The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-10-24
whats the lnatter!'


arms as if she were child again and
caressed the ripping brown hair.
"Doesn't it make you happy, Mi
RAM" she asked. IL think it would,
dear, if you knew him as we'll as We
do"
"He is-he is not worthy of Aunt
Elizabethl' cried the girl passionately.
"Miriam, what do you know about
Mr.. Hawle\? You never have met
him"
IL know-but nobody is good
enough for Aun. Elizabeth. Mother,
please excuse your private secretary.
I'm going for a tramp. I've got to be
used to he left alone in the family"
Mrs. Ol,lfeld sat gazing down the
country road after the retreating figure
of her daughter. Miriam was crea-
ture of moods. occasionally thoughtful,
but oftcner merry and radiating sun
shine. WAS it jralousy!" thought the
mother wonderiugly. Her sister Eliza
beth, who was only two years older
than her own daughter. had come into
her home ut their mot hers death and
the children had grown up together
with such bond Of affection AS exists
between few sisters Mrs. Oldfield had
rare wisdom in the training OF children.
In Elizabeth she found one tempera-
ment. The child cared for nothing
but music. So every advantage had
been given her. Her own daughter
had shown such a wonderful love Of
| housekeeping that in her training the
mother carried out some thoroughly
original ideas. As soon as the little
girl learned to write intelligently she
had proudly taken the place of her
mothers private secretary. When in
vitations had to he sent out they were
written in h big, bold childish hand.
The housekeeping accounts were bal
anced each week in the same Uniformed
cl.irography, but with the mratness Of
an ,xprri,ncrd h"kk~ler. Social
notes AMI family correspondence were
frequently trusted L" the enthusiastic
little yi,l. Before she went into high
school she had l-gun to make herself
Indispensable. to her mother, from
whom club circles and society exacted
large dues In school the girl aided
eagerly To her other studies n portion
of business education and domestic
science training. Her one thought
was how 20 make herself as valuable
as possible, her mothers private secre-
tary She had returned from her four
years at college with poise Of manner
and an executive ability in household
and social affairs which astonished even
the mother. Her nature was large,
grnr"us and gracious one, and Mrs.
Oidti,d ielt puzzled over the girls
strange ou;burst of feeling. She was
sure she was too great-hearted for
jealousy; it could not he that. 1t must
be the thought Of parting. She wished
now that she had broken the news
more tactfully. She had ina asined
Miriam would accept it with delight.
She turned to her desk to write the
letter to Mr.. Hawley herself. She
sighed while she folded the sheet and
put it lingeringly in the envelope. 1t
hurt her to think Of the breaking up
Of the home circle and of Miriam q
grief.
The girl returned from her tramp in
time for luncheon. The hracing TALL
air and wind had blown magnificent
color into her cheeks and whipped the
rrl,elliou- strands of her hair in'O clus-
teriny curls, hut there WAS II new
thoug and shade of trouble
about the uloniny face which the
mother itlt rather than saw. She did
not speak again OF the prospective
wedding. tactfully setting it aside for
other topics. Late in the afternoon
Mrs. Oldtirld drove to the depot to
meet her young sister, who was return
ing from few ,la vs. visit in Boston.
"Do not speak to Miriam Of the
engagement, said Mrs. Olhtiell, while
the horse logged lcisurcly home ward
"Wh,?" asked f! n ,n.,h with sur
prise.
"Shr feels the break :ng ui sist.rl,
ties far more than had any idea sin.
would. have seldom seen her give
way SO completely as she did today.
Let her come to you and talk it over
when she feels like it..
That nj ght Miriam came Elizabeth
sat curled up in big chair before a
cracking wood fire She WAS II lux
urious creature, who loved warmth
and color and beauty. She had tossed
a few sticks Of driftwoot among the
l