Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1902-02-20
AUNT MEG'S COLUMN.

fact is-and you cannot deny 1t
you're in love.
s'How on earth did you find that
out?" he muttered.
Experience and casual observa-
tion," replied Lancaster, shortly by
the by, l saw Milly Holsworth today
Then, with grin, ''Um, thought l
wasn't far out. She's nice girl.
Harry, and clever one. Women
nowadays who are good looking and
can earn their own living are in great
demand in the matrimonial market, SO
I'm told, and l can quite believe it.
"Yes," groaned Ellington, but when
man has only a paltry twelve hun
dred and fifty a year the idea of Ell
er-even proposing to lady who can
buy him up might give rise to un'
pleasant comments-h'm!"
PERSONALLY, l should try my luck.
Faint heart etc, you know. You
never know what may transpire. Say
you decide to see how absence might
affect the case and to wait until
your return from England. She might
be snapped up in the meantime. Per
maps tue STEAMER Hight lounuel, anu
and"
Don't Lancaster, don't!" shuddered
Ellington. Your advice, old chap, l
fear has not advanced the improve
lnent of the outlook at ALL"
"Then the only course that remains
open for you is to consult Aunt Meg"
sighed Lancaster.
''Aunt Meg! Who is she? And what's
she got to do with it,"
"Aunt Meg is a lady connected with
a popular publication entitled THE
Daisy" whose official duty it is to re-
ceive and reply to, through the col
umns of the aforesaid journal, all
questions that may be submitted to
her notice on the all important theme
of love and it's attendant trials, mis-
understandings and vagaries in gen
era}."
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" he
unused, ''supposing 1 was idiot
the tender merciCs of a modern lady
Journalist, if the story leaked out.
Certainly one might write under a
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 communion
uon was at last fairly neatly trans
cribed and ran as follows:
ITO Aunt Meg Daisy Office, 420
Fleet street. e. c.:
''Madam-I trust you may be able
to successfully advise me as to my
actions in the following matter: To be
brief, l am aged 80 and am in receipt
of an annual income of twelve hundred
and fifty dollars as private secretary
to titled gentleman, who is about to
depart on a voyage of infinite duration
in three weeks time for his health's
month ago l made the acquaintance Of
a charming lady about my own age,
and we have met at various intervals
ever since.
cas- you will already have surmised,
I am deeply in love with her. though
have not as yet declared my passion.
AS far as I am aware, from the state
nlent of friend, she is in receipt of
an income exceeding mine by two hun
dred and fifty dollars per annum, de-
rived from her employment, the eX
act nature of which, however, owing
to the shortness of our acquaintance,
l am unfortunately in ignorance
beyond that it is something in city
Gtice.
Il 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 a slender income. or
wait until | am in more affluent cir
Gumstances, which chance is slightly
remote at the present outlook? =?
H. A. E."
IWo 'odluIudyS pdSSeu ana leIC MIN
IN the deepest depths of despair, ow-
zng to the nonappearance of a reply
10 his communication.
In the meantime he met Mildred
HolswDrth on two occasions at the
house of a mutual acquaintance and
once was almost On the verge of q
declaration, but checked himself in
time to save making himself an arrant
ass, as he termed it.
It was with feverish excitement that
he opened the last issue of the Daisy
published before he left Eu~lani.