Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1906-10-18
A Great Uun
BY GRETCHEN GRAYDON
Copyright, 1906, by Homer Sprague

scarlet, but grinning in spite of him.
self "Wait till you've seen her at
least Mother makes fun Of her names
because she can't find fault with her
any way else. And Sue isn't to blame.
She didn't name herself or choose the
family she had to be born in."
mo, but you do choose the family
you marry into" Mrs. Wheat cooed.
She was less than twenty years older
than Billy and still a very pretty and
very lively woman.
Connors thought her stunning. So
did his Uncle Tins. Harking back sud-
denly in his mind to something year
old, he whistled aloud and asked alb
ruptly: "Say, Nanny Wheat, is it the
same way with Tim? Did you turn
him down because you wouldn't be
Mrs. O'Toole?"
1t was mammy's turn to blush. The
blush made her younger and prettier
than ever 'Who says l had the
chance to be Mrs O'Toole?" she began,
but stopped as both the youngsters
growled derision and unbelief.
''Tim was the worst ever" Connors
said decidedly; couldn't eat or sleep;
used to hang out of the windows all
prom week just TO stare up the street
toward where you were staying; in
the greatest fidget. too, to get his place
fixed up uew And then, after he'd
walked about with you one teeny half
hour, he quit-cut out everything ex-
cept my allowance and scooted across
the pond with just half steamer kit.
Don't say you don't know why, MAN.
my! 1t won't do any good-not with
us two. We know. He wented-be-
cause you sented him. Poor old Tim!
You have heap on your conscience
nanny! How could you do it?"
Don't you understand Larry, dearF'
nanny said, still blushing. ''It was
all on your account. | couldn't bear to
supplant you" Her eyes laughed, but
Larry Connors saw under the laughter.
eIf that was your game you went
blind he said. Don't you see, Tim is
so near the years of indiscretion-they
begin at forty -fve-Ee'll sure fall vic
tim somehow somewhere. You ought
TO have taken him, nanny. Then, in
deed, my future would have been Sc
cure"
fWhere Is heq Have you heard from
him lately?' nanny asked, her eyes
suddenly downcast.
Larry shook his head. HE was tear
ing around toward the midnight sun
thought maybe the icebergs would re-
mind him of you," he said. But that
was six months back-long enough for
him to be buried or married"
HE always talked of Ireland''-
nanny began, signing family.
"But he didn't care for it unless you
were there to see it with him." Larry
interrupted. Il think I'll gable him to
come back right away. Maybe he will
be ready to sacrifice himself for your
whim-carry off the adorable Gum and
so save Billy"
81 had rather-almost-she had Billy"
nanny said inconsequently. Tim
is a dear, but-'Hon. Mrs. Timothy
O'TooleP Dear me, SQuld cry when
! think Qf IL Why wasn't he born
Something else?
"Smith, Jones, Brown or Robinson"
Larry commented.
Mrs Wheat got up and walked quick
ly away.
Billy went to the window. Larry,
staring after the vanishing lady, was
amazed TO see her head droop and her
bosom swell Clearly she was on the
point of sobbing. He followed he: soft
~ and said as she flung herself on a
couch: ':Tell me, nanny! You're play
ing game. What is it?'
How did you guess?" nanny said,
speaking very low, with her finger on
her lip. "You mustn't ever let Billy
guess it," she said HE doesn't know
about our money. 1t came to me from
my uncle, the dearest, straillaced
soul He thought second marriages sim
ful-spiritual bigamy, he called them.
So I kept my fortune, which will be
Billy's fortune, on condition of remain
ing always a widow. Now you see
why I had to send Tim away"
"'As Il ne cared for your money!
And he'd never let Billy lose," Larry
said exultantly. But he bent his head
reverently to kiss mammy's hand as
he addedi 'But, OH, you are. a brick!
You made up all this about the name
to blind that blessed boy?"
81 had to-there-there wasn't any
thing else. Tim was such a gentle
man." Mrs. Wheat zai4, smothering q
sob. '.You Won't ten him, Larry, but
all this teasing over his sweetheart'a
name is just to keep him from suspect
ing. 1 don't really oppose him, although
I think he is making mistake. He has
promised to wait year-long enough
to find it out for himself"
HWhatis wrong with herr" Larry
asked.
Everything, but mostly that she's
too old and wise and hard" Mrs. Wheat
said comprehensively. II mean that
she was born too old; actually they are
but q month apart. She is much too
clever to care really for my dear. bis
laundering, pretty boy, but she cares
whole lot Tor what he can give her.
You ought to see her eying my pearls.
I could forgive her little if she had
uO pcurlS OL ueE OWN. 10 De IlCn dLQ
grasping is so much worse than to
yearn for what one never has had. l
could break up the match tomorrow by
letting her know l hold the purse
strings, but that would lose me my boy,
and ne's everything"
"She shan't have him, and you shan't
lose him. Listen! I've got an idea,"
Larry said.
Nanny bent toward him, her biiM-
ming eyes shining. They talked in
whispers for two minutes, then Larry
rushed away, headed for the telegraph
office.
Exactly three weeks later Nanny
Wheat, with Larry in attendance, went
up to the city upon steamer day. The
pair got back late to Fernbrook and
slipped into the hotel by the side en-
trance wholly unseen. But soon there
was inscribed upon the register In Lar
ry's most sprawling hand, "Mr. and
Mrs. f. T. Decentralization, Mount
Merrion, County Meath, Ireland" And
underneath, in Greek letters, They've
5a1r1nd If ,,