The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-07-01
AUNT MEG'S COLUMN.

Harry, can sum up your case in three
words, - said Lancaster. "The fact is
and you cannot deny it-you're in loveP'
Ellington started. Chow on earth did
you find that outS'' he muttered.
Experience aud casual observation -
replied Lancaster shortly. sBy the bye, I
saw Milly Holsworth today" Then, with
a grin: Gum, thought I wasn't far out.
She's a nice girl, Harry, and clever one.
Women nowadays who are good looking
and can earn their own living are in great
demand in the matrimonial market, so
I'm told, and I can quite believe it,
YES" groaned Ellington, "but when
a man has only paltry 81, $50 year the
idea of-er-er-even proposing to lady
who can buy him up might give rise to
unpleasant comments-h'm!'
Personally I should try my luck.
Faint heart, ETC., you know. You never
know what may transpire. Say you decide
to see how absence might affect the case
and to wait till your return to England.
She might be snapped up in the meantime.
Perhaps the steamer might founder, and
and
"Don't, Lancaster don'tl' shuddered
Ellington. Your advice, old chap, I fear
has not advanced the improvement of the
outlook at all.
"Then the only course that remains
open for you is to consult Aunt Meg"
sighed Lancaster.
F'Aunt Meg Who is sheP And what's
she got to do with it?''
AUNT Meg is a lady connected with a
popular publication entitled The Daisy,
whose official duty it is to receive and re-
ply to, through the columns of the afore-
said journal, all questions that may be
submitted to her notice on the all impor-
tant theme of love and its attendant trials,
misunderstanding and vagaries in gen
eral.'
Consult Aunt Megi'' the words seemed
to ring in Ellington's ears for some time
after the departure of his friend Lancaster.
GA precious fool I'd be thought - he
mused "supposing was idiot enough to
trust my private affairs to the tender mer-
cies of modern lady journalist, if the
story leaked out. Certainly one might
write under nom de plume or initials,
but then don't believe in such rot"
Half an hours meditation, however,
served to put matters before him in a diff
ferent light. He reflected that the Journal
in question bore very high character, and
he resolved to try Aunt Meg.
After due destruction of various sheets
of note paper, his communication was at
last fairly neatly transcribed and ran as
follows:
To ''Aunt Meg, " Daisy Offices, 42O Fleet Street,
E. c.:
MADAM trust you may be able to success
fully advise me as to my actions in the follow
ing matter: To be brief, am aged 30 and am
in receipt of an annual income OF l,25O as
private secretary to a titled gentleman, who Is
to depart on voyage of indefinite duration in
three weeks time for his health's sake, and 1
am to accompany him. A month ago made
the acquaintance Of a charming lady about
my own age, and we have met at various in
| tervals since
AS you will already have surmised, am
| deeply in love with her, though have not as
| yet declared my passion AS far as I am
| aware, from the statement of a friend, she is
| in receipt Of an income exceeding mine by $3.50
| per annum, derived from her employment, the
| exact nature of which, however, owing to the
shortness of our acquaintance, am unfortu-
| nately in ignorance of beyond that it is some
| thing in city Office.
have every reason to believe that my atten-
| lions, such as they have been, not alto.
| gether distasteful. What would you advise me
| to do2 Ask her and risk slender income,
or wait till 1 in more af1uent circum-
| stances, which chance is slightly remote at
| the present outlook? h. a. E.
| Two Saturdays passed and left him in
the deepest depths of despair, owing to the
| nonappearance of reply to his commune
| cation.
In the meantime he met Mildred Hols-
| worth on two occasions at the house of a
| mutual acquaintance and once was almost
on the verge of declaration, but checked
himself in time to save making himself
! an arrant ass, as he termed it.
It was with feverish excitement that he
| opened the last issue of The Daisy pub
lished before he left England. Eagerly he
scanned the page sacredly set apart for the
| benefit of "Aunt Meg" and her amorous
| amblings
Yes, it was there at lastI
II. A. E.-Waste no time, but go and ask her
| at once. If judge rightly from the tone of
your letter, you need scarcely have any appre-
| hens1cn as to the nature of her reply. As to
monetary matters, girl who cannot comfort
ably manage and be happy the united in
come doesn't deserve a husband at all.
| 1t was all over. The last slipper had
| sped its course in the air and disappeared
through the window of the compartment
| which had the honor of accommodating
| the happy couple, and the last handful Of
rice lay whitening the platform like q
miniature fall of snow.
I'm so glad it's all over at last
| sighed Mildred Ellington as she threw
herself YEARLY back among the cushions.
| But the whole affair was a complete sue
| cess and went off without flaw"
! eyes, darling, quite complete, except
| for the absence from the ceremony of one
! to whom I owe great deal of my present
| happiness-in fact, one of your sister
| strugglers in the field of literature. MilIy,
! I've confession to make. / know you'll
think I'm an awful fool, and perhaps be
angry, but promise me, N1iIly, beforehand
that you will forgive me-
"Id promise you anything, Harry. It
it can't be anything dreadful, I'm sure"
falteringly.
"Then read that and put me out of my
misery
And taking from his inside breast pock-
ct copy of The Daisy containing Aunt
Meg's advice, which he had so successfully
acted upon, he opened it at the fatal page
| and handed it to her.
Harry" she said quietly, pushing it
away, her eyes filing with tears the while,
''I-I know what you mean now. She
oI,o J.,