Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1905-08-17
A STRONG
MAN
BY Martha
Observation-Disclosures
COPYRIGHT, 1905, bp Martha McC,lloch-
Williams

s Copyright, 1905, on Martha McCauloch- :
: Williams
s~\<\/>/\N/SNNNNAn NnNNNN>NNN/N>N<
"Humph! I'd as lieve marry fu-
reral as Wilton Roy" Granny Bunch
said, her short nose in air.
Sunshine laughed aloud. Sunshine
was otherwise Anne Trevor. heiress Of
WAYS End, and Granny Bunch was
AIRS. Richard Lee. Sunshine was tall
and twenty. Granny Bunch was short
and stout. with a fresh. rosy face. The
two We're cronies despite the forty
years between them, also despite the
fact that Granny Bunch was bent on
matching Sunshine to her mind.
They lived half mile apart, and
Sunshine did the visiting for the most
part. She was not yet mistress at
Ways End. Her stepmother, Nine.
Trevor, had life estate there and
was as austerely unsocial as Granny
Bunch was hospitable. She had also a
g1udge against Granny in that she,
too. had views as to Anne's proper be-
stowal. Granny was all for marrying
Sunshine to her grandson, Richard
Lee Sd. whereas Nine. Trevor held
it little short of her stepdaughter's
Christian duty to take Wilton Roy,
her nephew. He had come with her
to Ways End and lived there. He
was dignified, sober and sensible, ex-
actly the husband for such piece Of
quicksilver as Anne. The match would
be in every way ideal. Wilton had only
a modest competence along with a
capacity for handling fine fortune.
Thus Nine. Trevor to her Utmost
self, thus also obscurely, with much
wrapping about of fine phrases, to
Sunshine. She hated bitterly Richard
3D. and did not scruple to say out
right that he and his fat old grand
mother were rank fortune hunters, lay
ing traps and pitfalls for Aune's I'M
wary feet. Anne's usual answer was
to mount her horse and gallop away
to her dear Granny Bunch. If Rich
dlO on 1dppSllGO W NC laClS wuGu
she arrived, why, SO much the better.
He was younger than Sunshine by
whole month and fancied himself
madly in love with her He had been
counting her since they were fifteen,
with the usual nterludes-college esca-
pades and summer flirtations. Sun
shine knew all about them, for Granny
Bunch was Richard 3ds confidant.
you mustn't mind, honey" she had
said to Sunshine Indeed, you ought
to be obliged to these other girls-they
are taking out such a lot Of the fool
ishness. By the time Dicky is through
college he will have come to know him
self In measure. Then he'll find out
over again what he knew in the be-
ginning-that there is nobody in all the
world like Sunshine"
1t was Dicky's story-the tale of his
Granny Bunch's revilement Of Wilton
Roy. Sunshine had said demurely she
did not understand how men could be
so different. Wilton Roy had told her
he should never make love to any girl
but the one he meant to marry. And
then Granny Bunch had exploded. She
hated the superfine Wilton.
zone couldn't very well marry a
funeral-marrying a minister is about
the nearest thing to IT, Sunshine said
rehectively. Granny Bunch eyed her
narrowly, then broke into laugh, say
ing:
Honey, you nearly fooled me then.
Honest now-dont you find him
mighty wearing?"
Not always! he has his uses" Sun
shine said. HE says an undisputed
thing in such solemn way and after
have heard him awhile almost any,
body else is refreshingly brilliant
even Dicky dear"
"Dicky is no genius-he'll never set
the river afire-but he is a man-an
athlete, strong as mule, gentle as a
lamb" Granny Bunch retorted.
Sunshine laughed. TELL him in your
letter l send him a kiss-for his grand
mothers sake" she said Tell him,
too, have named the pup he sent me
for him, and ask MIN If he does not
think his namesake deserves new
collar"
Il know he thinks yes l shall write
him to bring the collar, not send it."
Granny Bunch said, eying Sunshine
lovingly. Sunshine held up her hands,
crying:
What! Take him from his studies
for whole week! You mustn't think
of it, Granny! Dicky dear hasn't any
too much scholarship now-certainly
none to lose"
"a hang for books and lectures and
all that fiddle faddle." Granny said
stoutly. THE boy is not there to cram
his head with such stuff. / only want
the place to mold him as it helped to
mold his father and grandfather. If l
thought it could make prg of him
hke-Well, somebody | might name-he
should leave tomorrow"
Il see you are an obstinate person.
likewise opinionated, my dear Mrs.
Lee" Sunshine Knocked in Nine Ire
ror's own manner.
The two We're laughing so heartily