The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1903-10-30
Invincible Cupid
tcopyright, 1908, by Daily story Pub. Coz

~ w tx. not very UEaFe, JOAN, IS-
marked Marion Fleming, survey
,ng her friend with mingled contempt
and pity.
No" agreed Joan meekly, Il am not,
but it isn't altogether my fault I've had
% obey my aunt ever since can re-
member It's not so easy to assert your
self when you've been ruled all your
life l don't believe you would have
he courage to make a stand against
Aunt Amanda"
Marion's eyes flashed. Forty Aunt
Amanda's couldn't make me give up
the man I loved" she declared, "and
marry old Jay Spencer"
He is horrid. | don't want to marry
him." quavered Joan, but what can
do?"
Have YOU written to Neil about it?'
demanded Marion.
Joan shook her head Aunt Amanda
said not, and I just didn't dare, she
answered.
''Oh. why didn't you tell me this be-
fore?' cried Marion, impatiently. Ihe
wedding day only a week away, and
1t will be at least eight days before
Neil can get a letter and then come
on here"
But I don't dare write to him.
cried Joan Aunt Amanda said not.
You needn't scold or look at me like
that. Marion. for l can't help it"
Girls" called the harsh raspinS
voice of Miss Amanda Weathers, and
the girls sprang to their feet and pre-
sented themselves to that worthy lady,
with surprising promptness.
Miss Amanda, spare of form and
stern of feature, at once noted Joan
red eyes You girls have been talk
ing nonsense about that young Graves,
and I want it stopped she said Sc
verely. Marion Fleming, hired you
to do plain sewing, not to gable love-
sick nonsense to this silly girl"
Now. I want you 20 understand
Joan will marry Mr.. Spencer this day
week She'll never have another
chance like him. Steady, well-to-do,
reliable men don't grow on every bush.
There's not a girl in the whole set
tlemcnt that wouldn't jump at him"
and Miss Amanda eyed Marion mean
ingly.
She'll marry him because | wish
her TO. Isn't that sufficient reason?
Isn't she my niece? Haven't | fed and
clothed and shaved for her ever since
she was a little red, ugly baby, that
nobody else wanted, and now why
shouldn't she marry the man I've cho-
sen for her?
And where would you be if Jay
Spencer hadn't given you the Ford
school last Winter?" she demanded,
fiercely of Marion. where's your
gratitude? Pah! You idle young fools
make me sick. &C back to your work
and don't let me know of your talking
nonsense again, do you hear"
"Yes. MAN." said Joan, meekly, and
they went back to their sewing with
tingling ears.
That night, with Joan slumbering
peacefully by her side, Marion pom
dered over the problem of preventing
the marriage until the arrival Of Neil
Graves.
True to her promise to Joan that
afternoon, she had written him the
true state of affairs. "You must come
prepared to take Joan away with you,"
she told him, "for nothing else will
prevent her aunt marrying her TO Mr.
Spencer"
"He will marry her and take her
away I'll never see either of them
again." thought Marion, bitterly. Yes,
Neil would marry Joan-Joan,
who would love anyone who petted and
made much Of her; who would
even be happy with Jay Spen-
rer. if he were kind to her,
whih she-nere poor Marion
choked back the rising sob; for had
she not loved Neil ever since child
hood? Those happy days when the
three. Neil, Joan and Marion, were in
separable.
When Neil neared manhood he began
TO lavish the affections hitherto equal
1y diyideS between the two girls, upon
joan
Perhaps as he grew older and wiser,
he realized the difference in the social
status of the two girls, for Marion's
people were all poor, and many OF
them disreputnble, while the Spen-
GERS. Graves, and Weathers were the
sristocrats of the settlement, and no
where are the 400" more exclusive in
their matrimonial alliances than in a
sparsely settled New England neigh
borhood.
Perhaps he had always cared more