Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1909-09-11


sort of seem to attract 'em over there.
1t must be mighty fine place"
"IIuhw replied Perkins diSgustcdly.
whats the matter with Kokomo?
Why don't that girl come back home
and marry and settle down? Tell me
that"
Pike smiled queerly, and his head
seemed to shrink into his shoulders
trifie as he thrust his hands into his
pockets.
81 guess she's going to marry and
settle down, Tom, all right" he said
slowly. Prom what | hear she's GO
ing to marry one of those dukes or
earls I was mentioning"
MARRY foreignerw cried Perkins,
jumping to his feet. "Why, | thought
She
Never mind what you thought,
Tom," returned Pike. Pm telling you
she's going to be married. That's why
| guess she won't be likely to come
back to KolSomo. I guess Kokomo's
n pretty poor looking place after some
of those other places she's been see
ing"
How do you know" asked Perkins,
dra wing his chair forward.
Pike lifted the letter he had folded up.
81 got this from her" he said sim
ply. want to know what's in it?''
yes" answered Perkins.
81 can't let you read it, but it's from
Il place in Italy Sorrento" he went
on slcwly. mounting the unfamiliar
word. "She says she's going to marry
the Hon, Almeric st. Auhyn, heir to
the ancient house of Hawcastle. And
she wants to make settlement on
him. She can't marry without my con.
sent, you know, Tom. If she does the
money goes to the Kokomo Orphan
asylum"
"Going to give your consent?" in
quired Perkins.
Don't know" answered Pike. 1--WE
got to look the young man over first.
| promised John Simpson I'd always
look after her. That was when she
was born. He said girls sometimes
got into a tight place and they'd need
some one to pull them out. Sounds
good, doesn't it, Tom? Hon. Almeric
st. Aubyn. Must be a member of con-
gress or something over there. Maybe
he'll be senator some day. can't
object. Tom If he's got show to
make good living for her, can =?
Say, what is a settlement, anyway?
You don't suppose I've been keeping
her short Of money do you. and she's
had to borrow"
Perkins shook his head gloOmily.
Don't ask me-" he said. 81 don't
know anything about women. Why,
Dan, I thought you'd mapped it out
10 marry
"That'n do for that" said Pike
quickly. "We'll not talk about that
now, Tom. Suppose you go down to
Archie Toombs and ask him about Sor-
rento and how to get there and when
fellow gets there after he starts. I'm
going to write n letter to jim Cooley
and get him to hunt up this Haw-
castle"
When Perkins had gone Pike pulled
open the letter and read it once again.
1t was the most formal of notes. be-
ginning Dear Mr. Pike" and ending
yours sincerely" 1t contained brief
notice of the writer's intentions, or,
rather. intentions in the event of a
certain contretemps that to her seemed
Inevitable. and trusted that the end
lie sighed as he folded it and re-
turned 1t to its envelope.
"And that ends the guardianship"
he muttered. wonder what I'm GO
ing to do with the old house now?"
From drawer in his desk he pulled
framed picture that showed deli
cately featured girl with big. frank
eyes and n wealth Of light, curling
hair that was half hidden by n big
garden hat. There was II smile about
the lips that seemed very engaging
and the muslin dress she wore had
been accumulated in its simplicity by
the art of the London photographer.
Pike had preserved the picture, which
had been given to him by old John
Simpson the day before he died. and
he sighed as he looked ut It,
Then he laid 1t face down upon the