Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1906-10-11

out that her treatment of Mrs. Wybert
her perverse refusal to meet the lady
at all, is quite as absurd as 1t is rude,
and that II Fred chooses to marry Mrs.
Wybert 1t is her duty to act the part
of a sister even II she cannot bring
herself to feel 1t. I've assured her that
Mrs. Wyberts antecedents are all they
should be; not illustrious, perhaps, but
eminently respectable. Indeed, quite
approve Of the southern aristocracy.
But she constantly recalls what that
snobbish Bines was unfair enough to
tell her. I've done my utmost to con-
vince her that Bines spoke In the way
he did about Mrs. Wybert because he
knew she was aware Of those ridicu-
ious tales of his mothers illiteracy.
But .svice is-er-my dear, she Is like
her mother In more ways than one.
Assuredly she doesn't take 1t from
me-"
He became interested in the kidneys.
IF Marie had been a man." he re-
marked, feelingly, II often suspect that
her fame as chef would have been
second to none. Really, the suavity Of
her sauces Ia never-ending delight
to me-"
IL haven't told you yet the reason
q new reason-why you must talk to
Avice."
"The money-yes, yes, my dear,
know, we all know. Indeed, I've put it
to her plainly. She knows how sorely
Fred needs It, She knows how that
beast Of tailor is threatening to be
nasty-and I've explained how inval-
liable Mrs. Wybert would be, remind
ing her OF that lady's generous hint
about the rise in Federal Steel, which
enabled me to net the neat little profit
Of $40, 900 month ago, and how, but
for that, we might have been acutely
distressed. Yet she stubbornly clings
to the notion that this marriage would
be a mesalliance for the Milbreys."
II agree with her." replied his wife,
tersely.
Mr.. Milbrey looked perplexed, but
polite.
II quite agree with Avice," continued
the lady. That woman hasn't been
right, Horace, and she isn't right.
Young Bines knew what he was talk.
ing about. I haven't lived my years
without being able to tell that after
five minutes with her, clever as she Is.
| can read her. Like so many of those
women, she has an intense passion to
be thought respectable, and she's come
into money enough-God only knows
how-to crafty it. l could tell 1t, II
nothing else showed it, by the way in
which she overdoes responsibility. She
has the thousand and one artificial
little rules for propriety that one never
does have when one has been bred to
1t. That kind Of woman Is certain to
| lapse sooner or later. She would mar.
ry Fred because of his standing, be.
cause he's a favorite with the smart
people she thinks she'd like to be pally
with. Then, after a little she'd run
off with a German dialect comedian or
something, like that appalling person
Normie Whitmund married"
But the desire to be respectable, my
dear-and you say this woman has II
is mighty lever. I'm 10 cynic
IhbSuS yooA oSAp buI W luluh
of their-ah-eccentricities if it should
cease to be factor in the feminine
equation"
"Its nothing more than a passing
fad with this person-besides, that's
not what I've to tell you"
But you, yourself, were not averss
to Fred's marrying her, in spite OF
these opinions you must secretly have
held"
mot while 1t seemed absolutely nec
essary-not while the case was 50
brutally desperate, when we were
actually pressed"
Remember, my dear, there's moth.
ing magic in those $4,000. They're
winged dollars like all their mates. and
most Of them, I'm sorry to say, have
already flown to places where theyt
long been expected"
Mrs. Milbrey's sensation was n,
longer to be repressed. She had toyet
with the situation sufficiently. Hei
husband was now skillfully dissectini
the deviled thighs of an immature
chicken.
Horace" said his wife, impressive
ly, "Avice has had an offer of marriag,
from"
He looked up with new interest.
From Rulon Shepler."
He dropped knife and fork. Shepler
the man of mighty millions! The un
disputed monarch of finance! Thl
cold-blooded, calculating sybarite IL
his lighter moments, but . mAn whoss
values as a son-in-law were so ideally
superb that the Milbrey ambition hat
never vaulted high enough even tt
overlook them for one daring moment
Shepler, whom he had known so loni
and so Intimately, with never thu
audacious thought of union SO stu
pendously glorious!
Margaret, you're jesting!"
Mrs. Milbrey scorned to be dazzlet
by her triumph.
Nonsense! Shepler asked her las
night to marry him"
"It's bewildering! never dreamed
1--WE expected it for months.
could tell you the very moment wher
the idea first seized the man--on thu
yacht last summer. l was sure sh,
interested him, even before his wif'
died two years ago."
Margaret, it's too good to be true!'
eff you think it is, I'll tell you some
thing that isn't: AVice practically re