The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-05-18

hdtCt VI " OtB ytAfbCts ssSS<~ ,sort of seem to attract 'em over there. Fit must be a mighty fine place." "Huhw replied Perkins disgustedly 'What's the matter with Kokomo? Why don't that girl come back home
 and marry and settle down? Tell me that"
 Pike smiled queeriy, and his head seemed to shrink into his shoulders a trife as he thrust his hands into his pockets.
 q guess she's going to marry and settle down, Tom, all right" he said
 slowly. Prom what hear she's go- l ing ito marry one of those dukes or
 earis was mentioning" Marry a foreigner cried Perkins, jumping to his feet. "Why, I thought she''- 'llever mind what you thought, Tom" returned Pike. I'm telling you she's going to be married. That's why guess she won't be likely to come back to Kokomo. I guess Kokomo's a pretty poor looking place after some of those other places she's been see
 ing"
 "How do you know?" asked Perkins. | drawing his chair forward. Pike lifted the letter he had folded up. 'T got this from her," he said sim l ply. Want to know what's in ttT Yes," answered Perkins. T can't let you read 1t, but it's from
 c place in Italy-Sorrento," he went on slowly, mouthing the unfamiliar l word "She says she's going to marry | the Hon. Almeric St. Aubyn, heir to
 the ancient house of Newcastle. And
 she wants to make a 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,n answered Pike. ''I've l 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 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 a senator some day. I can't | object, Tom, if he's got a show to | make a good living for her. can IT 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. 'I don't | know anything about women. Why, l Dan, thought you'd mapped it out | to marry
 "That'n do for that" said Pike quickly. "Wen not talk about that
 now, Tom. Suppose you go down to l Archie Toombs and ask him about Sor- rento and how to get there and when a fellow gets there after he starts. Pm going to write a letter to Jim Cooley | and get him to hunt up this Flaw castle"
 When Perkins had gone Pike pulled open the letter and read it once again. | It was the most formal of notes, be- 1 ginning Dear MT. Pike" and ending
 "Yours sincerely" It contained a 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 | would meet with his approval. | He sighed as he folded it and re- | turned it to its envelope. | "And that ends the guardianship" ! he muttered. "Wonder what Pm go- ing to do with the old house now?" From a drawer in his desk he pulled
 framed picture that showed a deli cately featured girl, with big, frank | eyes and a wealth of light, curling hair that was half hidden by a big garden hat. There was a smile about the lips that seemed very engaging, and the muslin dress she wore had
 been accentuated In its simplicity by 1 the art of the London photographer.
 Pike had preserved the picture. which