Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1904-07-14

l
mighty proud, and imagine that is
why she turned the cold shoulder on
my efforts to get her to come to Bos-
ton to meet you all. Now, if you go
there, if only for one night, the ice will
be broken, and of course you will in
vite her to visit you and all will go
WELL"
"A nice little scheme" responded
Blanch, but what will mamma and
Eide say?
ooh, never mind them," answered
the plotter. "They need never know
it. Just tell them you are going to
Saratoga with me for few days. We
will go there If you like, only we will
stop off at Sandgate on the way. Now,
do this for me, sis, and I'll buy you
the earth when Christmas comes!'
"Well, you will have to stay here
until Monday" said Blanch, land be
real nice to mamma and EIDE all the
time, or l can't fix it. Lucky for you,
Master Frank, that they are out driv-
ing now
"But why must we wait four days?"
asked Frank petulantly.
Because, my love lorn brother, in
the first place l don't want to miss the
Saturday night hop, and then we are
booked for a blackboard ride tomorrow.
Another reason is l mean to pay you
for turning your back on US and going
off on the Gypsy"
That afternoon Frank wrote Alice the
1 10v 1o%+ e,L~ 4
nine full pages. 1t was received with
some pleasure and little veXat1on by
Alice.
"Mr. Mason and his sister are coming
here Monday" said she to Aunt Susan,
land we must put on our best bib and
tucker, suppose. But how we can
contrive to entertain his sister Is be-
yond me-" Nevertheless, she was
rather pleased at the prospective visi-
tation. Her school had been closed
for over a month and her daily life
was becoming decidedly monotonous.
When Albert had written regarding
the invitation the Nasons had extend
ed, she believed it was due solely to
Franks influence, and when that
/
to join a yachting party, providing his
mother and sister decided to go, she
was morally sure Of it. But it made
no difference, for If the supposedly
aristocratic Mrs Mason had sent her
q written invitation she was the last
person in the world to accept it. To so
go out Of her way for the possible OPP
l Of oil hn lu oP
a rich family to pay court to her
was not characteristic of Alice Page
Rather thousand times would she
teach school in single blessedness all
her life than be considered as putting
herself in the way of probable
sutton. OF her own feelings toward
Frank she was not at all sure. He
was good looking young fellow and
no doubt stood we'll socially. At first
she had felt little contempt for him,
due to his complaints that he had hard
work to kill time. When she received
the letter announcing his determine
ton to study law and become useful
man in the world she thought better
of him. When he came up in June
it became clear that he was in love
with her. So self evident We're his
feelings that she at that time felt COM
PEELED to avoid giving him chance
to express them. Her heart was and
always had been entirely free from the
pangs of love, and while his devotion
was in way quite lattering, the one
insurmountAble barrier was his family.
Had he been more diplomatic he would
never have told her his mother
frowned ut him when he danced twice
with a poor girl.
81 am poor girl" Alice thought,
when he made the admission, "but I'll
wear old clothes all my life before his
naughty mother shall read him lee
ture for dancing twice with me-"
Ever since the day Mrs. Mears had
related the village gossip to her she
had thought good many times about
the cause Of 1t, but to no one had she
mentioned the matter. Her only as
sociate, good natured Abby Miles. had
never dared to speak Of it, and Aunt
Susan was wise enough not to :