Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1902-09-05
I Owe LAUGHS
LMLOCKSMITHS
BY MARTHA
M'CULLoCH-WfLL1AMs

ANN HHA|HH ANNNHH EHHNNNN NNEH
voice acid, vet tense.
"Weil.' Garcia answered without
looking NJ from her book.
ITS 10 o'clock-high time you were
dressing came back, the tone more
acid than ever.
why. l thought you had set the
wedding for 4 o'clock" Garcia said,
turning a leaf and not raising her eyes.
Aunt Sarah stamped her foot. AS II
you didn't know what folks nrel' she
protested. you know they'll begin
piling In here around 10. or i at the
latest. The last ono Of EN- is crazy TO
sec whatu happen"
"How stranger Caroin commenced,
apparently to the book. Aunt Sarah
darted through the door, caught the
book. flung It across the room and
clutched Carole's shoulder. Angry
tears stood in her eyes. but still they
snapped v%iclously. you'll be the death
OF me yeti" she gasped out. Lord,
Lord. II I Only had known what trou-
BILE you'd be I never would have had
you here, never in this world"
AQu nlEut itllie luhA eUh bAbAHnN
me here so you could make trouble for
both Of us" Garcia said, standing up
and edging away from her aunt's
grasp. "Yca know you would find
heaven dull II you had not n griev-
ance."
stop! 1 won't hear such sacrilege!"
Aunt Sarah cried. shaking Garcia hard.
81 thought ! knew what ingratitude
was-after all I've done for you-but
this caps the cllmaxv
"You have done-many things" Ca
rola said, setting her teeth hard. First
you gave me q name ] hate and shall
hate till ! die. You thought 1t sounded
finer than the name OF any other baby
around. Right there you struck the
keynOte-of everything. You are so
tyranically vain you want to show
everybody how much better you can
do everything. That is why you have
pitched on Johnson Blakely for my
husband. Poor fool / should be al
most as sorry for him as for myself if
he had not a mans strength and a
mans chance to run away. He does
not really want me. Peggy McAIann
suits him ever and ever so much better.
But you got him under your thumb be-
fore he left OFF roustabouts. He's
worse afraid of you than death or the
Judgment, if he is six feet two and big
as an OK
johnson loves me like a mother.
He's good looking, as moral as-as a
bahy-and will have 100000 when his
old uncle dies" Aunt Sarah broke in,
her eyes swapping harder. And any
yes, every-other girl around would
jump at the chance of him, while
you
"Have had 20 be locked up for two
months to keep me from marrying
somebody else" Garcia supplemented
as Aunt Sarah, otherwise Mrs. Wilson,
paused for breath. johnson knows all
about IT," she ran on. "Nice, chiyal-
rous Johnson, to want a wife who says
to his face: 4 hate you. l agree to
have the wedding day set only because
/ am tired Of prison life II there was
one grain Of manllness I'm all his hulk
ing height, he would not take me-he
knows how helpless l am-with you
for guardian and not a penny of my
own"
yet you want to turn your back on
a good husband and a rich one ana
throw yourself away on a beggarly
lawyer who has had a case since
he hung out his shingle a year ago"
Aunt Sarah snapped. Garcia laughed
a short, hard laugh.
Mrs. Wilson knew her neighbors.
They did come piling in before the
clock struck 1. Carola's love affairs
had been the gossip Of the countryside
for six months past. Naturally there
was edged expectation of some uncom-
mon climax to what had been so
strange. To the bucolic mind It was
wholly unheard Of that Johnson Blake
ly had been cut out by a sprig Of a
lawyer with hardly a second coat to
his back. The most part stanchly up
held Mrs. Wilson's strenuousness In
keeping her niece from so throwing
herself away Still there were u few
softer souls who shook the head, say
ing a girl, as you might say, driven in
20 double harness would be mighty apt
before long TO kick over the traces and
small blame to her II she did.
Everybody wondered at the setting
out OF a wedding feast and calling In
wedding guests. a simple marriage,
with only legal witnesses, seemed to
ht the cases complications better. a
few understood, but wisely held their
peace. The wedding was Mrs. VIII
sons triumph. She would not forego
showing to her world that In this her
hardest battle she had prevailed. But
even this wise few were something
amazed at one thing-she had invited
among the rest Jack Harrison, the
lawyer lover whom two months ear.
her she had forbidden the place.
he would not come. OF course, but
by 3 O'Clock everybody else was on
hand, minister and bridegroom lnclud-
ed. Aunt Sarah was for setting for
ward the wedding ceremony. There
was not the least use In waiting an
hour. with everything ready. That
brought on a very pretty quarrel with
Garcia. You'll come TO the judgment
Bar an hour ahead OF time" she said
10 Aunt Sarah, but you won't be able
20 curry st. Peter, and for once / mean
10 act the saint"