Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-07-02

nett in Paris. and really-really his
greetings TO you almost amounted to
steamer luggage. He came down to
Cherbourg to see me of. and almost
the last thing be 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 menT' 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 l suppose
he's got following him." she said. Miss
Chester looked at her in mild kind of
wonder. but she went on numbering
| Mr.. Johnson's shirt sleeve with the
needle without noticing the glance at
all.
well, well, honey. don't know
about that" said Aunt Bette as she
tanned and rocked her great, big. dar-
Ing. fat self in the strong rocker /
al avs kept in tie 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-
| gins to tease or matchmake, and she
does them both most of her time.
But at whom do you suppose she
| looked? Not me! Miss Chester That
/ was cold tub No. for that day, and |
didn't react as quickly as l might. but
when / did l was in the proper glow
all over. When revived and saw the
lovely pale blush on her face felt like
cabbage rose beside teabud. was
! glad Aunt Adeline came out on the
porch just then SO | could go in and
tell Judy to bring out the iced tea and
cakes. When l came from the kitchen
l 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 a line with my eyes shut. This was
! what it was:
and all these. years | have walked
the world. blindfOlded TO its loneliness
with the blackness that came to me
when ! found that you
/ didn't read any more. but showed il
back in hurry and went on out on
the porch. comforted in a way, but
| feeling some more in sympathy with
/ Mrs. johnson than / had before Aunt
I'D hA-
ton had interrupted our algebraic
demonstration on the man subject.
| You can't always be sure of the right
answer to Y in any proposition of life:
that is. woman can't.
! And. furthermore. | didn't like that
! next hour much. just as sample Of
life. for instance. Aunt Bette had got
her joining together humor we'll started.
/ and right there before my face she
made n present of every nice man in
/ HillsbOro to that lovely. distinguished
/ strange girl who could have slipped
through bucket hoop If she had tried
hard. l had to sit there. listen to the
| presentations, watch her drink two
tall glasses of delicious tea full of
of Judy's puffy cakes. while / crum-
bled mine in secret over the banisters
( and set half the glass of tea out of
| sight behind the wistaria vine.
| 1t was bad enough to hear Aunt Bet
tie just offer her Tom. who. If he is her
own son. is my favorite cousin. but
believe the worst minute almost ever
faced was when she began on the
/ judge. for ! could see from Aunt AIDE
lines shoulder beyond Miss Chester
how she was enjoying that and she
added another distinguished ancestor
to his pedigree every time Aunt Bette
paused for breath. l couldn't say
word about the fish. and Aunt Adeline
wouldn't. almost loved Mrs Johnson
when she bit off thread viciously and
said "Humph" as she rose to start the
tea party home.