The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1910-08-11
CARING FOR
EDNA


Tive given up ali thoughts of ever
getting married." declared Edna. hold.
Ing up the Irish lace rose she was GRO
cheting. II did think at one time that
my chances were a little better than
the average girls, but now I have re-
signed myself to the Inevitable"
We'll, the right man hasn't come
along yet. my DEAR" graciously sug-
gested Edna's married friend. "Just
as soon as he does you'll knew It and
he'll know 1t, and then there will go
the marriage BELLS"
II wish 1t really was as simple as
that sighed Edna. "but you are not Ia
king my bachelor uncle into account"
why. what has your uncle got to
do with your not getting married?"
Everything" declared Edna, rue.
fully. THAT is. nearly everything. {
am not the only star in my own eve.
| ming horizon. In fact, am either com.
pletely obscured or I shine only with
1 reflected glory. You've heard me
/ speak Of my bachelor Uncle Bob. He
i lives over on the next street in a
boarding house and he thinks that his
one absolute duty Is to drop in on me
| every evening Of his life Immediately
after dinner and act as master of cere.
monies for the rest of the evening.
The few times he has failed to appear
he has called me UP by telephone
bright and early the very next morn.
Ing to express his apologies and re-
! grets."
but he doesn't interfere with your
callers. does he?" queried the married
friend, with dawning comprehension.
Surely he goes upstairs with the 9th.
1 ers and plays cards or something of
1 the sort?"
That's Just what he doesn't do" re.
sponded Edna. COMPRISING her lips.
He says he enjoys knowing and
meeting my friends. and he usually
remains all evening when they come,
and on some occasions has even es.
corted to the door some young man
! whom he particularly favored. He
thinks 1t is his duty as man with no
responsibilities to look after my matri.
montal prospects. l nearly expire with
! modification when he asks some new
man who Is calling for the first time
to have lunch with him the next day.
l really know Of two cases where he
absolutely frightened away very eli.
gible young men by his overassiduous
attentions"
Couldn't you delicately hint to him
that he is too much of an evening de-.
light?" suggested the married friend.
/ sympathetically.
! Il shouldn't dare" affirmed Edna.
prodding her chochet needle viciously
into the lace rose. "He is the kind
| who would spend the rest of his life
nursing such cruel sting of ingrati.
! tude.
"Still, Tom says he is about desper.
/ ate to have few moments alone with
/ me. The other evening when he came
he asked ME If couldn't put few
grains Of some harmless slumber DOW.
! der into uncle's coffee.
i "Just as he finished speaking uncle
/ came bustling down from fathers
room. where was hoping that he was
safely slowed away He started at
once to give Tom some good advice
! on the subject of a young mans hav.
ing bank account Then he drifted
into few words of warning about ma.
king hay while the sun shines and
! striking while the iron is hot. AL.
though l had fearful cold I started
| to- sing furiously."
"You poor girl!" exclaimed the mar.
ried friend. Il wonder you don't have
! nervous prostration. Why don't you
I get your family to move?"
| Uncle Bob would move, too. he
| loves us SO. thought that when
summer came things would be better.
| In fact, hit on what seemed to me
| clever plan. ! fixed up the back
! yard with swinging davenport and
| wicker chairs. Tom was delighted
with the plan. The first evening the
yard was ready Tom came over early
and Immediately we tore out through
the kitchen to the peace and quiet OF
| the Arcadia we had secured.
"As we approached the swing we
! heard the chains creaAing. Then we
saw the lighted end of cigar.
81 was just going in to get you,
announced Uncle Bob from the coy
seat of the davenport swing. 1T is fine
out here was strolling by and came
in at the side gate. Sit down, sit
down. like young people around me.
It never bothers me Bit"
Couldn't you marry him off to some
unsuspecting spinster?" suggested
Edna's married friend with sympathy
in her voice. I'D take almost any
measures to get rid of such clingins
and peltinacious relative"
"No," said Edna, listlessly. HE says
he will never marry and that he ID
waiting for me to get married so he
can come and live with me-"