The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1905-08-23
A STRONG
MAN ,...
McCulloch-Williams
Copyright, 1905, bv Marth0 McCtlIOch-
Williams

"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
Mrs. Richard Lee. Sunshine was tall
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 a mile apart, and
Sunshine did the visiting for the most
part. She was not yet mistress at
Ways End. Her stepmother, Nine.
Trevor, had a life estate there and
was as austerely unsocial as Granny
Bunch was hospitable. She had also
grudge against Granny in that she,
too, had views as to Anne's proper be-
stowaI. Granny was all for marrying
Sunshine to her grandson, Richard
Lee Sd. whereas Nine. Trevor held
1t 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 or
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 Mime. 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 scruple to say out
right that he and his fat old grand
mother were rank fortune hunterR, lay
ing traps and pitfalls for Anne's I'M
wary feet. Anne's usual answer was
to mount her horse and gallOp away
to her dear Granny Bunch. II Rich
ard Sd happened to be there when
she arrived, why, so much the better.
He was younger than Sunshine by
a whole month and fancied himself
madIy In love with her. He had been
counting her since they were fifteen.
nades and summer fllrtations. Sun
shine knew all about them, for Granny
Bunch was Richard 3d's confdant-
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 a 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"
It was Dicky's story-the tale OF his
lntest enthrallment-that had led to
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 superflne Wilton.
"One couldn't very well marry
funeral-marrying a minister Is about
the nearest thing to It." Sunshine said
refectiyely. Granny Bunch eyed her
narrowly, then broke into laugh, say
ing:
Honey, you nearly fooled me then.
Honest now-don't you find him
mighty wearing?"
Not always; he has his uses" Sun
shine said. HE says an undisputed
thing In such a solemn way and after
1 have heard him awhile almost any
body else Is refreshingly brilliant
even Dicky dear"
''Ddcky is no genius-he'll never set
the river afire-but he Is a man-an
athlete, strong as a mule, gentle as
lamb" Granny Bunch retorted.
Sunshine laughed. 'Tell him in your
letter send him kiss-for his grand
mothers sake she said. Tell him,
too, nave named the pup he sent me
for him, and ask MIN II he does not
think his namesake deserves a new
collar"
II know he thinks yes. 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 a whole week. You mustn't think
Of 1t, 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. l only want
. 81
mold his father and grandfather. II
thought it could make prig of him
like-well. somebody might name--he
should leave tomorrow"
81 see you are an obstinate person
likewise opinionated, my dear Mrs.
Lee" Sunshine Knocked In Nine. Ire
vor's own manner.
The two were laughing SO heartily
they did not hear Wilton Roy ride up
to the open hall door and kept chat
ting madly of things they would not
have had him hear for a kingdom.
Whether or no he heard, he gave no
sion when he came In ten minutes
later But ON the way home and all
through that evening he beset Sun
shine to marry him, pressing her until
she was almost driven In sheer weari-
ness to accept.
Wilton was a good strategist; he did
not fall into the two elderly women's
mistake of running down all possible
rivals. Indeed, he ignored rivalry ana
talked OF his love and long devotion.
He had never talked so well, and there
was a ring In his voice that impressed
her.
As IL Fate were on his side, the
morning was rainy. The day wearing
on brought deluge that shut in Ways
End and utterly forbade stirring
abroad. The rain held three days-a
regular autumn freshet. How Anne
got through them she never under
stood. Wilton pleaded manfully and
Nine. Trevor deliberately left her
alone whenever she ventured into the
III IL k~nIT