Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1905-11-10
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A Novel by
THOMAS COBB
Author of
"MI. Passingham, "The Judgment
of Helen" Etc.

beastly young and healthy You see,
| feel I'm hiding my light under
bushel. In twenty years time l
shant be any nearer my goal than l
am today
oh, you'll get your company long
before then.
Bernard came to her side.
You see, dear, I'm impatient for
yours, he whispered
You have done nothing but grum.
BILE since you came. she limited.
Look here, Amabel, he persisted
you know very well what | mean.
She shook her head slowly
Il am not sure l want to know, she
said.
Now, could any fellow be more hor-
ribly tantalised' he cried. There's
my Aunt joan
You mean you would like Mrs
Venables to accommodate you by dy-
ingi'
Not at all | only want her to mar
~ and live happily ever after he
said
How absurd it is to think she can
be your aunt answered Amabel
She doesn't look day older than
Internationally
She isn't far short of thirty, though,
Bernard suggested.
That's the advantage of being fair
said Amabel But the idea OF her
being your aunt.
L wish to goodness she would en-
dow me with another uncle he cried
She has had three years of widow
hood, and she never cared rap
Colonel Venables couldn't have car
ed very, very much for her, said
Amabel
oh, he was a cantankerous beg
Carl answered Bernard. old enough
to be her father
L think it was horribly mean to
make her lose all her money if she
married again
Well said Bernard, I don't know
about that. Upon my word, | can't
find fault with his will
How pleasantly unselfshl'
She has always been awfully de
cent To me. YOU know Bernard con-
tinued. Only why on earrn uoesn
she marry?
When do you expect Mrs. Ven
ables homer Amabel asked.
In about three weeks time | am
coming to stay with her; I've got
leave said Bernard. She's always
off on some wild goose chasel Imag
inc her starting to the Mediter-
ranean just because some precious
governess had been over-wQrking her
self And he exclaimed, the very
reason which makes me want her to
marry prevents men from asking
her
don't suppose you would be bit
more contented, said Amabel
I should be about as rich as they
make 'em, anyhow.
Money, you know, is the root of all
evil cried Amabel
Yes, and of a precious lot of good
too he retorted.
You wouldn't know what to dc
with it, Amabel suggested.
Well, l should marry you to begin
with
oh, thanks very much But sup
pose that l don't wish to be married!
Most women dol
Anyway. l intend to have a good
time first she said
I'd take care you had a good time
afterwards, dear. What could be bet
ter?' he demanded.
She looked up mischievously into
his face.
When I go shopping, she said, I
always make point of inspecting the
whole stock
But suppose you've made up your
mind firstl' Bernard suggested. II
spot thing like. that's enough for
me-
Well. IL isn't enough for me- she
said. Besides, one may change her
mind
Anyhow he continued, If my Aunt
Joan were to marry, my first invest
ment would be a ring, my second .
license
You take that now, Bernie!'
But he said, leaning over her
chair, 'supposing that
I can't
If she were to marry, and -
I don't believe she will ever marry
said Amabel
But If she were To-
oh, in that case, daresay she
would invite me to the wedding. |
should have to reconsider the situa-
ton. But how ridiculous it is to talk
like this! What's the user
One can't always be utilitarian,' he
insisted.
All, Bernie, she said. leaning back
in her chair, you're a foolish boy to
think about It,
7 don't think of much else, he re
turned. You might as well say a
mans foolish to eat his dinner be-
cause he's going 10 die some day.
think about you and wonder where
you are and what you're doing. and
whom you're flirting with. and upon
my word II makes me mad'
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