The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1908-08-25
Arrest In July.
BY c. B. Lewis.
BY c. B. lewis.


When Miss Mary Cloves, forty years
old and aunt of Eileen Cleves. not vet
quite half those years. accepted the re-
sponsibihty 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
her. Paul Clifford, the artist. crossed
their path. The young people had
many mutual friends in town. but
had never been introduced.
In any hotel In the Berkshires, the
Catskills or on the seashore 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 show.
Such meetings come about by acct
dent, or Providence takes hand. and
the first thing they know they have
introduced themselves to each other
and are talking about art and motor
trips through Europe.
Aunt Mar understood this; also that
she wiz t6fe to prevent 1t. She
' yFd<lId insist 1Qn Formally to the bitter
End Ste Md Insist. Even when she
l4r1 MIS- Eileen in walking out one
4 nv were suddenly confronted by a
make as much as nine inches long
and screamed and the artist came run
ming up and saved their lives from
the monster she stood on formality
and insisted that her charge do the
same. The artist hero was dismissed
with formal bow and went his way
with an odd sense of their ingratitude
gnawing at his heart
Three or four days later, however.
family with whom he was well ac-
quainted in the city arrived. and a
formal 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 possible
lover and added many precautions.
She was polite. but she was also vigil
liant. The artist probably hoped, as
another man would in his place. that
In time she would thaw out, and he
held himself ready day and night for
more heroic deeds.
Around the second story of the hotel
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 the veran-
da she noticed that the artist was in his
room writing a letter She at once
suspected that it was a note to be
passed to Miss Eileen at the first ia
vorable opportunity.
The chaperon was disturbed, but de-
termined. She promenaded clear
around the house, and upon her return
she beheld sheet of note paper lying
on the floor. She also saw that the
artist had stepped out of his room. a
draft had caught up the letter he was
writing and drawn it through the open
window.
Aunt Mary was woman of the
sternest principles. She reasoned it
out in moment that she had no mo-
raj right to that note 1t was for her
to ignore its existence and continue
her promenade, but al at once her
stern principles took 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 lifelong prin-
ciples untarnished. She could have
torn the sheet into fragments before
reading the lines written thereon. She
could, but she didn't. She read even to
the last word, and moment later she
was in the room of her niece, saying:
81 suspected, 1t from the first! He is
a cold blooded wretch"
"Who is. auntie% was the natural
query.
''Mr. Clifford l have found him out
just in time. oh. the perfldy Of it!
Oh, the insults heaped upon us. Read
that. No, let me read it."
And, holding the half finished 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-
tlol, sue fedu.
Dear Jim-I have seen both OF them.
The old one is no good and badly out Of
repair. Wouldn't take her as a gift
Guess she was one OF the first ones made.
The other is a clipper. with heaps Of go
in her. Decided bargain. and shall close
the deal at once. Climbs the steepest hills
around here like a cat, and you ought to
see her scoct 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
sheet and sent 1t to the feet Of the
woman who had duty to do. She
finished reading and maintained her
pose for half minute and then sol
EMMY said:
Il found it on the voranda The
wind brought 1t to me. 1t came from
his room | saw him as he was writ
ing it,