New-York tribune., 1903-03-10

We'll don't know. said Lucy; here's a letter
Aunt Jane? Did / meet Aunt Jane before
married?''
Lucy got up and went round the breakfast table
Tom. dear: You remember that day you asked
Yes" ne replied. why. what's the NATTER"
confessLa past a present and a future; something
Vo isht Revef be l a4le TO m ,, his arm round
well. it was-it was Aunt Jane"
that? But i don't remember having heard Of her
was wrong Of me. She didn't writ: TO congratu;
fs ous Gf sh be all g quite hoped
would never forgive me. or would have told you
Well: we'll, he said; i, CAN'T be helped Who
She pays visits chiefly. And she says here that
She hasn't actually done so?'
Then why DESPAIR; H, ,s2ss shssFed Rar rrts
a abomina ble man
You mean to say you've never told her you've
NO. Would il be quite true?'' she asked; simply
Well she ahnt in spite Of II she won. , be
Re s2e haka on it ' Ee ak that Su F6nng
should ever be left alone with their husbands; that
| shall always find her house a refuge and asylum
Lucy: H but lisen-hs is the the last s.ntencS fe~I
SO will come on Wednesday to stal a week or
W Augb sb James aTdyS or 5G
Lucy put the letter down and sighed. ''Ouiy once
the time that she came for. and then it was because
% h6rror of oan ANYTHING a with IT he
gardener was eaten by a leop5rd ,-,,..
Daring she crieu. Il shall never forgive my
Its not your fault altogether he replied: Few
of US choose aunts. 49,.
course the length Of my visit will depend on the
Of n 1H5 m9 Tom who fa1 denad m5Sns VIII
she go because m good and she can trust you TO-
I'm sure don't know" said Lucy. ..oh; here's
Weakness for q bot water bottIe'!
That throws no light" he said, What
to doo''
s mnf be d4F4F dnav Ne N bis uz 6ar
Would you still hav" married me. she asked.
timidy. IF you had known Of this dreadful thing:
Georse Geo And h soH hurried q" TO his work With
gutS haste, before She could ask any questions
Aunt Jane "a arrived as threatened Dunet1aliy I va
Of an hour late on principIe II arose out OF
dse for @ being Kept waiting when asked dv9T out tho to
Who'll of her moyem4nts owing 70 her morbid 3 pas =
time for luncheon upset her for a week n and she she
annoying unless you knew her and allowed for
i; but SO were most of the things Aunt Jane did
"Ab my poor child was her greeting. how ill
Il didn't know it, said Lucy neekly-
Never mind never mind: You've no63dy 10 70
best Of it Civ. me me some ONE tea. child
She folded her veil and sat down with an air of
Put the sagar in first then the s tea , and then
Yes Aunt Long habit had taught absolute
And now tell me-" said Aunt Jane. after few
minutes general conversation, docs he yet use
Lucy looked at her in astonishment, ,...,.- -,
all the truth to your doctor and your aunt have
come here to cheer you up. ,...
II don't understand what you mean Aunt
bs qf see m that II you are fbdTg at !ms
can't forget that YOU ran into it with Your eyes
open. Your mother did just the, same poor dear,
'Ah, temper temper, No. my child. know bet
instinct for that. Now. don't lose your temper
say You haven't plenty try it sorely in your
with much more of this Lucy felt that she would
become hysterical Tom was not due home for two
The old lady chatted on cheerfully,
You think you're happy put @ know o neer PoGr
that you are utterly miserable. No" confess
Tm-Im 7 perfectly haPRy t} tt,, groaned Lucy dis
ma1Iy I;i - mean: %ss tnti bat sbe uan,ad 70 say
but her courage failed
ptsatiz M y2q Dan n?FF;ss s::3 Aunt Ians '.
rT The ac anner o OF Auf b0 5a oWed themsev TO be
brought under trs spell Having extracted This ad
ss9g h ~eRR TsueeG ne5 the g to
tears and almost persuaded her that her husband
little instance OF MS irritabty every little pro
r fouebnes of beef Was dragged out Of her by
tortuous means, carefully exaggerated and embel-
instinct and fitted into its place in an elaborate
and highly colored mosaic of perfect villany And
fact from fancy that Lucy wondering how on
earth she could ever have married the man at all
And now. my dear said Aunt Jane. ITO follow
up your suggestion that he IS concealing some
thing far worse than all his-Lucy had never
suggested anything Of the kind. but she saw now
how proba bic it Was-'just tell me fully anything
he may have contided to you and any suspicious
YOU may that he is keeping anything back
There should be no secrets between a man and MS
NO, Aunt" said Lucy struggling with her tears;
II quite agree -, -
For instance. does he receive letters which he
does not allow you to look att"
"T-I-don't know: l never asked him. she
Poor chfld-poor simple child, AS If he would
confess IT. The very fact that he says nothing
about those letters ought to have put you on your
guard. He always gets down TO breakfast before
you I'll be bound, and gloats over them in secret,
Yves. he does usually: but-but-I don't know
NO the housemaid would see that
"I sup-suppose she would
And doesn't it look suspicious that the house,
maid hasn't told you about it? Looks like con-
Lucy clenched her hands and said ought to
have suspected It, Il was 50 obvious
"Ah my poor child. the obvious is so seldom
visible! find that people very often miss what 10
is as clear daylight
Aunt Jane had never been on scent so hot
'tAnd hav, you access to all cupboards. drawers.
III think So" was the fatering reply
pretty state Of mind for wife. Take me 10 MS
study at oncei Am l not his wife's aunt?
This was said because Lucy seemed TO hesitate;
Together they to the study. Aunt Jane snfned
Smoke She snorted. "He smokes?
Lucy admitted IT.
And drinks I've no doubt.
Yves. I'm afraid so
And plays cards?"
"1-1-think So a little