The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-11-03
MOTHER AND AUNT.

MariuS Gray, letting his hand fall deS-
pairingly on the table.
"An end of what?" asked Harold
Morse, his roommate and companion,
who had been smoking meditative
pipe by tho fire.
''Of my three years work." Gray
answered. all that I've been toll
ing and striving for so long"
alt must make difference, Hal"
"You don't mean," said his friend,
''that you would let this maks any diff
ference with your plans?h
'It must make difference, Hal"
..And in the name of common-sense,
what diferencepm
"Don't you see? Now that my grand
father is dead, I've got to make q home
Tor my mother. I've got to see that
life is made easy for her in her old
age.
"Oh, seer' said Morse, Struggling
his shoulders. .Alice won't relish the
idea of a mother-in-low-ist that it?"
al shall not ask her. Hal. Ny first
duty is to my mother"
.But the little house you've bought,
and the furniture you've been select
ing piece by pieceP"
81 hope my mother will enjoy them,
HAL" said Gray, with something like n
culver on his lip. But / once heard
Alice make some laughing jest about
the terrors of a mother-in-law. Itwasn't
much. / don't think she attached any
particular Importance TO it, but still it
has stuck to my memory. Inthe recol-
lection of that, | can't ask her to share
any divided empire in my house"
sOh. hang it!'' cried Morse, ilinging
sis paper on the table. What do
women want to be so cranky for? I'll
20 bail Alice Ardley would go through
FIRE and water for her own mother.
\ Why should she feel differently toward
the mother of the man she loyes?"
"There is all the difference in the
world" said Gray sadly.
And so he went to bed to ponder over
this new complication of events; and
when he fell asleep he dreamed that he
had just brought u bride home to the
little cottage where the white muslin
curtains rustled in the wind, and the
moss rose-bush was in full blossom,
aud somehow Alice Ardley's blooming
face was frilled around with cap-bord-
ers, and decorated with an immense
pair of silver spectacles.
To Marius Gray's credit be it spoken
that he never for an instant hesitated
as TO what decision to make.
He wrote an atrectionate letter to his
\ mother, telling her of the little home
which was now at her disposal, and of
fering TO bring her thither ut any time
which she should fix.
He went to see Alice that very even
ing. She was music-tcacher, and
lived In one of those genteel comfort
Jess boarding houses which afford so
poor a substitute for real homes, and
she came down into the parlor, where
the gas was economically lowered and
the scent of the vegetable soup that had
been served for dinner still fingered.
"Oh, Marius!" she said, with little
gurgle In her voice, 1--we been want
ing to see you so much"
.sHave you, Alice?"
He stood holding both her hands in
his own.
s.pve got sucn n favor to ask of you,
Mnrins-and oh, / don't know how to
do 1t, after all the hateful things I've
said about mothers-in-law, and that
sort Of thingw faltered she.
Axo stOOd Sliil anu tlteT u
short pause Alice went hurricdly on:
Its my Aunt Alethea. I've got to
take her home and take care of her,
for her cousin who has supported her
all these years can't do it any more;
and oh, Marius. we can't be married
unless-unless you will be very good
and kind, and let old Aunt Alethea
come and live with us.
Marius Gray's face lighted up.
'Alice forgive mer' he said. "You
have shown greater confidence in me
than I have done in you. AS far as
Am concerned, your aunt will be most
welcome in my home that you and l
are to share together. But Alice, /
\ had come here to ask you to release me
from our engagement
Alice gave a little start.
s.Marius! Oh, Marius, you don't
mean itf"
s.For the reason" he went on "that
/ e Ii now Incumbent, bn me to support
my mother. who has hitherto lived with
her fatheL didn't like to ask you,
dear, howing your opinion on the
subilcD DDf-well, of mother-in-law, TO
nsharex bur home kingdom with any
ne Ne; and there was no other home
w bring my mother TO. But now"
sMarius," cried Alice, ''it's quite
d f1ue what you say. You have put no
of5Ifdcnec In me. II / could trust
yoll to be good to my poor old aunt,
could you not have been sure that
4 rould lore your mother?"
- am sure of it now, Alice" said
L III opaig inan. still holding her hand
!. eFsy In his.
HUd won't release yon from your
& sr6uks44anf dariaral a lice uispuis-