Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1909-04-08
Her Stratagem
Aunt Jane Was Chaperon
Without an Equal.

1 Jane.
Aunt Jane, then, was a spinster, not
| at all like those blessed women who
for their virtues and manifold charms
have been crowned with the care.free
diadem of JOY and independence. All
no, Aunt Jane was a spinster, sour as
vinegar.
Euphonia was the niece of Aunt
Jane. But, o, what a ditference
Euphonla was as sweet and as pure
as the dew upon the rose.
Such We're they, sitting in the pat
Ior eyes, yes; in the parlor) when the
doorbell rang.
TN go said Euphonia.
No" said Aunt Jane, "I'll go."
And as she disappeared, Euphonia
quickly drew letter from her bosom
glanced it over quickly and hid it in
her belt as Aunt Jane reappeared
With the majestic bearing of an exc
cutioner, while behind her followed
| John And as for John, let it simply
| De said that when the girls are gifted
| with noses like candy there is gen
| orally young man not far away with
a most decided liking for sweets. And
as for Aunt Jane, Aunt Jane sat down
on the sofa with something of a
| bounce, and as her chin curled up and
her nose curled down, she seemed to
say, Yes, here l am, and here I am
| going TO stay."
How do you do?" said John.
How do you do?" said Euphonia.
And How do you do?" said John.
And How do you do?" said Eu.
phonia.
And still again, How do you dor
said John
And yet once more, How do you
do?' said Euphonia.
And as for Aunt Jane. Aunt Jane
looked troubled between her brows
and tilted her head little more on
one side as she watched the two with
an air that said: Now, that's funny!
Now that's very funny!"
Have you been well?" said John.
Yes" said Euphonia, looking down
at the carpet
You're sure?" said John.
Yes said Euphonia, but you could
barely hear her
And you always WHIP" said John.
II think so,' said Euphonia
And as for Aunt Jane, Aunt Jane
began to suffer
Have you been well?" said Eupho,
MIA, looking up and looking down
again.
You bet | have." cried John.
You're sure?"
Absolutely, Positively"
You look WE'LL
"Ah!" cried John
"And you-you always will?"
You know Will" he reproached
her.
And as for Aunt Jane, Aunt Jane
laid her right ear on her right Shout.
der and her glance shifted backward
and forward between the confection.
cry and the hungry boy like a sl.
tie in the loom.
Euphonia and John sat down, and
John, with world of deliberation
placed his little finger between his
| teeth and bit it.
Lovely weather." he said
Euphonia arose from the sleepy hol.
low chair and sat down in the gilt
chair.
Yes said she.
John bit his little finger again.
Ibid the cat come back?" he asked.
Euphonia changed back to the
sleepy hollow.
Yes said she.
John bit his little finger
They always do said he
ErAhonia carelessly hummed tune
and carelessly went over to the sofa
and sat down by the side of Aunt
| Jane
Yes said She
And as for Aunt Jane, Aunt Jane
almost screamed with the pain, but
| just at that point John bit his little
finger again, and as Euphonia arose
| to go back to the sleepy hollow that
| letter slipped out of her bolt and
dropped on the sofa. Aunt Jane picked
| it up unnoticed, glanced at the open
ing lines and set her jaw.
John tapped his foot on the carpet.
Euphonia tapped her foot.
John tapped his foot.
Euphonia tapped her foot.
And as for Aunt Jane she went
out of there. She stopped beneath the
gas jet in the hail. though, and
opened the letter.
Dear Euphonia Tead the letter.: AS
A suppose Aunt Jane will be there as
| usual, 1 have made up a few signals
which we will use.
''How do you do?" means: How l
love you!'
Have you been well?" means do you
love me?'
Biting the little finger means: II shall
love you forever'
Changing from chair to another
| means: II shall love you forever, too"
And tapping the foot on the floor
| means: II wish Aunt Jane would chase
herself for a minute"
Yours desparingly, JOHN
And as for Aunt Jane, Aunt Jane
chased herself right back again, and
this was the sight that met her hor.
| rified gaze:
Euphonia and John We're sitting on
the sofa, and John was holding Eu.