The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-12-27

a man--and she married him. Miss
Alatty could not go to the wedding
because her mother was Just then
she had no suitable clothes to wear.
She learned that Cornelia had gone
abroad on her wedding trip and that
When she came back she was to
enter into an entirely new sphere,
Tor her husband was rich and came
Of an influential family. That was
the last Miss Matty heard from Cor
newspapers. until suddenly had come
this invitation. Cornelia was re-
covering from an illness and had
taken a fancy to nave some one she
used to know near her. She had
thought of Miss Matty and so had
asked her.
Miss Mas,y had four days in which
had travelled anywhere, and no II
could have been more high strung
and palpitatinE than she on that
eventful morning, when she at last
set forth. Miss Morton went to the
station with her to help her with her
yalise n see her safely on the train.
than Miss Matty because she had
once actually been as far as Florida
and back ""ain, though this consti-
tuted the sum total of her life's Jour-
neying.
You'll be sure to write?' said Miss
Morton as they stood waiting for the
ram. Il shall be real uneasy until
sound"
Tears stood i'll her kind. faded eyes
but Miss Matty's ewes were bright
With excitement. "Oh, yes, Ill write.
Of course" she promised. hastily.
Are you sure my wells OIL just as 1t
shouid be, Harriet: And isn't there
g hairpin loose somewhere? Ny hair
While Miss Morton was fuss:ng
with the veil and hairpin the train
rushed in and the two friends were
caught in an eddy of bustling ar
rivals. There was no more than
time now to kiss goodby and get
aboard. Miss Matty's last glimpse
of her friend showed Miss Morton
waving farewell with the other.
Miss Matty sat upright. her cheeks
holly flushed, her chest huttering.
her nervous hands clasped in her lap.
She was conscious that she looked
very we'll, but whether she would look
we'll enough to please Cornelia was
another thing. What would cornelia
wonderful being, "a kind of cross be.
tween empress and goddess. And
Cornelia's home - that, Of curse,
would be BETTING SO grand a being.
There would be servants and motors
and flower gardens and vast rooms
all provided by. Cornelia's husband,
for Cornelia's prime benefit. Cornelia
was a favored mortal.
In her secret heart Miss Matty al.
ways envied Cornelia. She was Sc
stately. go handsome. wen as fal
back as she could remember her
Then, as II nature had not done
enough for Cornelia. fortune mus,
step forward with its Nv incompara.
BILE offerings. Yes, Miss Matty en-.
Wed her. for cornelia's life appeared
like n long romance of the kind
she still loved to find in old fashioned
books. AS for her own romance, Miss
Matty had never any. The nearest she
when Sam sloat, a neighbor's son
had come counting her. Everybod,
had expected her to marry him; sh,
had even expected it herself. Blu,
when 1t came to the final test sh'
could not, even though she nigh,
have to remain an old maid all hel
days.
Miss Alatty never had another lover
but after a while she got used to be
ing her own mistress and enjoyed it
After her parents died she sold tn,
farm and moved into town. She hireC
a tiny fiat, filled it with the mos
cherished of her possessions. and set
tied down to maiden and middle agl
comfort. There was a good librar,
near, which supplied her with read
mig; her digestion and her purse boti
permitted her to eat what she liked
and she always had two or tire,
friends handy to play with her wheY
h wanted a game Of cribbage. There
was no reason in the world why shl
shouldn't have been happy, and sh.
would have been save for the memor,
Of Cornelia Brisben.
Miss Matty reached her destination
late that afternoon. 1t was a snhurbnr
station. and she had no difficulty IL
finding out the special car and chauf
feur awaiting her. Almost before sh.
could draw a natural breath the cal
had whisFed her up one street AM
down another. in between the regal
outstanding stone pillars and under q
porte-cochere. The a door wa,
opened and Miss Matty stepped dowr
to face a white-capped maid who hai
been sent to receive her. The mait
conducted her into a great entrance
hall. up a palatial s~tatrcage, dowr
another hall. and III through a pan,
Miss Matty Mayhew." she an.
bounced and withdrew d~iscrSetly.
Matty was actually in Cornelia-,
presence. She saw dimly = wonder,