Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-10-04

"Why, of course; it's the only thing
| for her to do he replied.
Willingly Mrs. Wilcox entered with
them into a taxi and was whirled away
| to the hotel. An elevator completed the
journey for her and she found herself
before a door in a dim, red-carpeted, cleo
tric-lighted corridor. The door opened
and woman appeared on the threshold
Mrs WiIcox's friend and shook hands
with the friends husband and was just
going to shake hands with Mrs. Wilcox
herself when a man looked over her
shoulder and cried: Aunt Betsy!
Mark" gasped Mrs. Wilcox Aston
ished. dismayed, angry. she was half
minded to turn away, for the man was
her banished nephew and the rosy woman
was his wife whom she had never seen
moreover. bad no wish to see.
Come in, Come in ~ Mark WILCOX said,
and he had them all shut in the room in
an instant Now, Aunt Betsy he said,
I'm going to kiss you and Janet is going
to kiss you. Aunt Betsy. you've given
ing to see US like this. Where'd you find
Aunt Betsy, Kit?" he appealed to the
other woman.
Mrs. Wilcox was waking up very fast
who are these people, Mark? she asked,
sternly.
He laughed and patted her shoulder.
What a pity it was that he had married
the wrong woman. She had been so fond
of him once. why, Aunt Betsy, these
are the Beldens-Kitty and Bob Belden."
he explained.
Mrs Wilcox faced Kitty Belden. $50
you are EN- Maynard's daughter she
said. She gulped once. You don't look
like her," she added, weakly.
Not bit," said Kitty Belden. But,
then, you'd never know mamma, anyway,
as she is now. She has rheumatism and
is not very well. She often wishes that
she could see you. Mrs Wilcox, just to
talk over old times. You and she are the
last of your set left, believe. You ought
to be friends"
You know why we amt, I suppose?'
said Mrs. Wilcox. grimly.
Kitty Belden laughed. ooh, yes.
Mamma told me. But that's all past and
gone. She's not one to hold grudge."
Aunt Betsy" said Marks wife, lunch
con is served and think if you are ready
we had better go down. Mark, the other
| side, please
down to luncheon. And they all talk
| ed and laughed SO much that she quite
forgot where she was and whom she
| was with and had the time of her old
| life
That afternoon she went back to
lGeraldines with the Beldens after tel
| ephoning Elinor that she had changed
| her mind. And she told Geraldine right
out and out that she had been an old
fool for great many years. why. 1
like Marks wife," she confessed I'm
going to visit them. I've always tried
to influence you girls against the boy,
but I've been wrong-wrong. And
like the Beldens. 1 shouldn't wonder if
1 got to liking EN- Maynard herself.
| for from what 1 hear she's Just such
another miserable old crotchety critter
that I am, and when there's two of
| that kind they ought to agree. Ger
aldine, when I got to that hotel and
found whom I was with I had a feel
ing that 1 was the victim of a con-
spiracy. But now I begin to recog-
nize the leading hand of Providence"
She wiped her eyes. Geraldine kissed
her tenderly.
I've had the surprise Of my Iife,"
old Mrs. Wilcox muttered- the sur
prise of my life. There amt no Injun
in me after all. Geraldine. don't
care. I've always been proud that l
| could hold grudge, and now I'm
proud that I can't"
(THE END.)