The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-01

pipe I'duIUR IHeTPIFOU. EeGGf lc'
moved the hat box that was on il and
we both deliberately and shamelessly
crouched down and listened with all onr
might. II was easy enough TO hear
whaI Mr.. Norman Nicholson was saving
:. We come TO get the date settled,
woman, name the day Smack!
Don Z, Mr. Norman Nicholson, ~
said Aunt Olivia. She spoke as woman
who has keyed herself up to the doing
Of some very distasteful task, and is
anxious TO have il over and done with
as soon as possible. "There is some
thing I must say TO YOU. I cannot marry
| YOU. Mr., Norman Nicholson.
| There was pause ] would have
! given much TO have seen the two of
them. When Mr.. Norman Nicholson
| spoke his voice was that of blank, mo-
| tionlcss surprise.
"NiIlic, what is it that YOU are mean
ing?' he said.
cannot marry you, Mr.. Norman
Nicholson, repeated Aunt Olivia.
why not9' Surprise was giving
way TO dismay
81 don't think YOU will understand,
Mr., Norman Nicholson said Aunt
Olivia family. "You don t realize what
| II means for woman TO give up every
thing-her own home and friends and
all her mast life. so to speak, and go far
away with n stranger.
''Whv, / suppose 1T will be rather
hard. But, Mile, Tolliver county ism {
very far away-not more than sixty
miles. If as much as that -
"Sixty miles! 1t might as we'll be
the other side of the world to all in
tents and purposes, said my Aunt
| Olivia, obstnately.
Why didn't you say so before
bought the place, then? But it S not too
late. | can be selling it and buying
,,,lT r - II l..
/ you-though there ism I half as nice a
place TO be had. But Ill fix it up
somehow. -
"'No. Mr.. Norman Nicholson. said
Aunt Olivia firmly, that doesn Z cover
the difficulty. ] knew YOU would not
understand. Ny ways are not your
ways, and cannot make them over. You
You track mud in-and YOU don Z care
whether tbin"s arc tidy or not. -
Poor Aunt Olivia had to be Aunt
Olivia; if she were being burned at the
stake ] verify believe she would have
dragged some touch of grotesqueness
into the tragedy of the moment.
The devil!' said Mr.. Norman
Nicholson-not profanely or augriIy, but
as in sheer bewilderment. Then he
added:
"Nillie, you must he Joking. It care.
less enough | am-the west isn't a
good place to learn fnicly ways-but
YOU can teach me. You re not going to
throw me over because l track mud
ln?'
I Cannot Marry You!
81 cannot marry you. Mr. Norman
Nicholson, said Aunt Olivia.
"Gou cant mean it.' he exclaimed
because he was beginning TO understand
that she did mean it. although it was
impossible for his man mind TO under,
stand anything about the puzzle. "Nil-
lie, ITS breaking my heart you are | II
DO anything-go anywhere-be any
thing YOU want, only don I go back on
me like this.
cannot marry YOU, Mr.. Norman
Nicholson, said Aunt Olivia for the
fourth time.
''Nillie!" exclaimed Mr.. Norman
Nicholson. There was such agony in his
tone that Peggy and | were suddenly
stricken with contrition. What were
we doing? We had no right to be listen.
!; ing to this pitiful interview. The
pain and protest in his voice had sud.
denly bauished all the humor from il
and left naught but the bare, stark
tragedy. We rose M and tiptoed out of
the room, wbolesomely ashamed of our.
selves.
When Mr.. Norman Nicholson had
gone, after an hour or moro of useless
pleading, Aunt Olivia came up TO us.
pale and grim and determined. and told
us that there was to be no wedding We
could not pretend surprise, but Peggy
ventured faint protest
"Oh, Aunt Olivia, do you think YOU
have done welll''
-. 1t was the only thing | could do.
said Aunt Olivia stonily Il could not
marry Mr., Norman Nicholson. and | told
him so. Please tell your father-and
kindly say nothing more to me about the
matter. -
Then Aunt Olivia went downstairs
got broom and swept up the mud Mr.
Norman Nicholson had tracked over the
doorstep, while Peggy and l went home
and told father.
We felt very fiat, but there was moth
ing 10 be done or said Father laughed
AT the whole thing, but | could not
laugh. was sorry for Mr. Norman
Nicholson, and, though I was angry with
her, ] was sorry for Aunt Olivia, too
Plainly she felt badly enough over her
vanished homes and plans, but she had
deyel loped a strange and battling reserve
which nothing could pierce.
1t s nothing but a case of chronic
-maidism.' said father, impatientlv
Things were very dull for a week
We saw no more Of Mr.. Norman Mich
olson and missed him dreadfullv. Amt
Olivia was inscrutable and worked with
fierceness at superhuous tasks.
One evening father came home with
some news.
Norman Nicholson is leaving on the
ii3O train for, the west" he said. "He
and he's OF, They say he is mad ss
halter at the trick Olivia played
on him.
After tea. Peggy and went over to
see Aunt Olivia. who had asked our
advice about wrapper She was sew.
ing as for dear life and be face was
Prlmmer and colder than ever. Did
she Know OF Mr.. Norman Nicholson IS
departure. ] wondered. De6cacv for.
bade me to mention it, but Peggy had
no such scruples %"
Wen, Aunt Olivia, your beau is
on, she announced cheerfully. "You
ETHe. WApK M ga, NcTIIDETTEnN