Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-09-28
HOW THEY GOT AHEAD
OF THE OLD FOLKS

114 49, ~ "ACAA
the postman arrived and left a letter
for her.
"Good graciousr she exclaimed.
Mamma to be married. Sorry she
can't come home quite astearly as ex-
pected.' Mr.. Arbuckle'. Hopes I'll
not be naughty about it. What In the
world am l to do? / can't get used to
a strange man In the house. Tll''- i
A maid entered and handed herfa
card on which was written, "Heury
DurandA Arbuckle."
"Well i declare" the girl vent on
with her soliloquy, after telling the
maid to say that she would be down
soon, this is disaster following fast
and following faster 1 hardly learn
that l am, to have a stepfather when !
am called to face him. l wonder If
mamma has gone and made a silly OF
herself by taking q youpc. a She
always disliked old ones. 50 1 suppose
she's got a boy. Heigho! l wish 1 had
some one to marry myself"
She prinked a little before the glass
and then went down 2to the craving
room. A handsome young man IL TWEEN
ty-five 0 as she entered. He looked
rather embarrassed and stammered a
few incoherent sentences.
BEG pardon, Mrs. Arbuckle-I mean
Miss-no, Mrs. Wardwell, for calling
SO early. l have but q few hours in
the city, and
"You are quite ~excusabie, Mr.. Ar
buckle. I received a letter this morn.
ing
80 did J.. Quite charmed, / assure
you, to find so young a person. i
feared
Sand I am quite surprised In you"
Il think I shall love you very much.
My mother died when l was but four
years old, and I have no remembrance
of her"
Miss Wardwell looked surprised.
His motherr
II remember my father" she replied,
"and I'm quite sure no other man can
take his place, but
"You will not object to the love Of a
SOM"
Miss Wardwell paused again. "The
love of q soni Is mamma to marry a
lunatic?"
Meanwhile Miss Wardwell had tax
en- a seat on a sofa, and Mr.. Arbuckle,
who had taken q chair, got up and sat
down beside her.
You have no idea," he said, chow
charmed I I'M IN finding so agreeable
a young person. I'm sure we shall get
on famously. You will find me dutiful.
obedient, loving"
~And l." she replied, "am equally
pleased. just before you called I made
up my mind that / couldn't endure
Same here. We have both felt
alike. How delightful to have dissat-
isfactton turned to %pleasuret oh.
mother, let u.s.
"Mother!" she exclaimed, drawing
back. "What do you meanT"
II mean that father couldn't have
chosen O more satisfactory stepmother
for me-" tti.
"Stepmother! Why, I'm to be your
stepdaughter."
"What do you take me forY'
"Mamma's new husband that isfto
be-"
"Are you not Mrs. SWardwell2"
II am Miss Julia WardwelI Do I
look old enough TO be your step.
mother?"
"This is very astonishing. I sup
posed I was calling on fathers fan
cee."
"And L supposed you were my moth
er's fanca"
"Father wrote me that Mrs. Ward
we'll would arrive In the city yester-
day and, as I was passing through,
asked me to call on herr"
AZ have Just received a letter from
mamma saying that she has been de-
layed. I supposed she had chosen a
young man. She has eve liked old
ones.7
We'll, well! Upon my word! And
you're not to be my stepmother after
all!'
II should say not! And you're not
to be my stepfather, and I'm to have
on old man In the house! I'm disap,
pointed"
sand I'm to have an old woman fol
n stepmother."
"I shall not live with them"
"Nor l."
81 shall take apartments andt live
alone, with q maid and other serv-
ants"
"You can't do that"
"Why not2"
You're too young-and pretty"
ooh, deari I'm disgusted."
$50 am 1. I shall ~ into bachelor
quarters"
"Why will parents make themselves
happy by making their children miser.
able!"
tIt's very selfish of them"
They've had their fling and should
defer to their offspring"
ard like to get ahead of the gov,
ernor. 1t would serve him right"
"I'd marry a clown to get even with
mamma"
II wouldn't mind helping you out"
ILL., vTY-l-.NIa l--.1 nm hnrs