The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1910-02-23

! A Temporary Substitute.


Felix Livingstone was not in good
temper. He had fortnight's leave,
which duty required him to spend
with his maiden aunt in the country,
while inclination strongly urged him
TO go up to town in order to see the
girl he loved, But on this occasion
duty had to be considered, for Miss
Drury, the aunt in question, was a
wealthy old lady, and he was practi-
cally dependent upon her.
All things considered, however,
Fate had not been so very unkind to
Felix. Left an orphan at an early
age, he had been adopted by his
mothers elder sister, who had done
her duty nobly by him. Now at the
age of twenty-five he found himself
a subaltern in one of the line regl-
ments, with a handsome allowance
from his aunt, and every prospect of
becoming her heir. But-there Is
always but" in most peoples lives
although Miss Drury had been
more than liberal to her nephew and
forbore to exercise any but very
nominal restraint over his actions,
yet she had given him to understand
that she meant to exert her authority
in one important matter, namely, the
question of his marriage.
In due course of time she intended
Felix to become master of Wood
lands, her beautiful old house, and
since his wife would occupy her place
as mistress, Miss Drury meant to
limit, If not direct, her nephews
choice of bride.
She did not approve of the modern
woman, the up-to-date girl, with her
cigarette and her slang, her talk of
golf and bridge, her contempt for
needlework, and all things pertaining
TO domesticity. Felix could see in his
minds eye the wife his aunt destined
for him-a meek and modest young
woman of ultra-refined speech and ap-
pearance, and always with a piece of
fancy work between her fingers-and
he shuddered at the picture. Then
he thought, with a sudden tighten
Ing of his heart, of Kitty Bellairs, as
he had seen her last summer at the
house of brother officer-beautiful
mischievous, high-spirited, a keen
tennis player, brilliant horsewoman,
full of life and laughter. She had
charmed the young mans heart out
of him, and though Felix tried des-
perately hard to Danish her from his
memory, absence, in this case, had
certainly made the heart grow fonder.
"I daren't tell Aunt Minnie about
Kitty" thought the young man, dis
consolately. "Of course if she knew
her as l do she couldn't help but love
her, although she isn't quite her style,
but l don't see how they are ever to
meet, since my little darling knows
no one in this neighborhood, and
Aunt Min never will come up to
town"
In the depth Of his heart Felix was
genuinely fond of the old lady, who
had so generously mothered him all
mis- life, and he was therefore rather
disconnected to find when he reached
Woodlands that Miss Drury was very
much perturbed and upset about
something. Generally his aunt was
q very dainty looking little old lady,
exquisitely dressed, and the perfec-
tion of hostess. But on this partic-
ular afternoon she greeted her nep-
hew in an absent-minded fashion, her
cap slightly awry, her-cheeks flushed,
and her beautiful hands trembling.
"Why, Aunt Minnie" said the
young man. anxiously, whatever is
the matter?"
"Oh, my dear Felix" replied the
old lady, looking into his handsome
face with troubled blue eyes, 81 have
had such dreadful upset Two of
the housemaids are down with influ-
enza, and now Parkins, who is quite
Invaluable, has declared she can hold
up no longer, and has gone to bed
seriously Ill, / fear"
Felix gave whistle of dismay
Parkins was cook-housekeeper at
Woodlands, and the pivot upon which
the rest of the household turned. She
was an exceptionally good cook, and
he knew that his aunt prided herself
that her dinners were unsurpassed
IN the neighborhood.
! Il would not have minded had we
been alone" continued Miss Drury,
"but the house Is full of people, and |
have large dinner party tomorrow. :"
What catastrophe" exclaimed
her nephew, sympathetically, who
knew how vexed was Miss Drury's or
derly mind when any household af-
fairs went wrong. Cant you get a
woman from the village to heip?"
"Of course l can, but you don't
know what these village women are
llike, my dear Felix; dirty. incompe-