The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-06-21
Cnnffnnnad

(COnt1nuao.l
 s1Oh, my dear Mrs. Carter, how glad I am to meet your' she said as she lowered over me in a willowy way, and her voice was lovely and cool almost to sIimness. 'I am the bearer of so many gracious messages that am anxious to deliver them safely to you. Not six weeks ago I left Alfred Ben nett in Paris, and really-really his greetings to you almost amounted to steamer luggage. He came down to Cherbourg to see me off, and almost the last thing he said to me was, Now, don't fail to see Mrs. Carter as soon as you get to Hillsboro, and the more you see of her the more you'll enjoy your visit to Mrs. Pollard Isn't he the most delightful of men7'' She asked me the question, but she had the most wonderful way of seeming to be talk ing to everybody at one time, so Mrs Johnson got in the first answer.
 Delightful, nothing! But Al Ben nett is a man of sense not to marry any of the string of women I suppose he's got following him. she said. Miss Chester looked at her in a mild kind of wonder. but she went on murdering NIT. Johnson's shirt sleeve with the needle without noticing the glance at all.
 ''Well. we'll, honey, don't know about that said Aunt Bettie as she famed and rocked her great, big, dar- ling, fat self in the strong rocker always kept in the breezy angle of the porch for her. Al is not old enough to have proved himself entirely, and from what hear
 She paused with big, hearty smile that she always wears when she be rr3w. <ra does them both most of her time.
 But at whom do you suppose she looked? Not mel Miss Chester! That was cold tub No. for that day, and didn't react as quickly as I might, but when did I was in the proper glow all over When I revived and saw the lovely pale blush on her face I felt like a cabbage rose beside a teabud. was glad Aunt Adeline came out on the porch just then so I could go in and tell Judy to bring out the iced tea and cakes When I came from the kitchen I stepped into my room and took out one of Alfred's letters from the desk drawer and opened it at random, as you do the Bible when you want to decide things. and put my finger down on line with my eyes shut This was what it was:
 y ! the world, blindfolded to it's loveliness with the blackness that came to me when found that yod''-
 didn't read any more, but showed it back in hurry and went 4n out on the porch, comforted in a way, but feeling some more in sympathy with Mrs Johnson than I had before Aunt Bettie and her guest from Washing ton had interrupted our algebraic demonstration on the man subject You can't always be sure of the right answer to x in any proposition of life; that is, woman can't!
 And, furthermore, I didn't like that next hour much, just as a sample of life, for instance. Aunt -Bettie had got her joining together humor well started, and right there before my face she made present of every nice man in Hiilsboro to that lovely, distinguished, strange girl who could have slipped through bucket hoop if she had tried hard I had to sit there, listen to the prese e aations, watch her drink two tall glasses of delicious tea full of sugar and consume without fear three of Judy's puffy cakes, while I crum- bled mine in secret over the banisters and set half the glass of tea out of sight behind the wistaria vine.
 It was bad enough to hear Aunt Bet tie jn@t offer her Tom, who, if he is her own son, is my favorite cousin, but I believe the worst minute I almost ever faced was when she began on the judge. for could see from Aunt Ade- lines shoulder beyond Miss Chester how she was enjoying that, and she added another distinguished ancestor to hls pedigree every time Aunt Bettie paused for breath. I couldn't say word about the fish. and Aunt Adeline wouldn't I almost loved Mrs. Johnson when she bit of a thread vicfously and said ''Humph!'' as she rose to start the tea party home.