Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1906-10-04
Copyright, by LOthrOP PuSIishins Company.
CHAPTRB XvIIL-CoNTNUED.


Milbrey gasped. shepler, who COM
manded markets to rise and they rose,
or to fall and they fell-Shepler beg
ging, entreating child of hist Despite
the soul-sickening tragedy Of 1t, the
situation was not without its element
of sublimity.
"she will consider; she will rehect?"
you're guessing now, and you're as
keen at that as l. Avice is not only
amazingly self-willed, as you intimated
a moment since, but she Is intensely
secretive. When she left me could
get nothing from her whatever. She
was wretchedly sullen and taciturn."
But why should she hesitate? Shep-
ler-Rulon Shepler! My God! Is the
girl crazy? The very idea Of hesita-
ton is preposterous!"
81 can't divine her. You know she
has acted perversely in the past. /
used to think she might have some
affair OF which we knew nothing
something silly and romantic. But II
she had any such thing I'm sure 1t
was ended, and she'd have jumped at
this chance year ago. You know
yourself she was ready to marry young
Bines, and was really disappointed
when he oIdn't propose"
"But this is too serious" He tin-
killed. the little silver bell.
Find out if Miss Ayice will be down
to breakfast"
Eyes, sir"
ssTf sba,s NOT canning down I shall go
up" declared Mr.. Milbrey when the
man had gone.
"she's stubborn" cautioned his wife.
''Gadi don't know it2"
Jarvis returned.
Miss Ayice won't be down, sir, and
I'm to fetch her up pot Of coffee,
air."
"Take 1t at once, and tell her / shall
be up to see her presently" Jarvis
vanished.
81 think see a way to put pressure
on her, that is If the morning hasn't
already brought her back to her
senses"
At four o'clock that afternoon, Aviee
Milbrey's ring brought Mrs. Van
Geist's butler to the door.
''Sandon, is Aunt Cornelia at honor"
Eyes, Miss Milbrey, she's confined to
her room h'aecount h'of a cold, miss. "
Thank heaYenl"
eyes, miss-certainlyl win you go
h'up to her?'
"And Mutterchen, dear, It was reg
ular bombshell," she concluded after
she had fiuttered some Of the NoVem-
Der freshness into Mrs. Van Geist'a
room, and breathlessly related the
facts.
"You demented creaturel / should
Say it must have been."
"Now, don't lecture!"
"But shepler is one Of the richest
men In New York"
dad already suspects as much"
"And he's kind, he's q big-hearted
chap, man OF the world, generous
--a--"
"a woman fancier, Fidelia Old
alker calls him"
my dear, II he fancies you"
'aThere, you old conservative, Tvs
heard all his good points, and my duty
has been written before me in letters
OF nre. Dad devoted three hours t.
writing 1t this morning. so don't
please, say over any Of the mora
maxims I'm likely to have heard"
"But why are you unwilling?"
"Hecause because I'm wild. / fame,
--lust because / don't like the Idea O.
marrying that man. He's such big
funny, round head, and positively NJ
neck-his head just rolls around OF
his big, Eillowy shouIders-an theI
be gets little right at once, tapers righ
on to a point with those tiny feet"
1T isn't easy to have everything"
1T wouldn't be easy to have him
either
Mrs, Van Geist fixed her niece Will
3 sudden look Of suspicion.
HAS has that man anything % q
with your refusali'