Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-05-07
open for you is to consult Aunt Meg"
sighed Lancaster.

OQcu AOI you ID 10 COuSulL Aunt meg,
sighed Lancaster.
Aunt Meg! Who is she? And what's
she got to do with it?'
Aunt Meg is n lady connected with
a popular publication entitled The
Daisy, whose official duty 1t Is to re-
ceive and reply to, through the col
umns of the aforesaid journal, all ques-
lions that may be submitted to her no.,
tice on the all-important theme Of love
and its attendant trials, mlsunder-
standings and vagarles in general"
Consult Aunt Meg!" the words
seemed to ring In Ellington's ears for
some time after the departure Of his
friend Lancaster.
"a precious fool I'd be thought" lie
unused. "supposing was idiot enough
to trust my private affairs to the ten
der mercies of a modern lady journal
list. 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
different 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 communica-
ton was at last fairly neatly trans
crlbed and ran as follows:
= Z. -
To "Aunt Meg" Daisy Offices, 42O Fleet
street, e. c.:
Madam trust you may be able to
successfully advise me as to my actions
In the following matter: To be brief,
am aged thirty and am in receipt OF an
annual income of twelve hundred and tif-
ty dollars as private secretary to titled
gentleman, who is to depart on voy-
age Of indefinite duration in three weeks
time for his health's sake, and am to
accompany him. A month ago made
the acquaintance of charming lady
about my own age, and we have met at
various intervals since.
As you will already have surmised,
am deeply in love with her, though l
have not as yet declared my passion. AS
far as am aware, from the statement
of friend, she is in receipt of an in
come exceeding mine by two hundred
md fifty dollars per annum, derived from
her employment, the exact nature of
which, however, owing to the shortness
of our acquaintance, l am unfortunate.
ly in ignorance of, beyond that it is some
thing in city office.
have every reason to believe that my
attentions, such as they have been, are
not altogether distasteful. What would
you advise me to do? Ask her now and
risk slender income, or wait till am
In more affiuent circumstances, which
chance Is slightly remote at the present
outlook? FL. A. Il.
Two Saturdays passed and left him
lin the deepest depths of despair, owing
to the non-appearance of reply to his
communication.
In the meantime he met Mildred
Holswolth on two occasions at the
house of mutual acquaintance and
once was almost on the verge of de-
claration, but checked himself In time
to save making himself an arrant ass,
as he termed 1t.
1t was with feverish excitement that
he opened the last issue of The Daisy
published before he left England. Eag-
erly he scanned the page sacredly set
apart for the benefit of Aunt Meg"
and her amorous amblings.
Yes, 1t was there at last!
II. A. E.-Waste no time, but so and
ask her at once. II l judge rightly from
the tone of your letter, you need scarce
ly have any apprehension as to the ma
ture Of her reply. AS to monetary mat
tiers, girl who cannot comfortably man
age and be happy on the united income
doesn't deserve husband at all.
1t was all over. The last slipper had
sped Its course in the air and disap-
peared through the window Of the
compartments which had the hoonr Of
accommodating the happy couple, and
the last handful of rice lay whitening
the platform like miniature fall OF
snow.
Pm so glad It's all over at last.
sighed Mildred Ellington as she threw