The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-03

"Fought, Auntie9 Fought7" Mary
Astley's great eyes widencd out, and
she sat up in her chair stitf with sud
den excitement.
"Ayl like too mad bulls, and ono
on EN- IS black eyes and t'other's goin
about with stick Aunt. Bet stood
on the hearthrug before the great farm
kitchen fire, poker still in hand, whilst
her hard red face cleaned with sly
triumph
''But not--not about me7' and
Mary, white to the lips, was most gen
uinely distressed.
"'Chut woman, what else' Why
you we got EN- all on stick, every
Jack-man of 'em-sly boots!' and then
she propped tho poker into its place.
shook her head in tickiad admiration,
and continued, ebay, I've heard OF you
quiet ones afore, but ! never saw 1t
done so clever-neyer,'
"Auntie, don't. Oh, what have 1
done2''
But E!ct!.ia drew up her chair, put
her feet On the fender, proPped her
chin on her hands as she stared into the
fire, anc shook her head.
cts beautiful. Beautiful
Mary bad risen, her little hands
clenched and her face quiyering.
"How can you, Auntjcl I've never
i we scarcely spoken tn them:
"Good lass, that IS the stylei 1t licks
Kitty Walton IL licks iverythlng'
and the big hard woman hrggcd her
knees and chuckled again.
"Oh don't, Auntic,. t's wrong. it's
cruel! Oh, I wish I'd never come!
and Mary dropped back into her chair
and covered her face with her hands
Aunt Bet still held converse with the
red embers. grinniDg and titterIng to her
self hecl,css Of the acute pain she was
giving. -ldenly she put out her bony
arm, drew fory's chair nearer, patted
her encou. gngy on the knee, and
cried: "It s grand, lass, it oliver;
come now which of 'em is it to be2'
But Mary behind her wet fingers was
thinking rapidly. Aunt Bet was what
is called n managing woman, which Is
often only another name for a brutally
willful and domineering woman; she
had managed the farm and the village
and everything IN II. not excluding the
very vicar himself. ever since she came
TO Boskill; nobody ever crossed the will
OF Bethia Langley and prospered And
Mary was in her hands, dependent alb
solutely upon her and the recipient of
many most unexpected recent benefits |
from her. IT was this busting woman
who had come to her in her fathers |
last illness, engaged nurse and spe. |
'idHSps Ibu puIltu Hlui cut WDulu
have wished her father TO be buried |
and then whisked her off to the seaside, |
dressed her as she had never dreamed |
of being attired; had indulged and
nursed her back to health and spirits
and given pretty plain hints as to the
disposal OF her own savings. She had
no friend or relative on earth save this
hard, blunt, willful mother sister, and
her sensitive nature felt powerfully the
pr4tIt1Idp |
oh, Auntie, don {; / couldn't;
never thought of such a thing
''Then time you did Why, woman,
l browt You here o. purposs!
"A-u-n-t.i.el''
"What else. What else is a woman
for but TO get married.
Mary began TO see the meaning of
the strange. stormy but brief married
llte Of her relative and she felt as
though some horrid net was Tightening
its meshcs about her. "'Oh, Auntie,
what nonsense I've scarcely spoken
TO them and they We never hinted at
one Of them
No, and they never will -
Never! | don 't--well, why talk
about 1t thenH' and Mary's sickeninp
distress was almost forgotten in dazed
"Tchut, woman, don't talk to me
We know, don we2" and Bet, frown-
ng with sly mystery, nudged her
niece S knee significantly.
Know? But how-how can
HGcr out! that S j. books and papers
and daddlin tales, you know, we all
know, that if iver Job IS done L wom-
an has to do it. hasn L sbe?r
Mary, dropped back in her chair and
sighed belpIessly, But, Aunt, the
woman can tit s the man who has to
10 il"
Is it? You know better. Ycu know
IS we'll as | do that livery match as
Fnr iver made woman had to make
EOh, Auntiel"
Ger out! Stop your silly dating
md hearken to me Aunt Bcthia had
lsen 10 her feet TO keep control OF her
lslng temper "Did you liver know :
chap come up to t scratch without
'eipg browt' Tell me that
Mary opened an amazed mouth 10 I
protest, and failed; so Bethia went on
Doesn Z woman wed who she likes. i
md when and how she likes? Wonld j
here irer be any weddin S if t woman 7
lidn Z bring 'em tol'' and as Mary t
eemed about to reply she stopped her $
With an angry gesture" Chuff. won. |
n. stop. your grcenipg and shamminp. t
lver 1t s done / woman has TO do n
t, and the sooner you re shapin' the a
etter.' I
Mary fell forward elbows on knees t
nd shuddcred. a
- Haven Z you five of 'em 10 90 at ,
II ms soft after a lass as a BARN after 0
butterscotch7 You we a chance in I
million d, and it's Providence and =
owt else. a
You don't mean it, Auntie, it's T
hocking!n y
"Shockin' my leg! You talk like ?
our soft-headed father. It's Provi. /
ence, L tell you. Wurn t they all hero =
fore you d been in t'house two honrs +
nd hevn 7 they been moiderinp abonf h