The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-05-09
nv MRS. IL. II. PENRosE.

region where it is popularity supposed
tthat creditors cease troubling and
| debtors are al rest.
! The elder Lascelles had left a wife
/ and two particularly helpless daugh-
| tiers. whose support devolved upon
] George. aud none of these adics had
| the least idea of doing anything to
lessen the burden They were not
| selfish, nor Intentionally Idle; they
! were merely helpless. In theory they
were quite ready to devote themselvs
| To dear George: In practice they were
/ absolutely incapable of doing any
I thing more useful than making them
| selves look nice.
| George was In the English army
! and loved his profession. and his
/ heart WAS heavy with the thought OF
| being obliged to give 1t up. The girls
! wept over the prospect but IL did
! not occur to them that they might
| obviate the necessity Mrs. Iascelles
/ was la despair, and wished all sorts
| Of things. but she could no more
| strive towards the fuifimcnt of her
| wishes than she could journey TO the
! moon on broomstick The decisive
/ step had not vet been taken, and
| George had got a weeks leave, TO
spend at home, for the purpose OF ad-
choice of small house.
1t was the day after his arrival and
a wonderful letter had Just been read
aloud at the breakfast table.
Mrs. Lascelles' only sister had mar
ried rich American named JAbea
F.. Shorter, and died chiidless, The
Lasceiles children had been instruct
ed 10 call t4lis gentleman "Uncle
ShorteT.' to keep him supplied with
photographs Of themselves taken at
various stages of growth. to make him
little presents on his birthday, and To
send him. cards at Christmas and
Easter. His position towards them
appeared TO be VERY friendly and re-
suits were taken for granted. but FIVE
years before This time he had re-
turned to America and married one OF
his own country women.
He was an elderly man then, and
disinciined TO minele old interests
with new, SO the old were dropped
the new reigned paramount. and the
Lascelles heard from him no more
They were notified Of his death in due
time. and Mrs, LascelIes wrote as
kindly as she could In the circum-
stances TO condole with his widow
but that had happened a year ago,
and until today no news OF the widow
had been received. Now Mrs. Jabez
Shorter had written, and Mrs, Las
celias was pnrring over the letter
The widow held out hopes.
II should like to see your boy
Poor Jabez took a great interest in
him. and have no children Of my
own. Please send him to me quite
alone. If / don't Ike him I shall
return him safely"
In ii
private hotel at Bournemouth, and
filed up the remainder of her sheet
of notepaper with a few polite re-
marks about England.
Your troubles are over. George"
said Marian. the younger sister.
What provfdenriat aunt. 80
She Will take you in and do for
YOU said Gladys. the elder facetious-
~. The young women. although I'M
able 10 do for" themselves or any
one else. had a very fair understand
I, Ing Of the meaning of IAN eye to the
main choice" Things don't often
| happen so approximately" she added.
| Marian has provided Mrs. Jabez
! Shorter with q really well-chosen
name. We shall always call her THE
| Providentfai Aunt,
AS a matter of fact, she isn't our
! aunt at all" George objected.
| Don't adopt that attitude. what
ever you do" entreated Mrs Lascelles.
! Call her aunt continually l never
| heard her Christian name. but il you
| can find 1t out quickly call her Aunt
! Deborah or Aunt Martha, as the
| case may be, II Will sound more
| friendly than Aunt shorter"
Yes" said Gladys, adhering to the
| main issue: "be sure to make her feel
| that you-rsgard her as a real rela
| ton. One doesn't know how many
| thousands may depend on it,
| Il wonder what she is like" babied
| Mrs Lascelles "old. of course. as
| there were no children. and she speaks
-George-as~ A-rnere- -hay-=compared
| with herself naturally. Jabez was
| nearly seventy when ne died. Allow
| that she was ten years younger than
he. that would make her at least six
| tv now--older than ] am, George, you
see, so 1t In no wonder she calls you
boy"
Il suppose she wears caps and 8
| grey side-~curl like~-who is the WON.
| an? Some American celebrity" OBJ
| served Marian vaguely. George, yot
are very lucky man. Make the mos
| Of your prospects"
You forget" said George, that
may be returned with thanks" But
Notwithstanding this possibility, h'
looked remarkably cheerful as hs
| drove to the railway station later II
the day, and still more cheerful wheI
he reached Bournemouth.
| There WAS large garden surround
1.sF The haa RI Jahs N 6usa To- WRinh Mrs
/ .ia'bea Shorter mad directed him X
| come. and lady was walking abou
among the liiacs and syringas. follow
ed by little dog of forbidding appear
ance.
My lady was very slight and girlish-
looking dressed in soft, white gowr
with black ribbons here and there. anc
carving a dainty sunshade to supply
the place of the hat which she had EVIL
IDENTITY left indoors. Her fair hair rip
pied and curled entrancmgly about
j hey broad forehead. and she. had III,
most naischievous blue eyes in the
world The dog was not one meritinf
a particular description. His stront
no'~t was the uncompromising atti
tra. which he generally assumed OF
first acquaintance.
Directly George opened the gate thu
animal rushed towards him with {
great show of feroety making yerN
noisy pretense that he meant TO de
vour the stranger on the spot. III,
really had no such intention. merely de
string TO inspire proper respect, bu
he had seldom found himself under
stood as this man appeared to under
stand him.
Don't imagine that I'm afraid U
you" said George. land please keel
away from my feet. or Won may get
i lra.ldai.= an ..==s---------.
| The confident tone acted like magic