The Tupelo journal., 1909-03-12

thrust them into his ~greatcoat, prepar-
ing to away. He went alone;
and the other, after a moments
gloomy meditation, gathered up coat
and bag and followed. During that
moment of arrested decision, however,
his features had dropped into sinister
lines which the colonel remembered.
Dangerous customer, or / miss my
guess" unused the soldier, who knew
couldn't mean my Aunt Rebecca?
She's old; she has millions of money
but she's not on this train. And there's
no Miss Smith in our deck. I'm so
used to plotting | go off on fake hikes!
Probably I'm getting old and dotty.
Mercer, poor fellow, may have his
brain turned and be an anarchist or a
b~omb-thrower or a dirty kidnaper for
revenge; but that boys a decent chap;
I've licked too man second ~lieuten-
ants into shape not to know something
of youngsters"
He pushed the idea away; or, rather,
his W problems pushed it out of his
mind, which went back to his ward
and his single living brother. Mel
vile had no Children, only his wife's
daughters, WI. ere both married
Melville having irried a widow with
a family, an estate and a mind of her
own. Melville was a professor in a
state university, a mild, learned nan
whom nature intended for science but
whom his wife was determined to
versity.
Even money which will win"
chuckled Rupert Winter to himself.
'Millicent hasn't much tact; but she
has the perseverance of the saints.
She married Mel; he doesn't know.
but she surely did. And she bosses
him now. Well, suppose Mel likes
to be bossed; he never had any strenu-
Gus opinions except about the canals
of Mars-Valgame dios!"
With a gasp the colonel sprang to
his feet. There before him, in the
flesh, was his sister-in-law. Her state
ly figure, her Roman profile, her grace
fully ges%ticulating hand, which indi-
Gated the coloners position to her
heavily laden attendant; a lad in blue
these he knew by heart just as he
knew that her toilet for the journey
would be in the latest mode, and that
she would have the latest fashion of
gc!t and mien. Millicent studied such
things.
She waved her luggage into place
Diminishing the porter and instructing
him when he must return. Then, but
not until then, did she turn graciously
to her brother-in-law.
81 hoped that l should find you,
BERTHE" she said in a voice of such
credit the speaker with only three
short trips to England. Melville said
you were to take this train; and I was
so delighted, so relieved! l am in a
most harassing predicament, my dear
BERTHE"
That's bad" murmured the colonel
with sympathetic %solicitude; whats
the trouble? Couldn't you get a Sec
tom"
Il have my reservations, but l don't
know whether l shall go tonight"
Maybe I'm stupid, Millicent, but l
confess 1 don't know what you mean"
Really, there's no reason why you
should, BERTHE. That's why | was so
anxious to see youth time, so that l
might explain to you-might put you
on your guard"
"Yes?" the colonel submitted; he
never hurried a woman.
I'm going to visit dear Amy-you
remember she was married two years
ago and lives in Pasadena; she has a
dear little baby and the loveliest
home! It's charming. And she was
so delighted with your wedding gift,
it was so original. Amy never did
care for costly things; these simple,
unique gifts always pleased her. OF
course, my main object is to see the
dear child, but / shall not go tonight
unless Aunt Rebecca Winter is on the
train. If for any reason she waits
over until tomorrow l shall wait
Also"