The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1913-05-31
CHAPTER III.

t6N
Secretary Of Frivolous Affairs.
know there's an allwise Provi-
asnce who directs the universe 80
much better than we could do 1t. al
though sometimes 1t seems that Prov
hence gets twisted: because the
things We aim at we don't get. and
the things we don't aim at We do get.
came back from my interview
with the wealthy woman who was re-
GOV ring from nervous prostration and
just sat down and cried. She lived
In q 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. Anybody's
serves would shrek for air In that
place. In exchange for what she de-
manded and knowing l had named
three thousand a year. she offered me
eight hundred with the reservation Of
letting me go on two weeks notice.
{ began pract!cing tact on the spot
and left the matter pending: then I
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.
rhen-well I've said it-I sat down
and cried. always do cry when I'm
angry
l had hardly dried my eyes and
was trying to get rid OF the horrid
tear-streaks down my face-I'm a
fright when l cry-when the bell
tangled and the postman came in with
. special" looked at the letter and
tor one wild instant l though per-
haps the mine had been pumped dry.
Then I noticed that 1t was directed to
the initials we had signed to the ad-
vertisement. The special" was writ
ten from the Somerset, and I stood
there gazing idiotically at the envel-
ppe. turning It over and over trying
to guess who 1t might be from-like
every woman does. except Jo-when
10 came in and ripped 1t open. l
looked at the name first. of course.
and my knees gave way. l passed
the letter on to Jo.
Maria Crowninshield Hazard" she
exclaimed. She, too. had read the
aame first-Jo Is feminine after all.
MRS. Frederick Hazard"
DO you think it's actually true she
wants a companion?" asked.
why not?" demanded Jo. and she
read the letter. which Of course was
the only way to find out.
II didn't know she lived at the
Somerset" remarked, my mind
grasping only tangible things.
She's doing over her house Her
daughter came out this winter Surely,
you've seen about the reception next
week, presumably to announce an en-
gagement?"
II do hope she doesn't want me for
Q sort Of sublimated lady's maid" l
cried.
You certainly would be an accom-
plished lady's maid," 10 replied sar-
castically, and she vas seldom sar-
castle.
True" l laughed but 10 didn't.
The note was short and to the point,
but 1t had a cordial undertone that
knew-Jo liked. Mrs. Hazard wanted
me to telephone to her as soon as
the note reached me and arrange an
Interview as quickly as possible. She
couldn't explain in a letter Just what
she wanted. as her proposition was to
be rather intricate and unusual. but
she thought from the tone of the ad-
yertisement that I'd do. I had bor-
rowed that about speaking French,
bridge, football. ct cetera. pom
hA Int Nd
ual," but in all the wild fights Of my
imagination couldn't land on any
thing that seemed to be Just that. un-
less she wanted me to do all thesa
things. Gracious: I'd have to draw
the line at football and baseball:
could root, but
Now I've always denied that had
nerves. take 1t back. I'm sure
wore a groove In the floor up and
down the hallway that afternoon be-
fore she came. l couldn't sit down
long enough to eat my luncheon. but
caught It In relays at the dining
room door each time l passed. Final
" we heard the hum of big car
you can always tell from the sound
when a car is big-which stopped.
snorted and stood still in front Of our
place. Then came the jangle Of the
bell In Just the space Of time that It
would take a dignifled old lady to get
from the car to the button.
I had searched stray newspapers
and magazines for possible picture
Of her, as much to kill time a. to
satisfy an impatient curiosity, but the
a. hat
ln q Sunday newspaper. taken at .
eharity bazaar. showing her with ono
foot in the air and her mouth open.
urumpled the paper and flung 1t into
4 corner much to JOS disgust. for she