Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-02-04
A FRIEND IN NEED.


she is decidedly .'lairer in tho face"
she Is an heiieSs as well. AS TO dis
position, there we differ, too; for,
while am spunky-so aunty mildly
puts it-and have an opinion of my
own which is frequently asserted, she
is yielding, gentie-amiability itself.
will relate little incident. Once
we were invited to visit together an
old uncle who had lived in solitary
bachelorhood up to tho advanced age
of eighty years.
Joan, what would you do with
money if it were left to you?" he ask
ed me one day.
y"Why, spend it, of counsel" / re-
pied, without hesitation
Now, moth NC had been further from
my Thoughts than disrcspect; but that
answer certainly cost me the fortune
which only six months later came to
Ethel. That happened two years ago.
and since then Ethel has had and re
fused five offers of marriage, although
she has just passed her eighteenth
birthday. am twenty, and have had
as yet not one single proposal.
You are too sarcastic, JOAN" Ethel
says. Gentlemen do not like critical
young lad es."
"Then they should not Law them
selves open to criticism" / reply.
promptly. 1T ism: that, cousin mine;
IT'S because I'm plain, and beside you
look even palmer still"
Ethel smiles little consciously as
she says:
"Now, Joan, you know you're talk
ing nonsense. Only the other day
Hart Holman told me he thought your
eyes were glorious
"Oh. Hart Holman-he doesn't
count" / say, lightly.
Joan shakes her yellow ringlets at
me.
"You are incorrigible, Joan" Then
her face suddenly grows sober.
'.COusin," she says, II want to ask
you something. How do you like Mr.
DE Verep"
mot one Bit" / answer conciscly.
But why?' she asks. Surely you
cannot deny that he is very handsome
and entertaining
Just as l open my lips to reply an
Elegant equ page draws up at the gate,
and the veritable individual under dis
,cussion alights He has come to take
my cousin for Il ride. | watch them
drive off with scnsat on of d.scom-
fort strong in my m,Gd.
Not because am jealous of her SUI
perior attraCtivenesS-a thousand
times no! l love my cou in and am
prouder OF her beauty than she is her
self!-but because something tells me
that of all her admirers Ethel likes him
the best, and that he is not the true,
good man to whose keep NC she could
pesign her sweet self and be sure of
1he happiness hor tender loving heart
deserves. Seeking auntie | pour out
my trouble into her sympathiZlng ear.
Don't worry, Joan. dear" she saws
reassuringly; for you know that YOU
are both my wards and neither of you
can marry without my sanction before
you are twenty-one. Three years is
good while. II Mr.. De We're is what
you think him, Ethel will surely find
it out before that time.
am cOmforted, for although she
does not say so can see that auntie
shares my views. and that Mr.. Raoul
De We're has found no more favor with
her than with me.
A month rolls by. During that time
something happens-something sur
prising-I have a proposal.
81 love you, JOAN" Hart Holman
says. You have never given me the
slightest ragement--indeed, you
have been very cruel oftentimes; but,
nevertheless, ! love you and have
loved you ever since l first knew
you"
That's impossible" say, .for /
was an infant in arms. Aunto has
often told me what friends our
mothers were, and how frequently
they used to visit each other and COM
pare babies"
But he disregards my 1ippancy.
Don't try to evade an answer,
JOAN" he says. Il love you dearly
do you not like me the least bltP"
His tone is so earnest, that as l look
up into his frank, wistful blue eyes,
cannot help but feel drill OF com.
junction Tor all my unkindness, past
and present. After all, it is not I'M
pleasant to be loved SO truly, even if
one cannot return 1t.
"Certainly like YOU" / hasten to
say. Haven't we always been
friends, almost as near as any brother
and sister could be?'
His frank face clouds. That's the
trouble he exclaims. "Joan. don t
want you to think me rs brother.
am not your brother, and some day /
want to be something else.
j rise.
81 wish you would not tease me,
Hart" cry. IL don't dislike YOU,
surely you know it; but please stop
talking of love"
Dignity is becoming to Hart; as he
draws himself up with an offended ex-
preston, the thought strikes me for
the first time how very mot handsome
Mr. De We're with his swapping black
eyes, and b 8 nsinuating smile is that)
fine-looking Hart is. But do not
tell him what is in my mind and we
part not to meet again Tor some time.
That is how receive and answer nv
first proposal.
poor loan, you have succeeded in
driving away your sole admirer,"
Ethel says banteringly, as after awhile
she notices Harris unusual absence.
"Ilart has certainly become discour-
aged and transferred his attentions
elsewhere"
"And welcome" / reply, lightly.
but mendaciously, for, truth to tell.
find as the DAYS 60 by that i miss his
quiet, unobstrusive presence more
than could think possible.
Mr.. DE We're continues his attentions
TO my cous N, Notwithstanding auutie
frowns upon him most decidedly. He
has not lived long in this vicinity, and
while here his conduct has been ire.
proachable, but OF late vague rumors
have reached her ears of n career in
the past which would not bear inspec.
ton.
But Ethel refuses to hear augh
against HIM, and stands up bravely fol
her lover.
How pretty she looks when she i
Indignant! surely it would be no har,
matter to fall In love with my beauti
full cousin. even If her face were he
only fortune! But that all Raoul ID
We're cares for is her money. / am con