Wanted--A Match Maker

A free download from http://www.dertz.in


Wanted--A Match Maker

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Wanted--A Match Maker, by Paul
Leicester Ford This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost
and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it
away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License
included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: Wanted--A Match Maker
Author: Paul Leicester Ford
Illustrator: Howard Chandler Christy. Decorations by Margaret
Armstrong
Release Date: December 9, 2004 [EBook #14211]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK
WANTED--A MATCH MAKER ***

Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Joshua Hutchinson, and the Project
Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team

Wanted - A Matchmaker
by Paul Leicester Ford

[Illustration: "'Why, Swot,' cried Constance, 'nobody is going to kill
you'"]

Contents ========
Contents Illustrations Wanted: A Match-Maker

-*-
To
Bond and Edith Thomas
as a Record of Our Friendship

Illustrations =============
"'Why, Swot,' cried Constance, 'nobody is going to kill you'"
"Miss Durant sprang out and lifted the head gently"
"Constance took the seat at the bedside"
"'I have come here--I have intruded on you, Miss Durant,' hurriedly
began the doctor"
"The two were quickly seated on the floor"

Wanted: A Match-Maker =====================
"You understand, Josie, that I wouldn't for a moment wish Constance to
marry without being in love, but--"
Mrs. Durant hesitated long enough to convey the inference that she was
unfeminine enough to place a value on her own words, and then, the
pause having led to a change, or, at least, modification of what had
almost found utterance, she continued, with a touch of petulance which
suggested that the general principle had in the mind of the speaker a
special application, "It is certainly a great pity that the modern girl
should be so unimpressionable!"
"I understand and sympathise with you perfectly, dear," consolingly
acceded Mrs. Ferguson. "And Constance has such advantages!"
Quite unnoting that her friend replied to her thought rather than to her
words, Mrs. Durant responded at once eagerly, yet defensively: "That is
it. No one will deny that Muriel is quite Constance's equal in mind, and,
though perhaps I am not the one to say it, Doris surely excels her in
looks. Don't you think so, darling?" she added.
"Unquestionably," agreed the friend, with much the quality of firm
promptness with which one would bolt a nauseous pill, or extrude an
ailing oyster.
"Yet merely because Constance has been out so much longer, and
therefore is much more experienced, she self--she monopolises the
attentions of the men; you know she does, Josie."
"Absolutely," once more concurred Mrs. Ferguson; and this time,
though she spoke less quickly, her tone carried greater conviction.
"They are--well--she--she undoubtedly--that is, she
contrives--somehow--to eclipse, or at least overshadow them."
"Exactly. I don't like to think that she manages--but whether she does
or not, the results are as bad as if she did; and thoughtlessness--if it is
only that, which I can't believe--is quite as blamable as--as more

intentional scheming."
"Then of course," said Mrs. Ferguson, "every one knows about her
mother's fortune--and men are so mercenary in these days."
"Oh, Josie, I don't like to speak of that myself, but it is such a relief to
have you say it. That is the whole trouble. What sort of a chance have
my poor dears, who will inherit so little compared to her wealth, and
that not till--till we are through with it--against Constance? I call it
really shameful of her to keep on standing in their light!"
"Have you--Couldn't you let her see--drop a hint--of the unconscious
injury she is--"
"That is the cruelty of my position," moaned Mrs. Durant. "I should not
hesitate a moment, but the world is so ill-natured about stepmothers
that one has to be over-careful, and with daughters of my own, I'm
afraid people--perhaps my own husband--would think I was trying to
sacrifice her to them."
"But have you no friend you could ask to--?"
"Josie! Would you?" eagerly interrupted Mrs. Durant. "She will be
influenced, I know, by anything you--"
"Gracious, my dear, I never dreamed of--of you asking me! Why, I
don't know her in the least. I couldn't, really."
"But for my sake? And you know her as well as--as any one else; for
Constance has no intimates or--"
"Don't you see that's it? I'd as soon think of--of--From me she would
only take it as an impertinence."
"I don't see why everybody stands so in awe of a girl of twenty-three,
unless it's because she's rich," querulously sighed Mrs. Durant.
"I don't think it's that, Anne. It's her proud face and reserved manner.
And I believe those are the real reasons