The Brunswick daily news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1903-1906, 1903-05-31

Anything exciting in your letters
this morning, dear?"
Well, | don't know said Lucy;
here's letter from Aunt Jane"
Aunt Jane? Did ever meet Aunt
Jane before she married."
Lucy got UP and went around the
breakfast table, looking troubled.
p Tom dear, you remember that day
you asked me to be your wife?"
Yes" he replied. why, what's
the matter?"
You remember l said | had an aw-
full sin to confess-a past, a present,
and a future; something you might
never be able to forgiven"
"Yes. | wouldn't listen" He put
his arm around her.
Well, 1t vast was Aunt Jane"
Great Scott" he replied.
Aunt Jane arrived as threatened,
punctually a quarter of an hour late.
she was always a quarter of an hour
late, on principle. 1t arose out Of a
dislike for being kept waiting when
asked out to dinner, for instance, and
rapidly spread over the whole of her
movements, owing to her morbid pas
sion, for regularity. To be late for
breakfast and in time for lunch upset
--t-----<A--s-sluaalr, 90 she.saas scrunnlnus-
ly late for everything. This was an
noying, unless you knew her and al
lowed for II; but so were most of the
things Aunt Jane did. She was small,
but enjoyed a deep bass voice.
"Ah, my poor child" was her greet
ing, how Ill you are looking"
Il didn't know 1t, said Lucy meek
ly.
you think you're happy. but know
better, poor thing. | see from your
looks, from your manner. that you
are utterly miserable. Now, confess.
haven't ! guessed rightf"
'Im-l'm perfectly happy" groaned
Lucy, dismally. Il mean, was till
till"
Till You came" was what she
wanted TO say, but her courage failed.
Till you married." said Aunt Jane,
triumphantly. Didn't say so?"
The manner of Aunt Jane had a Gu
riously quelling effect upon all who
allowed themselves to be brought I'M
der its spell. Having extracted this
admission. she followed up her sue
cess by a skilful cross-eXamination,
which reduced the poor girl TO tears,
and almost persuaded her that her
husband was the most brutal scoun-
drel on earth. Every little instance
of his irritability. every little protest,
however gentle. about lateness Of
breakfast or toughness of beef was
dragged out of her by tortuous means,
carefully exaggerated and embelished
with details supplied from Aunt James
own instinct, and fitted into its place
in an elaborate and highly colored
mosaic of perfect vilainy. And when
II was done. so difficult was 1t to dis
tinguieb fact from fancy that Lucy
was wondering how ON earth she could
eyer have married the man at all
And now. my dear" said Aunt
Jane. ito follow up your suggestion
that he is conceaing something far
worse than all this"-Lucy had never
suggested anything OF the kind, but
she saw now how probable it was
lust tell me fully anything he may
have confded to you and any suspi-
cions You may have that he is keep
ing anything back There should be
no secrets between a man and his
wife's aunt"
NO, Aunt said Lucy, struggling
with her tears; Il quite agree"
For instance. does he receive let
tiers which he doesn't allow you to
look att"
"I-I-don't know; never asked
him" she sobbed.
Poor ohild-poor. simple child, As
If he would confess It! The very fact
that he says nothing about those let
ters ought to have put you on your
guard. He always gets down to break
fast before you, I'll be bound, and
gloats over them in secret, eh?"
Yves, he does, usually; but-but
II don't know anything about the
gloating." She dried her eyes be-
tween each word.
''No; the hopsemaid would see that"
Il sup-suppose she would"
And doesn't It strike you as suspi-
cious that the housemaid hasn't told
you about IT? Looks like a conspira-
cy. doesn't It. eh?"
Lucy clinched her hands and said
che ought TO have suspected it. it was
SO obvious.
All. my poor child. the obvious IS
so seldom visiblel | find that people