Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-07-06
COUSIN ALICE.

| J. ne great factory LndC was AHlle Ddck-
bone and prime source of prosperity
might be taken from the agitatea- eeHa-
munity at any moment. There were
1900 men employed in the works. Many
of them had built little homes in and
about the village. If the factory was
taken away it meant a serious loss to
them, as well as to the butcher, the
grocer, and all the other tradesmen who
relied upon the factory payrolls to make
a profitable living.
Lenox had bid for the works Lenox
was twenty three miles away and there
was no doubt the facilities for doing
business were fully as good there as at
Airlie. In one Airlie home the shadow
of the rumored removal fell in an indi-
rect way, but it was none the less un-
pleasant. The older of the Allen girls,
daughters of the Widow Allen of Cam
pau street, was engaged to the assistant
foreman of the pattern department in
the Hecla works. The wedding was to
take place at an early date, but if the
removal was actually decided upon the
plans of the young couple would be ma
terially changed. John Cameron might
not continue in the factory's service. If
the factory was removed and he went
with it there would be much to do be-
fore he could offer home to his bride. 1t
was small wonder that Maud Aliens
| temper was not as placid as usual.
Il don't see why this cousin of ours
wants to come just now, mother" she
said across the tea table. "Im sure we
are none of us in an entertaining frame
of mind"
Don't be so abominably selfish, Maud"
said the younger sister. "You mustn't
think you can make your personal trou-
bles a syndicate affair. We have our
troubles, too, haven't we, MAJ"
1T seems queer to me-" said Maud
with a quick frown, 'that she doesn't
wait for us to offer an invitation"
1--WE needn't borrow trouble over it,
said the gentle mother, 81 hope to find
our cousin a very delightful person."
! Maud looked at the clock.
John is coming early this evening"
she said. "We are going for walk"
As if in proof of this statement the
doorbell rang.
That's Johns ring" laughed the
younger girl.
And Maud went to the door.
1t was John Cameron, sure enough,
but he wasn't alone. A lady was with
him, lady who entered the hall in adj
vance of the young foreman.
This gentleman" the lady said, as
she faced Maud, "has kindly directed me
to the home of Mrs. Emily Allen. Can
/ see her, please?"
The gentle mother came to the sitting
room door.
81 am Mrs. Allen" said she.
The stranger smiled and put out her
hands.
81 am your cousin, Alice Minturn,"
she said.
The widow greeted her warmly.
This Is Maud, my oldest daughter,
Cousin Alice" she said. "And this is my
younger daughter Myra. Your cousin
Alice Minturn, girls"
Cousin Alice Kissed the girls and then
looked back at John Cameron.
Hasn't this young gentleman some
claim upon your attention." she asked.
If he has any such claim he'd better
not mention it to anybody save Maud"
explained the irrepressible Myra.
lie told me he was coming here to
call" said Cousin Alice, ''and | asked
permission to accompany him. We had
a very pleasant talk. He told me many
interesting things about Airlie."
Then you talked of something besides
the weather." said the irrepressible.
''Oh, yes, of many things-all of which
will remain a profound secret between
us until later on. You understand this,
Mr.. Cameron"
John nodded.
Yes, | understand" he said.
He was looking at her curiously as he
spoke.
| "a G,o ,.o,,,,rx ,,,,,, - no:l Cto,~;,, Ar
as the door closed behind her. Il have
taken quite a fancy to him-more espe-
eially since | have learned that he is to
be new cousin"
The gentle mother and the younger
sister took the visitors wraps and gave
her the easiest chair and begged her to
have some supper. But she had dined
at the hotel. She had come to stay all
night, if it were agreeable to the gentle
mother, and perhaps still longer if they
liked her. And the gentle mother and
the younger sister were quite sure they
did like her, and told her so, each after
her own fashion.
And then Cousin Alice proceeded to
find out some interesting things about
the Allen family. She discovered that
the gentle mother was supporting her
children on a very slender income and
that the girls were subjected TO a gall
ing economy She learned, too, about
the postponed wedding day, and little
later she discovered that the younger
sister was just graduating from the
Airlie high school and that the closing
exercises would take place the next
night in the town hail. Miss Myra Allen
being among the selected essayists on
this momentous occasion. Would Cousin
Alice like to see the graduation gown
which the gentle mother had made with
some light assistance from the gowns
owner? Cousin Alice would be delighted.
So the gown was duly inspected and
pronounced good Only it needed Just a
little lace here and there to set it off.
Cousin Alice fancied there might be
some old lace in her trunk at the hotel.
Cousin Myra would be quite welcome to
this.
And after the gown was taken away
Cousin Alice declared she was tired and