News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1909-10-13
MISS LAVINIA' LOVER
The Result of the Search For the
Man Who Went Away.
BY VIRGINIA BLAIR.


unsettling."
Mrs. Briggs shifted. at wouldn't
unsettle me if any one left me $4,000
would know what to do with it."
Miss Lavinia leaned forward eagerly
"What would you do, Jane?" she de-
manded.
ooh, WELL" Mrs. Briggs hesitated
"I'd get some new clothes right away
and fix up the house, and entertain my
friends, and take a trip and have an
automobile
II have thought of those things, but
they don't seem to be just what /
want, after all. Maybe I'll just put it
out at interest"
"Now, look here, Lavinia Latimer,"
Mrs. Briggs said solemnly, don't you
do any such thing. You've got enough
to live on, such as it is. and my advice
is to take some of the money and have
a good time. Goodness only knows
you haven't had many good tines
mo, haven't" Miss Lavinia admit
ted somewhat wistfully. "Well, I'll
think 1t over, Jane"
And after Mrs Briggs had gone Miss
Lavinia picked up her big yellow cat
and told him her innernost wish. I'm
going to use some of that money to
find out where John Forbes is" she
whispered. but | wouldn't tell Jane"
But to look for the man who had left
town ten years ago was not an easy
matter. And Lavinia Latimer was not
IAyiSn in Inf ch war
know the fate of her old lover, and so
1t happened that ten days after her
talk with Jane Briggs, Miss Lavinia
went to town.
Pm going to buy clothes" was the
reason she gave, but when she came
to the big town it was not to the
stores that she made her way, but to
a dusty, musty little Office in squalid
street.
"McDermott, private detective" said
the sign.
Miss Lavinia was all pink and white |
and pretty as she stated her case. But |
Mr.. McDermott set her at once at her |
ease He was brisk little man with |
curly white hair and red cheeks.
80 you want to find John Forbes"
he said. "Is he relativeY
"Oh, nor And Miss Lavinia blush
ed.
"Owe you any money! McDermott
demanded.
"Oh, no, nor Miss Latimer cried dis
tressfully 1--WE were engaged fifteen
years ago, and l couldn't marry him,
because 1 had to stay with my old |
father and mother-and he-he went |
away-and l promised that when l
was free i would let him know.
ooh" McDermott calculated, and |
after pause, "Were you expecting to |
find him still SINGLE"
Tin not sure"
McDermott tugged at his mustache. |
"The chances are that he'll be mar |
ried."
"Of course" Miss Lavinia agreed, |
''but ] should like to be sure"
Surely" said McDermott. You just |
let me have the case, and I'll bring |
you news of John Forbes before you |
know it,
McDermott reported regularly once |
a week by letter to Miss Lavinia and |
as regularly received her answers.
Miss Lavinia wrote on pale violet |
paper that gave forth a perfume of |
fresh flowers in the stuffy little office. |
McDermott found himself laying those |
letters in a little drawer by themselves, |
and one day in early spring, when he |
had travelled out into the country on a |
case, he spied some violets by the way |
side. He picked them and brought |
them home and laid them with the let |
tiers in the drawer.
McDermott had money of his own. |
so that Miss Lavinias little fortune |
had no charms for him, but the |
thought of her delicate presence in his |
home often came to him with a sense |
of irresistible attraction,
But if she finds John Forbes single |
she will marry him." he would say |
with a sigh, and the temptation to
overlook clews was great.
In June he called on her and found |
her in her garden with a little low
table in front of her on which was set |
forth a lemonade service Miss La
vinia was in pale mauve with hat |
iWreat0eu WIFI NlOleIS. w ueu yOu
wrote you were coming" she said to
McDermott, 81 thought you would en-
joy it better here in the garden-its
cooler"
"Well, if you knew what a nice
change it was from that Office in
town." sighed the little man.
After that he came often, and grad
ually it began to be rumored in the
town that Miss Lavinia was keeping
company" with man from the city.
"Well, l must say that l like his
looks" Mrs. Briggs told Miss Lavinia
when she came over one morning after
McDermott had called.
He is just a business acquaint-
ance" Miss Lavinia protested.
Mrs. Briggs shifted. u guess you
wouldn't be dressing up in those pretty
clothes and waving your hair just for
a business man."
Miss Lavinh blushed and sighed.
''You don't know how many things |
have to look after since l got my