The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-08-01
! fairly respectable country position 4

a fairly respectable country position.
, but
Doesn't that suit you?" interrupted
auntie. # .
"No, you old fool. Do you think
Pm going to marry man who has
been humbugged like that ~ 0
You are unusually tender about a
little imposition
"Thank you, that will do. I didn't
pick up chaperon and pay her hand
somely to stand auntie to me for O.
season and introduce me to society to
/ be bullied by her in earnest There
are no men to hear us now, remember.
Pm not a kid I've ceased to blub-
Der. and won't be whipped Can't
you see that If marry Bob Pallant
after this, my chance of pleasure-tO
say nothing Of your chance Of your
fee---wouldn't b worth weeks no
tice? lie would jolly soon undeceive
himself, and them .s@
didn't deceive him.
mo, hut Norton Scrubs did, and it
would ruin his reputation and close
his purse to ME forever. Norton has
already given me to understand as
much and advised me to take on Reg
gle Give. But there, you haven't any
sense" .s #
What an awakening! How l men
| tally cursed myself! Now I mentally
cursed Rob for not having married his
innocent-lipped, downy-cheeked, dove
eyed Iris right away without inquiry,
and so spared me the agonizing per-
dicament l was in. Now I cursed
| likewise mentally-Norton Scrubbs
and all his kith and kin. And all that
| mental imprecation came out through
my pores until drops of sweat fell
| soft and silent upon the lorn petals
Of dying chrysanthemum. a.
But I had suffered in silence long
enough. Scene or no scene, scandal,
SANDER, or what not, cared mott
was callous to them all. I would re-
veal my hideCus presence. Ill
The revealing was done for me.
That smirking servant appeared and
announced in a sepulchral voice that
Mr.. Give had arrived: "
Very well, Adams, show him n.''
"I-have-already shown him in,
Didn't tell you to show him here
to the conservatory said Iris Sc
ve1ely .. s.
"And so I did, Miss Iris. 1 brought
| him here several minutes ago, and /
have been searching for you ever
since to tell you so'' ,. ..~. -
I stepped from behind the screen
| just in time to witness the full com
edy Of the moment. Iris was a spec.
tacle to behold She baffled all de-
scription. AnlazeLent mingled with
fear, shame, guilt, horror, rage, indig-
nation, and a number of other symp-
toms peculiar to such nervous shock
I walked to where she still sat, too
paralyzed to move. =.
''Miss Maypel." said.'"I have over
heard your conversation, and l know
you will call me a coward and an
eavesdropper, but my conscience is in.
nocent. l was put here by your man
and you had already committed your
self before I could warn YOU of my
presence, so waited in the hope that
you would leave before discovering
me-" 80. a>s
She made no reply, so I gladly
walked from the conservatory and, the
house. ~, ~
I went home and tried to See. tho
end of the business. What attitude
would Iris adopt when Bob In the
flushing pride of Norton Scrubs re
port, proposed marriage to her?
gave up the conundrum when, far into
the night, 1 had failed to solve 1t.
I went down to the club the follow
ing day resolved to tell Bob all whe1
his familiar face-wearing anything
but his familiar eXpresion-looked in
He came straight across to me- ant
without any preliminaries said:
Reggie! Where's Iris?' A..
pushed my plate aside and return
ed his gaze. ''.
*'How should 1 know if you are is
norant?' l replied. Isn't she Will
her-her auntie?'' ~, '@
''Possibly," returned Bob. "In fac
probably. But where's her aunt
They're disappeared from their flat
flown. owing six months rent besides
salaries and unpaid bills innumera BIZ
and have left no address,
"Well," I said retlectively, "Tm no
surprised after what I overheard il
their conservatory yesterday after
noon."
what did you hear?" asked Bob
eagerly. -
l told him. ., #
Poor old Bob! I won't ATTEMPT t.
record his subsequent remarks amen
women in general and Iris and aunt
in particular, since no self-respectin
type would consent to chronicle then
Illustrated Bits. 49,, ....es
IN THE WRONG ROOM AND BEL