The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1909-03-19
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southerner.
"She u.s." said Aunt Rebecca.
Where did you find herr" asked
the colonel carelessly, inspecting the
cards.
Aunt Rebecca smiled II thought
Millicent would have given you all
the particulars. She was nurse, secre-
tary, companion and diet cook to
Cousin Angela Nelson; when she died
/ got her. Lucky for me-"
$50 should judge" commented the
colonel politely.
Il presume Millicent has told you
that she is an adventures and after
my money and heap more stuff. If
she hasn't she will. Get notion
once in Millicent's head and surgical
operation is necessary to dislodge it.!
Janet is the only mortal person who
could live with poor Cousin Angela,
who had enough real diseases to kill
her and enough imaginary ones to
kill anybody who lived with her!
Janet made her comfortable, would
not stand everything on earth from
her-though she did stand a heap
and really cared for her. When she
died Cousin Angela left her some
money; not very much, but few thou.
sands She would have left her more,
but Janet wouldn't let her. She left
some to some old servants, who sure
ly deserved it for living with her, some
to charities and the rest to her sis
tiers, who hadn't put foot inside the
house for Is years, but naturally re-
sented her not giving them every
thing. l reckon they filled Millicent
up with their notions" She pushed
The outspread cards together.
You had several moves left" said
the colonel.
-Four But then, / was finished.
BERTHE, you play bridge, of course: and
l used to hear of your whist triumphs;
how did you happen to take to whist?"
ITO fill up the time, | reckon. / be-
gan it years ago. Now soldiers life
is great deal more varied, because a
man will be shifted around and get a
show of the different kinds of service
And there are the exams, and the
Philippines-oh, plenty of diversions.
But in the old days a man in the line
was billed for an awfully stupid time.
| didn't care to take to drink; and
couldn't read as you do If I'd had
books, which l hadn't, SO l took to
playing cards. l played skat and
poker and whist, and of late years I've
played bridge. Millicent plays?"
"Millicent is celebrated player.
She was a great duplicate-whist play
er. you know. To see Millicent in her
glory, one should play duplicate with
her. I'm only a chump player; my
sole object is to win tricks"
What else should it be?"
Aunt Rebecca smiled upon him. ITO
give information to your partner. The
main object of the celebrated Ameri-
can-leads system is signaling informa-
ton to your partner. Incidentally, one
tells the adversaries, as well as ones
partner, which, however, doesn't
count really as much as you might
think; for most people don't notice
what their partners play very much.
and don't notice what their adver-
saries play at all. Millicent is al
ways so busy indicating things to her
partner and watching for his signals
and his indications that you can run a
cross ruff in on her without her sus-
pecting. She asked me once if she
didn't play an intelligent game, and
told her she did; a babe in arms
could understand it, She didn't seem
quite pleased"
How about Archie? Can he play
good game?"
Every fair for boy of IA; he was
fond of whist until his troubles
came" said Mrs. Winter, with faint
clouding of her keen gaze. Since
then he hasn't taken much interest in
Janet has frightened him
up more than anyone; and when he
heard you were coming that did rouse
him. You are one of his heroes He's
that sort of boy" she added, with a
tinge of impotence in her soft south
ern voice AS if to divert her thoughts,
she began deftly moving the cards
before her. Her hands showed the
blue veins more prominently than they
show in young hands. This was their
only surrender to time; they were
shapely and white, and the slim fin
gers were as straight as when the
beaux of Fairfax county would have
ridden all day for chance to kiss
them.
The colonel watched the great ruby
wink and glow. The ruby was a part
Of his memories of his aunt; she had
always worn it. He remembered it,
when she used to come and visit him
at the hotel at West Point, dazzling
officers, professors, cadets
and hotel walters. Was that almost
10 years ago? Well, "a anyhow! She
had been very good, very generous to
Ill the young Winters, then. Indeed,
although she never quite forgave him
Tor not marrying the wife of her Sc.
Letting, she had always been kind and
generous to Rupert; yet, somehow.
while he had admired and found a
humorous joy in his Aunt Rebecca, he
wondered if he. had ever loved her.
She was both beautiful and brilliant
when she was young, southern belle,
i northern society leader; her life was
.ull of conquests; her footsteps,
which had wandered over, the world,
lad left phosphorescent wake of ad-
She had always been per-
,onage. She was power in Washing
on after the war; they had found her