The Washington herald., 1914-04-13
DAILY SHORT STORY.
EXAMPLE TO AGE.
MCULLOCH-WILLIAMs.

by MARTHA MrCULLOCH-WILLIA
CCopyright. BIZ
A full moon, red and angry. had climb
ed a murky East and hung quarter
heaven. shaping for itself a ghostly halo.
The halo was email: one star shone in
it-rather twinkled Even the veiIed moon
was too big and bright for real other
shining. Alicia's heart swelled at sight
OF the single star; she was superstItiOus
in spite Of herself. in spite Of college
aud her aunt's high ways. She had
come up from the farm. full OF folklore.
II had decreed. that as the number Of
stars within a fun moons halo. so would
he the number OF days before your true
love came.
Alicia, sweet and twenty. warm
blooded. eagerly adventurous had of
course. a true love. even though Aunt
Mary resented him. Aunt Mary had
married. out Of her class, a lot Of money
with a manikin appendage. She hoped
better things for AIicia-money plus A
real man. She did not want her niece.
who stood TO her for daughter. to be
sacrificed as she had sacrificed herself
twenty years she had served In bondage
TO the whims. the whipperinGs of a
semi-idiot. His death had not fully re-
warded her. Though she had control
OF the fortune. it for life only.
Ihe income Of IL was ample, but she
had nothing in fee. At her death all
would pass to heirs of the husbands
name, but very remotely OF his blood.
The widow. Mrs Netter. knew no more
or them than their names and number
three. brother and two sisters, who ig-
nored her as persistently as their high
headed father had done.
The father had thouRbt sbama ~
any woman who would marry for his
money patent imbecile. who had yet
some CLEANS OF shrewd sanity. The
CLEANS had sufficed to make and keep
him his own master. hence the distant
kinsman could do no more than re-
with Nicholas Yetter
but the woman who had him
thran. She had answered him. her
head as high as his: Talks easy
you don't know what 1t is to long
for ease. comfort. luxury-and see
nothing ahead of you but hard work
How should you? You've never done
n days work in your life. You have
never. either. known the lack of
dollar. Nicholas isn't getting a bad
bargain-Ill see to it he is kept as a
gentleman should be. and be good to
him as we'll What il am doing It
for a living? You don't slur trained
i'N' SSS anu Acg bcA
praise as well as pay. Besides. Mich
olas will marry somebody-he can't
do better. but may easily do worse"
That had sent the remonstrant away.
bafled and silenced. IL unconvInced.
Alicia knew all about it-knew. too.
how his interference yet ranked IL.
Aunt Mary's mind. There lay the root
of her seeming avarice-she was saw
ing up for her heiress. in hope to
make those Vetters angry and jealous. ,
Alicia must marry well-somebody
with more money than she herself
would bring him. She had been well /
she was. moreover. beautiful /
with a rare high-bred beauty. In /.
Iced. she looked the duchess rather /.
han the dairy maid. 1t was surely /
iggravating to have her turn down /
Judge Ewells son. because of a strap /
bling engineer fellow, head of a road /
crew. who though a decent ,
enough youngster. had no more than .
lis pay and was silent as to his ante I
Whereas. the Ewells were leaders in /
he countryside. Generals. governors. a
Senator and Il cabinet minister, their
Inc could boast. Rich withal-thouGh .
css SO that Aunt Mary would have like d .
hem to be-still there was not likely
o be any suspicion of fortune hurting.
Young Tom Ewcll had been bowled
completely over by first sight of Alicia
had proposed in a week. and returned
o the attack inside fortnight. Aunt
Nary had smiled approval Of the first re-
was balm to have the world
inow her niece was not to bc had thus
finland for even a Ewclrs asking Next I
ime she had looked family troubled.
When Tom came to her for comfort ana
ounsel after the third failure, she had
taken Alicia sharply TO
ask
ou know" Alicia had admitted candIdly.
I'd really like to like Tom best. Aunt
iary. only somehow 7 can't Unless /
marry him-I-think 1-shan't marry