Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1902-07-30
!; I Owe LAUGHS
IL ATLOCKSMITHS
|. BY MARTHA
M'CULLOCH-W WILLIAMS
Copyright, 1901, by NJ. McC.- Williams

"Carolaw Aunt Sarah called, her
voice acid, yet tense.
"Wellw Garcia answered without
looking up from her book.
ats 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 If
you didn't know what folks are!' she
protested. "You know they'll begin
piling in here around -, or ! at the
latest. The last one Of 'em is crazy to
see what'll happen"
"How strange Garcia commented,
apparently to the book. Aunt Sarah
darted through the door, caught the
book, flung it across the room and
clutched Carolas shoulder. Angry
tears stood in her eyes, but still they
snapped viciously. you'll be the death
Of me YETI she gasped out. Lord,
Lord, If l only had known what trou-
BILE you'd be never would have had
you here, never in this world"
"You mean really that you brought
me here so you could make trouble for
both of u.s." Garcia said, standing up
and edging away from her aunt's
grasp. "You know you would find
heaven dull if you had not a griev-
ance"
"Stop I won't hear such sacrilegev'
Aunt Sarah cried, shaking Garcia hard.
"T thought l knew what ingratitude
was-after all I've done for you-but
this caps the climax"
"You have done-many things" Ca
rola said setting her teeth hard. First
you gave me name l hate and shall
hate till die. You thought it sounded
finer than the name Of any other baby
around. Right there you struck the
keynote-of everything. You are so
Financially 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! l should be al
most as sorry for him as for myself II
he had not a mans strength and a
mans chance to run away. He does
not really want me. Peggy McMann
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 mother.
He's good looking, as moral as-as a
baby-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
'Iave had TO 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. mice, chival-
rous Johnson, to want a wife who says
to his face: Il hate you. l agree TO
have the wedding day set only because
l am tired of prison life If there was
one grain of manliness in all his hulk
ing height, he would not take me-he
knows how helpless l am-with you
for guardian and not n penny of my
own"
"Yet you want to turn your back on
good husband and a rich one and
throw yourself away on q beggarly
lawyer who has never had case since
he hung out his single year ago."
Aunt Sarah snapped. Garcia laughed
short, hard laugh.
Mrs. Wilson knew her neighbors.
They did come piling in before the
clock struck /. 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 bucollc mind 1t was
wholly unheard of that Johnson Blake
ly had been cut out by 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 a few
softer souls who shook the head, say
ing a girl as you might say, driven In
to double harness would be mighty ant
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