The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-09-20


we're made for each other"
and | tell you, Aunt Hildred, /
would sooner die than marry him
You are a fool, Fanny! You are as
headstrong and self-willed as your ia
Their was before you"
please leave my relations entire
" out of the discussion, I am my own
mistress, q years old last June, and
free to refuse the emperor OF Russia, 7
/ choose to! And | tell you, Aunt ill
dred, once more, that l will not stay
here to meet Earle Rochefort, to Re
inspected like a COW or a horse Jus5
up for sale! So there!"
And Fanny Shawmut left the room,
and shut the door behind her in a way
which showed that she had a temper,
as it was right and proper she should
have. For a woman without tenn
per would be as insipid as broth with
out salt or pepper.
Aunt Hildred Ames put her smelling
salts to her nose and took a long
sniff. Such contumacy in Niece Fanny
was exasperating. If she had dreamed
that the girl would ever have devel-
oped so much obstinacy, she would
have declined to become her guardian,
even to please her dying brother.
A very few words will explain how
matters stood.
Earle Rochefort was a young man
Of 28 or 80, a native Of Mrs Ames'
own town, and a prime favorite with
the good lady. According to her idea,
there was not another man in all the
world worth naming beside him. His
father had been Aunt Hildred's first
love, but treachery on the part Of
somebody or other, it does not matter
whom, had separated them; and he
had found another woman and Aunt
Hildred had found another man. But
when Earle's father died, an explana-
ton had taken place, and Aunt Hill
dred had promised to love the son for
the sake of the father. And indeed,
she found it not very difficult to love
Earle for his own sake, for he WIS
gentle and affectionate, and won the
regard of all with whom he came in
contact
But he did not marry, though a
great many beautiful young girls
would gladly have accepted him, and
so it happened that at eight-and-
twenty he was still a bachelor; and
about that time Aunt Hildreds broth
er John died in Madeira, and left his
daughter Fanny to her aunt's care.
Fanny, pretty, spoiled, an heiress in
her own right, and accustomed always
to troops of servants to order about.
did not fall readily into the groove her
aunt had prepared for her. She made
up her mind that she would not love
and marry this Earle RCchefort, Of
whom she had heard so much
AS yet she had not met Mr.. Roche
fort. He was absent in California,
where he owned some mines, and had
been there nearly a year, perfecting
some arrangements for their improved
working. But he was expected home
daily, and Aunt Hildred was contin-
ually agitating the subject nearest her
heart. She had likewise written to
Earle. over and over again, glowing
descriptions of Fanny, and had dwelt
largely upon her favorite plan Of a
union between her two children, as
she called Earle and Fanny. Young
Rochefort. with all a mans aversion
to having a wife picked out for him,
began also to fairly hate the name of
Fanny, and to feel very much averse
to meeting the paragon.
In fact, so strong did this feeling
become that he decided not to go to
Elmwood. Aunt Hildreds town, but 70
spend the winter at Derby a place
some hundred and forty miles distant.
He could make business" an ex-
cuse: for, in addition to his other ad.
vantages. Rochefort was wealthy, and
a man Of property is always sup
posed to have plenty of business on
hand. So he wrote to Mrs. Ames tc
that effect, promising TO run down anC
see her some Saturday night at tbs
very first opportunity
Fanny, meanwhile, had packed z
few dresses. and as little finery as it is
possible for a young lady 10 ex.sr
with. into a couple of trunks, and, II
spite of Aunt Hildred's remonsrances
had departed to make long visit L
her Cousin Bentley's folks in Derby.