when her old good sense returned. To send back the ring would have been to admit defeat. de-feat. The only wise thing to do was to laugh and beat Bob at his own game. She determined to dress up and vamp another man. A likely "prospect" appeared In Sam Peck. Sam hart just come to Quincy from New York, and with his worldly manner and handsome face wus enough to arouse the jealousies of Bob Wailins. thought Charlotte, anil she started out on her campaign. She had been wearing old dowdy dresses, saving her new tilings for tier trousseau, trous-seau, but now she took out the new clothes, and In addition honght herself a lipstick and innumerable jars of make-up. For hours she sat at her mirror, "practicing." Evidently she became quite skillful, for Samuel Peck very easily did ivhut is known as "falling "fall-ing hard," and soon Sam -and Charlotte Char-lotte appeared at parties together. Bob stormed and raged. He threatened to break off their eiig-igcment. but when he found how apparently ready Char lotte was to have the engagemen' broken, he changed his attitude. lie simpjy couldn't get over Charlotte acting that way. lie became so worried wor-ried about Charlotte that he forgo i Helen completely. One Sunday evening hp went over to Charlotte's to call. She was tanta ll.ingly gay. as she was nhvnys lately Bob sank clown In a chair, sullenly. "People are beginning to talk." he said briefly. "They ate? About what, or whom?' "About you." "About me? How interesting! I didn't know that, and what do they say about me complimentary tilings I hope?" Boh got up and walked hack am; forth in front of the fireplace. "Likely. An engaged girl who he gins to play around with another fel low scandalously, and to use that vul unr-looking make-up is liable to be held up ns a model young woman to tie-Women's tie-Women's Bible- class. I suppose?" "I've always got along very well will, the Women's Bible class, but what rigid have you. to criticize?" "You're engaged to me!" "Yes. but that can be broken. You were engaged to nip. too. when you sinned going with that Helen McKay " "Who?" "Helen M.-Kay." "t'iiarh-tie. don't be ridicu'-ms. 1 didn't mean that seriously at all I'd cm ii fin-gotten fur a minute who In ihe world she was." "You forget wmnen rather quickly, it seems to nie." "Look here. Charlotte. ., tir,J( nr Ibis You've got to ,,K,ip ii. your mind right now whether you're going to be your old self and nmrry me"ew Year's Eve as you promised, or not. But remember. 1 cun't possibly love you as 1 always yes. always--have unless you vake off that terrible look-' Ing n,k,-up." The conversation ,k n very unsatsfncl ory' t rend after that and Boli left, swearing he was "off woiihmi for life." The New Year's Eve wedding was called off. Iih Wailins became one nf the worst grouches In town. He was never seen except at his i-e or home, wlille Charlotte cim,. , ,,. morn and more worried Then came Ihe reconciliation ,mi) as ihe two sat one evening sen, II,,.. out Invitations to the ,.. Year's .'v0 dinner that wus to culminate in 'their marriage. Boh said. "(!,.(.. t ',Mrl, . I'm ftlttd we got all our qua,-,,.,,,,., over before our wedding ,-,,, V(,", Because e certainly ,-e tu,,r to have oven ,lK. ,.,. - again.' Hi). 153,1. w,;,.,n v.,.. .,.,, n t |