The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-12-08

HAS some one
left you fortune?" asked.
ooh better than that" was the re-
ply. ''I'm going to have beaul
Listen" and she proceeded to read
me her letter:
DEAR EIIzABErH: I write to tell you
that friend of mine has fallen in love
with your photograph. He Is widower,
and on the lookout for another wife. He
happened to see your picture, aud II won
his susceptible heart nt once. He asked
all Kinds of questions about you, and when
he found out that you were fancy free
he said he "had good mind to come an
see you. Mebbe there was the chance he'd
been lookin' for" / advised him to come.
"You can tell by trying" l said. And
he's coming He has got some business to
transact in the city Thursday and he will
stop of at Holmesyllle on Wednesday and
VISIT you. BE kind to the poor man, and
send me an invitation to the wedding.
AUNT MARIA.
"That's Just like Aunt Maria, isn't
it?" cried Elizabeth, half amused and
half indignant. "She's bound to have
fun at somebody's expense. / can
imagine her laughing every time she
thinks of the joke she considers she
has played on me. The idea of her
sending an old widower to see mel"
"She didn't exactly send him." /
responded. "But l think she rather
encouraged him to come. What
that she says about Wednesday? To-
days Wednesday, Elizabeth, and you
can look for your admirer by the next
train. The letter ought to have got
here yesterday, you see by its date.
Gro and get ready to entertain him -
there's no time to lose."
'I'm thoroughly out of patience
with Aunt Maria" said Elizabeth.
"Tve a notion to go away somewhere
and stay till he's gone"
"But he'd come again if he's so
desperately smitten with your photo
graph, or he'd stay till you came
home, or he'd fall in love with me
and you'd lose your chance" 1 said.
"No-stay and face the music, Eliza
beth"
'I know what I'll dol" cried my sis
ter, the mischief-loving trait common
to her and Aunt Maria coming to the
surface. "I'll pretend I'm deaf, and
I'll have some fun out of it, as well as
Aunt Maria"
"You can't carry out such decep-
tion without getting caught at IT,"
said.
'Trust me for that!' cried Eliza
beth, with sparkling eyes. 1 think
she began to be glad that Aunt Maria
had encouraged the widower to come.
Nov, remember, I'm totally unable
to hear word of ordinary converse
tion. 1t will be necessary for you to
almost shout at me if you want me to
understand what you're saying. And
be sure to keep from laughing The
fun all depends upon keeping up the
deception. We must not let him dis
cover it, for that would make us ridic.
ulous, You see. There L hear the
train. We can expect him at any mo-
ment now. Oh, dear! 1 know L shall
want to laugh, but shan't do it-you
see If do! I'll go and get ready to
receive him. When he comes you
must meet him, and bring him in and
introduce him" and away ran my fun
loving sister to get ready for her visi-
tor.
Ten minutes later saw a man COM
ing down the road from the station,
and knew as soon as L set my eyes
on him that it was Elizabeth's ad-
mirer. He was at least forty-five years
old, with very solemn looking face,
and an air of having his Sunday
clothes on. But perhaps his errand
made him look soberer than usual
and feel ill at ease. 7 met him at the
door.
docs Miss 'Lizabeth Jones live
here?" he asked.
Eyes, sir" answered. 'I think
she's expecting you. You are the
gentleman our aunt Maria Thorpe
wrote us about, suppose?"
Yes, l be" was the reply. "My
names Peters-Joshua Peters. But
mebbe she told you?"
mo, she did not tell us your name
--she simply said you were coming TO
see Elizabeth. She's in the sitting
room. I'll take you in and introduce
you. You'll have to speak rather
loud, for Elizabeth's just triHe hard
Of hearing"
That's bad" said Mr.. Peters,
pulling out a big red handkerchief
and wiping his perspiring face. lawful
warm, amt it?"
"Quite warm" responded. BY
that time we were at the sitting-room
door. Elizabeth sat by the window
with her back toward us.
"Elizabeth," 1 said, raising my
voice No reply.
"Elizabethl" this time in louder
tone. Still no reply.
"She must be drstful deef to no,
hsar that" said Mr.. Peters. "How
longs she been sos"