Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1909-09-23
miss L-AVIN|A'S LOVER.
1.-The Result of the Search For the
Man Who Went Away.
BY VIRGINIA BLAIR.

Press.I
"Well. of course" Miss Lavinia con-
fided, Il am glad to have it, but it's
unsettIing"
Mrs. Briggs shifted 1T 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.
"Oh. we'll" 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
Il 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
good time. Goodness only knows
mo, haven't" Miss Lavinia admit
ted somewhat wistfully. well, I'll
think it over. Jane"
And after Mrs. Briggs had gone Miss
Lavinia picked up her big yellow cat
and told him her innermost 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
wise in methods. But she wanted to
know the fate of her old lover. and so
it happened that ten days after her
talk with Jane Briggs. Miss Lavinia
went to town.
I'm 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
q dusty, musty little office in squalid
street.
"McDermott, private detective" said
the sign.
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.
$50 you want to find John Forbes"
he said. lis he a relative?"
"Oh, nor' And Miss Lavinia blush
ed.
lowe you any money!? McDermott
demanded.
.Oh, no, no"' Miss Latimer cried dis.
tressfully. I'VE were engaged fifteen
years ago. and l couldn't marry him.
because | had to stay with my old
father and mOther-and he-he went
away-and | promised that when
was free | would let him know.
OBJ McDermott calculated. and
after pause, Were you expecting tt
find him still single?"
lin 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 jus
let me have the case, and I'll brin
you news of John Forbes before yo
know it."
McDermott reported regularly ono
q week by letter to Miss Lavinia an
as regularly received her answers.
Miss Lavinia wrote on pale viole
paper that gave forth a perfume G
fresh flowers in the stuffy little offic,
McDermott found himself laying thos
letters in little drawer by themselve
and one day in early spring, when b
had Travelled out into the country on
case, he spied some violets by the wa.
side. He picked them and brougl
them home and laid them with the lie
tiers in the drawer.
McDermott had money of his owI
so that Miss Lavinia's little fortur
had no charms for him, but I'll
thought of her delicate presence in b
home often came TO him with a sens
of irresistible attraction.
but if she finds John Forbes sing
she will marry him." he would So
with sigh. and the temptation
overlook clews was great.
In June he called on her and four
her in her garden with a little 10
table in front of her on which was S
forth a lemonade service. Miss L
vinia was in pale mauve with b
wreathed with violets. when Y,
wrote you were coming" she said
rlcDermott. Il thought you would e
Joy it better here in the garden-i
cooler"
well. If you knew what a nj
change 1t was from that Office
town." sighed the little man.
After that he came often, and grs
ually it began to be rumored in
town that Miss Layinia was "keepi
company" with man from the cit!
"Well. i must say that like
looks" Mrs. Briggs told Miss Lavir
when she came over one morning af
McDermott had called.
He Is lust a business aconai