Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1913-06-18
CHAPTER ~.
Secretary Of Frivolous Affairs.

Secretary Of Frivolous Affairs.
] know there's an all.wise ProVi-
dence who directs the universe 30
much better than we could do II, al
though sometimes It seems that Prov
idence gets twisted; because the
things we aim at we don't get, ana
the things we don't aim at we do get
came back from my interview
with the wealthy woman who WAS re-
covering from nervous prosTation ana
iust sat down and cried. She lived
in a gilded prison on Commonwealth
avenue with all the windows tight
shut for fear Of drafts In the uncer-
tain spring weather. No wonder she
had nervous prostration. Anybodys
nerves would shrek for air In that
place In exchange for what she de-
manded and knowing ! had named
three thousand year, she offered me
eight hundred with the reservation oil
letting me go on two weeks notice
] began practicing tact on the spot
and left the matter pending; then
went out into Gods sunshine, took
some deep-sea breaths Of the uncer'
tain spring weather. and when l got
back home, poured out the whole
mean thing on JOS motherly bosom
Then-well I've said it, sat down
and cried. always do cry when In
angry.
had hardly dried my eyes ant
was trying to get rid of the horriC
tear-streaks down my face--Pm
fright when cry-when the bel
tangled and the postman came in will
a special" l looked at the letter an'
for one wild instant l though per
haps the mine had been pumped dry
Then I noticed that 1t was directed t
the initials we had signed to the ad
yertisement The special was writ
ten from the Somerset, and / stoo
there gazing idiotically at the enVe
ope, turning 1t over and over tryin
to guess who 1t might be from-lik
every woman does, except Jo-whe
10 came in and | ripped 1t open.
looked at the name first, Of course
and my knees gave way. l passe
the letter on to 10.
Maria Crowninshield Hazard" SD
exclaimed. She, too, had read tn
name first-Jo is feminine after al
Mrs. Frederick Hazard"
do you think it's actually true 81
wants a companion?" l asked.
aAvrnndnd n
read the letter, which Of course WI
the only way to find out.
81 didn't know she lived at Il
Somerset" remarked, my mil
Rrasping only tangible things.
She's doing over her house. H
daughter came out this winter. Surel
you've seen about the reception ne
week, presumably to announce an
gagement?"
81 do hope she doesn't want me
a sort of subllmated lady's maid"
cried.
you certainly would be an acco
plished lady's maid" 10 replied 8,
castically, and she was seldom 81
castle
True" l laughed but 10 didn't
The note was short and to the poi
hut Il had q cordial undertone thai
knew 10 liked. Mrs. Hazard want
me to telephone to her as soon
the note reached me and arrange
interview as quickly as possible. S
couldn't explain In letter just wi
she wanted, as her proposition was
ne rather intricate and unusual,
she thought from the tone OF the
vertisement that I'd do. l had /
rowed that about speaking Fren
bridge, football, ct cetera. |
dered over the Intricate and III
ual." but in all the wild flights of
imagination l couldn't land on a
thing that seemed to be just that,
less she wanted me to do all tn
things. Gracious; I'd have to dl
the line at football and baseball
could root, but
Now I've always denied that l
nerves. l take 1t back. I'm sur
wore a groove in the floor up
down the hallway that afternoon
fore she came. couldn't sit d.
long enough to eat my luncheon,
caught It in relays at the din
room door each time l passed. Fl
ly we heard the hum of big CT
you can always tell from the sc
when car is big-which stop
snorted and stood still in front Of
place. Then came the jangle Of
bell in just the space of time th'
would take a dignified old lady to
from the car to the button.
! had searched stray newspa
and magazines for a possible pic
of her, as much to kill time a
satisfy an impatient curiosity, but
only one l could find was a snap,
in a Sunday newspaper taken
charity bazaar, showing her with
foot in the air and her mouth ope
crumpled the paper and flung 1t
a corner much to JOS disgust, for
brides herself on the neat way
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