APRIL 28, 1925
THE LEXHIPEP
THR MATCH MAKER,
PAGEipREB
(Short Story)
Walter Tremaine stole quietly into
his own room at one o’clock in the
morning. He must move softly lest
his sisters should awake. He sat
down to smoke and think. He was
twenty-six, handsome, wealthy, and
had three maiden sisters. He was
madly in love, for the first time in
his life, with a frivolous college girl
Of eighteen, Sybil Rond. His sister.*
adored him, but he could never bring
a bride among that trio of spinsters;
they would never allow him to live
elsewhere.
The oldest was Emma. She had
passed her forty-fourth birthday.
Grace was thirty-six and Clara, twen
ty-eight. She was tall, datk beauty,
resembling her Italian mother. Her
face and figure were perfect. The
elder sisters were jealous of her
beauty, and had placed her in a
Catholic convent in France when she
was fourteen, and there she remained
for the next eight years. Her gay
spirit was broken and she cared little
for the world and men. She gave
all her time to art and literature,
since even now her sisters restrained
her every pleasure.
Walter told Sybil how hopeless their
state was. The only way out was to
find them husbands, but who could
marry any but Clara? And she was
very prejudiced against the opposite
sex. Sybil laughed at his gloomy
outlook. Instantly her alert mind
formed a plan.
“Cheer up, Walter boy,” she con
soled him. “pack them all oft! to At
lantic City for the summe;*. I will
SO too, and Clara will be my com
panion. Within a few weeks we
will be rid of them”.
You don’t expect to drown them
do you”? he asked slightly suspici
ous.
“Certainly not,” she laughed back.
A week later the three sisters and
Sybil Rond were established in one
of the fashionable hotels of Atlantic
City. Clara wore beautiful and
fashionable clothes which were in
accordance with her artistic nature.
Her hair was not bobbed, and this
worried Sybil somewhat. One even
ing she deliberately (though she pre
tended it an accident) turned a box
of oil paint On Clara’s long hair. This
m.ade bobbing necessary. Roth were
pleased with the result.
The next morning the two went
out on the beach. Fate was with
Sybil. They met a rising author
with whom Sybil was acquainted. He
wrote highly educational articles,
which few could appreciate. He was
fastidious and had never found a
woman to suit his literary views.
Sybil presented Clara: “Mr Allison,
here is a iqdy who has a keen appre
ciation of classical literature and art.
Sh eadores Virgil and Shakespeare
and Milton are her dally companions.
You will enjoy each others company.
I will leave you now, for you will be
talking of Aureas and Macbeth, so I
would be lost. I will call for you at
lunch. Clara”. She was off, leaving
them together.
Clara was confused, but Mr. Alli
son was Impressed with her intelli
gent eyes and perfect European fea
tures. He placed a chair for her
and seated himself opposite.
“Do you care for Dante” ? he asked,
drawing a book from his pocket.
“Oh, yes, she replied, brightening
at the mention of her favorite author.
I have read his works many times;
are you interested In ar:. such as
Raphall’s ‘Sistlne Madonna
Indeed, I am,” he replied.
They talked on, forgetfu. of time.
He. for the first time finding a wo
man of her grace and beauty who had
classical knowledge which .surpassed
his own, was Indeed amazed. She.
found a man who was chivalrous and
Interested in things worth while.
R seemed that they had been to
gether for only a few moments when
Sybil called for Clara. She was
happy, for over their heads .*he could
see cupid with his bow. She had
other reasons for joy. On her re
turn to the hotel Sybil found an old
friend, Mr. Davenport, an explorer
of Africa and the South Sea Isles.
He had been ill and his eves were
weak. To keep away the glare of the
sun they bandaged temporarily. He
had collected many strange birds,
this being his “hobby”. Sybil had
one inspiration; Miss Grace was a
“nutt” on the subject of feathered
creatures! She hurried for her, tell
ing her that a man had a new species
of her favorite subject. Mi.ss Grace
went with her glory. She Introduced
them.
“Mr. Daverout. Miss Iremaine is
very fond of birds and warts you to
tell her about your canaries. He has
been sick and that is why his eyes
are weak and bandaged”, she explain
ed to Miss Grace. “Now X must go”,
and she rushed off.
“Oh, you see many birds, don’t
you?” asked Miss Grace Ir. an awed
voice.
He at once proceeded to tell her of
his wanderings, pleased to find a fe
male listener. He pictured her as
lovely, and when the bandages were
removed he was blind with love for
her. The lady told Sybil that nigiht
that he was “a darling man".
Sybil wrote to Walter!
Two are as good as gone, but the
worst Is still to come. I have no
plans for Miss Emma, but I will
settle her somehow. You know love
works rapidly at their age.
SYBIL”.
As the days passed Clara grew more
beautiful. The new happiness gave
a glow to her cheeks and a light to
her eyes. More than one man asked
for an introduction to the graceful
beauty, from whose side the author
never stayed for long. Miss Grace
and Mr. Davenport were planning a
trip to Hawaii—together.
One morning Sybil received the
shock of her life; it even threatened
her health in its severity. As she
rounded a corner of the porch she
ran into Miss Emma, the prim old
maid, in the arms of a sturdy man
whom Sybil did not know. She stood
fixed, in horror.
Miss Emma saw her and sobbed;
“Oh, Sybil, dear, this is Mr. O’Days,
we were once engaged but quarrelled;
he has been looking for me for years.
If we hadn’t come here I would never
have seen him. We are going to be
married at once and go to Ireland to
live happily ever after. Send for
Walter dear.’*
Sybil went weakly to her room.
She wrote In haste to her fiancee.
“Dear Walter boy. I am almost too
excited to write. I am rid of them
all at last. Miss Emma is going to
(Continued on Page 6)