Gilpin observer., 1910-05-05

Il
college when Atwater first showed
Minturn one Of his aunt's letters. Min
turn read 1t with an appreciation that
was tinctured with surprise. He had
aunts of his own who sent him occa-
sional checks, and frequent budgets
of advice. but their communications
did not in the least resemble that of
Atwater's aunt. 1t was a long letter
but Minturn was sorry when he
reached the signature.
Il say he remarked, as he folded
the letter carefully, and returned 1t to
its envelope. "she hasn't forgotten that
she was young once. has she?"
You bet she hasn't" said the af-
fectionate, nephew. heartily, and there
the matter rested for the time. But
when Atwater sprained his wrist at
football practice. Minturn volunteered
to write his usual weekly letter to his
aunt.
Atwater made such hard work of die
tation that Minturn finally dispensed
with his assistance, and wrote the let
tiers himself. He received a nice note
from Atwater's aunt, thanking him for
his kindness, and forthwith he devel-
oped a most surprising soltcitude re-
garding Atwater's wrist. limiting dark
ly at any number of dreadful conse-
| quences that were likely to result
from using it before it had fully re-
covered. When at length he could
frame no possible excuse for writing
Atwater's weekly letter to his aunt. he
rallied his courage to make a PROPOSE
ton on his own behalf
The friendship of an older woman"
wrote Minturn to Atwater's aunt, "a
woman like yourself, who knows life
and the world, whose mind is enriched
by the culture of experience, without
losing sympathy with youth, is an in
estimable boon to a young man like
myself" 1t was his best sophomore
style. which had resulted in his ap-
pointment as editor-in, chief of the col
lege paper. 1t proved equally effective
with Atwater's aunt. She graciously
agreed to his suggestion that they cor.
respond.
1t was rather singular that though
their novel acquaintance soon ripened
into sort of intimacy. they did not
meet The vacation Minturn spent at
Atwater's home. Atwater's aunt hap
pened to be in Europe, and when the
boys graduated she was i'll and unable
to be present at the commencement ex-
ercises. But the correspondence con-
tfnued without break. Minturn told
Atwater's aunt number of things
he would never have thought of con.
hding to any one else. and she advised
him in his various dilemmas with the
calm confidence of one who has lived
through youths turmoil and knows the
peace that lies beyond Minturn always
thought OF her as a woman whose smile
had in 1t certain usefulness, on
whose delicate face, under the gray
hair. love and loss had left their un-
mistakable tracery. 1t was not neces-
sary to go into tiresome details with
Atwater's aunt. She always under
stood him.
Minturn had been in his uncles law
office nearly two years when some
thing came up on which he felt the
need Of woman's counsel Moreover,
1t was something he could not very
well trust to paper. His uncle had
said to him on several occasions that
/ ~ "aS tihC hC was btttlluk II,
and Marguerite Foss had intimated
the same thing. not in words. 1t is
true, but by means of sidelong glances
and unnecessary bushes.
Marguerite was pretty girl Min
turn thought 1t a pity that she was
SO plump. and had so much color. But
he told himself. judicially. he might
do worse. He wondered what At
waters aunt would advise.
The legal quality of mind had not
become sufficiently a second nature
with Minturn to preclude an occasion
al impulsive act on his part When
letter came from Atwater's aunt, say.
ing that she had noted signs of mental
perturbation in several of his recent
letters. and delicately limited at her
readiness to be of service. Minturn
suddenly resolved to answer 1t in per-
son. He took an early train. and
reached his friends home in the gold
en- quiet of the summer evening.
Atwater was on the porch sitting in
hammock with girl-a very pretty
girl. II the cabman had been alive to
his opportunity. he might have given
Minturn any change he pleased, for
the young man was thinking of the
girl In the hammock. ard how red and
clumsy and countryfed Marguerite
would look beside her. With an odd
pang he wondered II Atwater were en-.
gagged. There had been something in
the attitude Of the two not unlike the
affectionate confidence OF acknowl-
edged lovers.
/