The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-03-05

| Berlle.
That's bad" murmured the colonel
with sympathetic solicitude; what's
the trouble? Couldn't you get sec
| tion?"
81 have my reservations, but | don't
know whether / shall go tonight"
Maybe I'm stupid, Millicent, but
confess l don't know what you mean.
Really, there's no reason why you
| should, BERTHE. That's why | was so
anxious to see youth time, so that
might explain to you-might put you
on your guard
"Yes?" the colonel submitted; he
never hurried a woman.
I'm going to visit dear Amy-you
remember she was married two years
ago and lives in Pasadena; she has
dear little baby and the loveiest
home! It's charming. And she was
so delighted with your wedding gift,
it was so original. Amy never did
care for costly things; these simple,
unique gifts always pleased her or
course, my main object is to see the
dear child, but ! shall not go tonight
unless Aunt Rebecca Winter is on the
train. If for any reason she waits
over until tomorrow shall wait
also"
"Ah," sighed the colonel very softly,
not stirring a muscle of his politely
attentive face; land does Aunt Re
becca expect to go on the train?"
They told me at the Pullman office
that she had the drawng-room, the
stateroom and two sections. OF course,
she has her maid with her and
Archi-"
Does he go, too?" the colonel
asked, his eyes narrowing little.
"Yes, she's taking him to Cali
fornia; he doesn't seem well enough,
she thinks. to go to school, so he is
to have a tutor out there. I'm lit
tie afraid Aunt Rebecca mollycoddles
the boy"
Aunt Rebecca never struck me as
a mollycoddler. / always considered
her tolerably cynical old Spartan.
But do you mean there is any doubt
of their going? Awfully good of you
to wait to see if they don't go, but I'm
sure Aunt Rebecca wouldn't want you
to sacrifice your section
Mrs. Melville lifted a. shapely hand
, in a Delsartian gesture of arrest; her
smiling words were the last the col
onel had expected. Hush, dear Der
tie: Aunt Rebecca doesn't know | am
., going. I don't want her to know I'M
til we are on the train"
"Oh. | see, surprise?" But he did
not see; and, with a quiet intentness,
5 he watched the color raddle Mrs. Mel
t ville's smooth cheeks.
Hardly" returned the lady "'The
, truth is, BERTHE Melville and are
r worried about Aunt Rebecca. She, we
fear. has fallen under the influence of
: a most plausible adventures; | sup
pose you have heard of her COM
panion, Miss Smith,"
Cant say | have exactly said the
= colonel placidly, but his eyes mar
rowed again. who is the LADY,"
u thought am sure Melville must
have written you. But Oh, yes, he
: wrote yesterday to Boston. Well, Ber-
tie, Miss Smith is a southerner; she
SAYS she is South Carolinian. but
Aunt Rebecca picked her up in Wash
ington. where she was with a kink of
cousin of ours who was half crazy.
Miss Smith took care of her and she
died"-she fixed a darkling eye on
i, the soldier-"she died and she left
Miss Smith money"
"Much?"
"a few thousands That is how
Aunt Rebecca met her, and she pulled
= the wool over auntie's eyes, and they
l came back together. She's awfully
clever"
A Young? Pretty?"
ooh, dear, no. And she's nearer 40
t than 80. Just the designing age for a
D woman when she's still wanting to
: marry some one but beginning to be
afraid that she can't. Then such
y creatures always try to get money. II
:. they can't marry it, and there's no
e man to set their caps for, they try to
. wheedle il out of some poor fool
, womanw Millicent was in earnest,
S there was no doubt of that; the sure
S sign was her unconscious return to
+ the direct expressions of her early
S life in the middle west.
And you think Miss Smith is try
D ing to influence Aunt Rebecca?
e "Of course she is; and Aunt Re-
: becca is so, Rupert. And often while
: people of her age show no other sign
+ of weakening intellect, they are not
r ! well regulated in their affections;
e they take fancies to people and get
e doting and clinging She is getting to
depend on Miss Smith. Really, that
I woman has more influence with her
( than all tn. rest of us together. She
D won't hear a word against her. Why!
when l tried to suggest how little we
knew about Miss Smith and that II
D would be better not to trust her too
2 entirely. she positively resented 1t. OF