Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-06-03
Copyrighted. 1908. b

Hetty Peters sat gazing out of her
window across the closely cropped
lawn, past the garden of many hued
roses and away TO the woods, all white
with dogwood and purple with violets.
She held u letter in her hand Not in
many long year had Hetty's face
worn such an expression of woe.
IF you please, ma'am." awakened
her from the trance. She turned to
the cook and gave her orders for the
day. Then, with sigh, she opened
the letter and reread 1t:
Dear Aunt Mehitabie-Papa and Jessie
Miller will be married Tuesday morning
and sail for Europe the same day on an
extended trip. So, shall leave college
and go home to look after you.
The Strings are here for the wedding.
You know they are related to Jessie.
Fred looks as old as his father. They
have made mint of money mining in
Colorado and intend to buy back their es-
tate and settle down as our nearest
neighbors again. No place like the south,
they declare. Papa invited theN, to make
our house their home while negotiate
are pending. Business will detain Mr..
Stirling in Boston for few weeks, but
Fred Will come to town with me. Expect
US on Thursday. Your loving RUTH.
"Jessie's dear soul. hope they'll
be very happy" Hetty murmured to
herself, "but / never thought John
would marry again. And Ruth coming
| back year before 1 expected. This'll
never seem like home to me any more"
Hetty Peters was single She had
never had a lover, had never looked
for one and, Incredible as it may seem,
had never wished for one. She had
| been altogether too busy, first, in look
and. second, in caring for her delicate
mother, to consider her matrimonial
prospects. The brother and sister had
| grown up, married and moved north.
| Her mothers death had left her alone.
| When her elder brothers wife died
| she had gone to live with him, and for
several years her existence had been
happy il monotonously uneventful.
Now came the disquieting news of
| Johns second marriage and Of her
| nieces unexpected return.
| Ruth had decided prediction for
managing everything and everybody
she came in contact with. Her aunt
had always trembled before her. Ruth
was the only one who remembered her
baptismal name, and Hetty detested it.
but Ruth persisted in calling her Aunt
| Mehitable.
Perhaps she intends to marry
Fredw Hetty reflected hopefully. IF
| she does. of course he'll have to give
| In. He was nice looking boy when he
left. remember l kissed him goodby.
he seemed such boy, and he is year
| older than am"
On Thursday Miss Peters was at the
station when the northern train ar
rived. While she was watching the
outcoming passengers from one car q
hand touched swiftly her arm, and q
pleasant voice exclaimed, "Hetty, you
have not changed bit since we part.
ed
1--WE grown fifteen years older" she
answered. giving her hand to a tall
bronzed. handsome man, whose dark
eyes were scrutinizing her admiringly
I. II know It. he replied. 80 have r.
/ Fired, loosen that checkrein. Aun,
4 Mehitable. how could you drive this
horse in snch a condition? You really
need some one to look after your
1 And Hetty realized, with pang. tina,
Ruth had come back to her own.
No tea for me,,' she commanded al
the dinner table. Aunt Mehitable. I'm
surprised at you! Any doctor WIN tel
ron that tanhic acid is a rank poison
It's positively criminal to use tea ol
! coffee when one can have fresh milk
:: The next morning Rnth's sway be
gan.
lust uD.!s she. called out as. Hett