The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-02
THE EVENING STORY
A Frost in July.
(By c. B. Lewis.)

When Miss Mary Cleves, forty years
old and aunt Of Eileen Cleves, not yet
quite half those years, accepted the re-
| sponsibility Of acting as chaperon to
the young lady for few weeks stay
| in the Berkshire hills, she determined
to do her duty at all costs.
They had scarcely reached the hotel
selected when that duty confronted
their path. The young people had
many mutual friends in town, but had
never been introduced.
| In any hotel in the Berkshires, TIL,
Catskills or on the seashorc. a hand
| some young girl and bachelor artist
| of note. with romance still leashed in
his soul, are bound to meet sooner or
| later If given half a show
Such meetings come about by acci-
dent, or Providence takes a hand, and
the first thing they know they have in
troduced themselves to each other and
| are talking about art and motor trips
| through Europe.
Aunt Mary understood this, also that
| she was there to prevent 1t. She would
| insist on formality to the bitter end.
| She did insist. Even when she and
Miss Eileen, in walking out one day.
| were suddenly confronted by a snake
as much as nine inches long. and
| screamed, and the artist came running
up and saved their lives from the mon
ster. she stood on formality and insist
| ed that her charge do the same. The
artist here was dismissed with for
| NAL bow and went his way with an odd
sense Of their ingratitude gnawing at
his heart.
Three or four days later. however. a
family with whom he was well &C.
Quainted in the city arrived, and for
| NAL Introduction took place. This made
things all right in one way. and all
wrong in another.
He was now privileged to lift his hat
and say good morning, but the old
maid looked upon him as a possible
lover and added many precautions. She
was polite, but she was also vigilant.
The artist probably hoped, as another
| man would in his place. that in tims
she would thaw out, and he held him
self ready day and night for more
heroic deeds.
| ran veranda, and the three parties in
the case had rooms opening on to this
promenade. One afternoon as the aunt
was parading UP and down this veran-
da she noticed that the artist was In
his room writing letter. She at once
passed to Miss Eileen at the first
favorable opportunity.
The chaperon was disturbed, but de-
termined. She promenaded clear
around the house, and upon her return
she beheld a sheet Of note paper lying
l vi Tie llOOI. OHS dlSO saw lLdL lHc
artist had stepped out of his room. A
draught had caught up the letter he
was writing and drawn 1t through the
open window.
Aunt Mary was a woman of the
sternest principles. She reasoned it out
| in moment that she had no moral
right to that note. 1t was for her to
| ignore it's existence and continue her
promenade, but all at once her stern
principles took a tumble.
| She stopped, seized the sheet and
fed to her room. which was next to
that of her niece. Even then It was not
| too late to save her life-long principles
untarnished. She could have torn the
sSoot into fragments before reading
| the lines written thereon. She could,
| but she didn't. She read every last
word. and a moment later she was in
| the room OF her niece, saying:
IT suspected 1t from the first! He is
a cold-blooded wretch
who is, auntie?" was the natural
| query.
"Mr. Clifford! I have found him out
just in time. Oh. the perhdy Of 1t! Oh.
| the insults heaped upon US! Read that.
No, let me read it."
And holding the half-f1nished letter
in her left hand, and using the right
forefinger to punctuate the air while
she held her figure in tragic pose and
spoke from the depths of her indigna-
Dear Jim: I have seen both of
| them. The old one is no good and bad
| ly out of repair. wouldn't take her as
gift. Guess she was one of the first
| ones made. The other is a clipper,
| with heaps of go in her. Decided bar
gain. and I shall close the deal at once.
Climbs the steepest hills around here
| like cat, and you ought to see her
scoot on the level! The old one
That was as far as the artist had
written when he left the room and the
! breeze came in and toyed with the
man who had a duty to do. She finish
ed reading and maintained her pose
for half a minute. and then solemnly
said:
| Il found it on the veranda The wind
| brought it to me. 1t came from his
| it,
DO you mean that Mr.. Clifford wrote
this?" asked the young lady.
| II do Was ever villainy more COM
pletely unmasked! He has seen bbth
of us. The old one is no good and
badly out of repair! I am the old one!
1 am badly out Of repair!"
| But, auntie-"
Don't interrupt me. Wouldn't take
her as gift! Guess she was one of the
first ones made! This about me-about
your own aunt Oh, the crafty, sneak
but why should Mr.. Clifford write
such things about you? He is surely a
gentleman, and there must be a mis-
| take somewhere"
And he refers to you," continued the
aunt without needing the question
| 'he refers to you as a clipper with
heaps of go in her! You are a decided
| bargain! You climb hills like a cat!
You scoot on the level! The man ought
| to be driven from the hotell"
He never wrote it," exclaimed the
| girl. He never meant you nor me.
| There is some awful mistake here. !
never saw his handwriting. but I'll
wait right here!" hoarsely COM
| manded the aunt: and with the letter
| in her hand she went down to the CO.
| fee to consult the register. She was
| absent ten minutes, and during this
| interval Miss Eileen heard a mans ster
| ON the Yerauda and peered out to see