The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1905-08-18
A STRONG:
MAN
By Martha
McCulloch-W Williams
Copyright, 1905, by Martha McCulIOch-
II iUi1nS


6v~%HNHn~NNNn~~~HNNHNNnHN/a
"Humph! I'd as lieve marry fu-
neral 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
and twenty. Granny Bunch was short
and stout, with fresh, rosy face. The
two were 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 Il 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 austcrcly unSocial as Granny
Bunch was hospitable. She had also
grudge against Granny in that she,
too. had views rs to Anne's proper be
stowal. Granny was all for marrying
Sunshine 10 her grandson, Richard
Lee Sd, whereas Nine. Trevor held
it little short of her stepdaughters
Christian duty to take Wilton Roy,
her nephew. lie had come with her
to Ways End and lived there. He
was dignifipd. sober and sensible, eX-
actly the husband for such Il piece of
quicksilver as Anne. The match would
be in every way ideal. Wilton had only
modest competence, along with
capacity for handling IL fine fortune.
Thus Nine. Trevor to her inmost
| self, thus also obscurely, with much
| wrapping about of fine phrases, to
| Sunshine. She hated bitterly Richard
| Sd and did not scruplc to say out
! right that he and his fat old grand
mother were rank fortune hunters, lay
| ing traps and pitfalls for Anne's un-
| wary feet. Anne's usual answer was
to mount her horse and gallOp away
| TO her dear Granny Bunch. If Rich
| ard Sd happened to be there when
| 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-colleSe esca-
nades and summer flirtations. Sun
| shine knew all about them, for Granny
Bunch was Richard 3d's contidant.
| You mustn't mind, honey" she had
| said to Sunshine. Indeed, you ought
| TO be obliged to these other sirlS-theN
are taking out such 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 i'll the be,
ginning-that there is nobody in all the
world like Sunshine
1t was Dicky's story-thc tale of his
latest enthrallment-that had led tC
Granny Bunch's rcvilemcnt of Wilton
Roy. Sunshine had said demurely she
did not understand how men could be
so different. Wilton Roy had told hel
he should never make love to any CIR
but the one he meant to marry. And
then Granny Bunch had exploded. Sht
hated the superline Wilton.
Zone couldn't very we'll marry u
funeral-marrying minister Is about
the nearest thing to It." Sunshine said
rehcctivcly. Granny Bunch eyed hei
narrowly, then broke into laugh, say
ing:
Honey, you nearly fooled me then
Honest now-dont you find hin
mighty wearing"
Not always; he has his uses Sun
shine said. He snyS an undisputcc
thing in such Il solemn way and afte
have heard him awhile almost any
body else is rcfrcshingly brilliant
even Dicky dear"
"Dicky Is no gan:us-hell never Sc
the river alire-but he is man-al
athlete, strong "a Il mule, gentle as !
lumb," Granny Bunch rctorted.
Sunshine laughed. Tell him in you
letter 1 send him a kiss-for his grand
mothers sake" she said. Tell him
, too, l have named the pup he sent M
+ for him. and ask him if he does no
think his namcSakc deserves Il new
collar"
Il know he thinks yes. l shall writ
1 him to bring the collar, not send It,
; Granny Bunch said eying Sunshin
/. lovingly. Sunshine held up her hands
crying;
"What! Take him from his Studio