The Forrest City times., 1900-02-02
A Moment of Weakness
hVITHAT on earth are we to do?"
 w cried pretty Lydia Darrell al-

"
 w cried pretty Lydia Darrell al- most tearfully. II won't marry old Fiebel-Jones-not if all the aunts in the world told me to-"
 Marry me and defy the old cat.'
 "Yes, that's just what I should like to do, but one must consider things"
 You mean money?"
 "Yes, I mean money. You see, if Aunt Judith had any rational ground for oblecting to our marriage, if she said you drank, or were already mar ried-of course I know you're not but am supposing a case"
 Don't you think you might suppose something a little less uncomplimen- tary?"
 No, certainly not. What does 1t matter in supposing? We'll, then it would be different, and I should feel that however wrong she might be, she really meant we'll. But when she can only say that you are one of the most arrogant opponents of all the noblest and purest aspirations of our sex which means that she suspects you of laughing at her bloomers-why, then l know that it is not me that she is thinking of, but herself all the time. And she wants me to marry Fiebel- Jones because he fatters her to the top of her bent. and calls her pioneer and all sorts of nonsense"
 Do you think that punching his head would do any good 2"
 No, I'm quite sure it wouldn't. or should have told you to before this. But for all that, Aunt Judy can do what she likes with all my money un- til come of age, and ifI marry with out her consent before I am 21, all my property goes into trust with her as trustee and she can allow me as much or as little as she likes. If Aunt Judith were an ordinary aunt, one might expect that she would come round. when she found out what dear you really are. But I know she would be only too delighted to get he money for her movements and so- cieties, and l should never get a pen ny. So we must wait till I am 21.
 "if l could only get round her in some way. If this was in a novel there would be dozens of ways. I should drop on her in a railway acci- dent and soothe her last moments with my brandy flask"
 You forget that she is teetotal- fer"
 Or might be in the way when her horses bolted."
 Only she doesn't keep any"
 She would in novel. And I should stop them at the risk of my life. and she wocld fall on my neck and call me her preserver."
 "l should like to see that" cried Lydia, with a delicious trill of laugh ter.
 "Ljddy, you lave no imagination" said Bob Falk, with dignity "I am sure the scene would be most dra- matic-especially if Lady Judy hap pened 10 be in boomers. And her re- morse would be so great that she would give me her consent written on visiting card-or perhaps my shirt cum, to prevent mistakes"
 ho" can you talk such nonsense. But you have given me an idea. louidn't you save her when she is out bicycling?"
 What from? And how am to find Ter at the right moment?'
 Well, really. should have thought mat man could have arranged all that in minute
 kxC
 seems as if the surest plan would oe 10 arrange the accident. One might orioe tramp to attack be-. and allow nimself to be driven off by me-and men he would probably blackmail p,e 'or the rest of my life. Or one might set a generous friend to dn the tramp part in sguise-only I eaA't at the present moment think of any man who would be such jay. Besides your aunt Judy is just the kind of ener. etic 'emaie who would insist on seeing the ,liiain safe in jail after the rescue. men l should have to give myself up 'o save him. The plan is not so bril- iant as 1t seemed at first
 No' 1t isn't. Very far from it. But ls'en to me. On Monday Aunt Judy ',arts on bicycle ride 10 Scotland aiohe. She wishes to show that one "oman Tn boomers can go through the Shg;a of England without coming 10