Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-18
HE HOME PRIZE SUGGESTIONS vAGAREs CDRENS COR
The Daily Story
Aunt Cassandra's Fan

Joe the day before her wedding seeing
we were to be bridesmaid and grooms-
man--Joe and l.
II was no very serious matter we dis
agreed about. Indeed. the primal cause
thereof Is somewhat misty to me now. |
can, however, recall that Joe was on his
who but-me" behavior for considerable
time, and when I scorchngly demanded
who he was. anyway, he became sarcas-
tlcaly humble and said: OH nobody.
He was a Worm" After which he grew
top-lofty again, and observed that. at any
rate, he was a self-respecting worm and
wouldn't be stamped on.
II wanted ever, ono to be amiable on
my wedding day." planted Evelyn, "and
" YOU and Joe don't stop spatting. yOu'll
never he carried ,uurss d, ss."
well, then" I said "the world will
have one quarrelsome couple the less"
| and | began to sing. Yet u my heart /
knew that I was glvinr EVELYN a bluff.
! for ] was already repentlng of my snip
piness. and my panoply of pride would
have gone all to tattcrs at soft word
/ from Joe. He didn't seem inclined to
I speak 1t, however, and was determined
not to make my eyes red and my nose
! glossy for Ewes wedding by weeping so
/ teeth tight together
| Evelyn was the first of us girls to fit
! nom the home nest and naturally we
! were all bit exercised over the flight
! Fathers jokes were supposed to be spon-
| tancous as usual but somehow the
/ sti ches showed; and mother, like Kath-
! leen Bawn, had "smlle on her lip and
! tear In her eye" But IL took Aunt
! Casasndra to turn good and sentimental
! am her namesake. and | am senti-
/ mental. too, but | could not possibly SEN
! timentalize about Uncle Jason. Not that
| ! mean to discourage him. for he is gone
! from earth, and was a good man while
] here; but he did have such a long neck
| And from the latest recollectons / had
| OF him. there was about as much ro-
! nance In him as In n barn door. Never
/ tholcss, Evelyns preparations reminded
! Aunt Cassandra of the day before her
| own wedding and when ! wandered into
| her room seeking diversion. | found her
! holding pensiVe communion with the SOU
venirs In her middle bureau drawer
/ That drawer. with its quaint contents
! was an object of immense interest to
me; 1t brought up slices Of past before
my entrance into the world. There were
In depths, many odds and ends of the
pomps and vanitles with which Aunt Cas-
sandra had adorned herself in her youth
fu days. There was a pair of balloon
/ ike undersleeves, fine and soft, with mar
| row embroidered bands. all family yell
low and scented with some old flower
| fragance like musk rose leaves; there
! was string OF coral beads: there was a
I curious fiat, black-bead bracelets an old
! lace bertha" and there was sacred
/ little black case with a snap fastening,
! IN which were two photographs. one of
/ Uncle Jason, and one of Aunt Cassandra,
| taken soon after their marriage. They
were OF that old-fashioned style in which
| you see nothing Mt first but n SQUARE of
Ia &C Nt.hi irh h,,,n 81
this way and that, before you can dis
| tinguish the photograph
| There We're other objects of interest
! in that drawer, but chief Of all to me
was yellowishwhite fan of satin and
| ivory.
'I'm going to will you that some day."
| Auntie said, seeing my wistful gaze
| 81 wish you would" I replied. land
| in the meantime I wish you would lend
| 1t to me for the present occasion. 1t
| will 60 so beautifully with that old yell
| low lace mamma gave me.
Take it." Auntle said pensvely, land
now run away like n good little girl
am wandering lin the past today"
] saw nothing of my recreant Joe un-
| til the next day. He came early and
made himself useful, telephoning for
| things. saw him a few minutes; I had
left Auntle's fan lying on the back parlo:
table, and when ! ran down for it, there
was Mr.. Joe idly twiddling the fan in
his fingers,
I'm sorry I have TO trouble you for
my fan, Mr., Harley" I said sedately.
He handed 1t over with a most stately
bow, and | fled in confusion. When l
had got my bridesmaid toggery on, l
whirled open the marvellous hit .
carved ivory and old satin. and as I did
so, my eyes alightod on two lines family
penciled on the soft, creamy SATIN
Dear Cass-will you forgive me-say?
For I'm your ever faithful j.
An j., best beloved j.. 1t only needed
that scrap of apology to send the peni-
tent tears rolling out of my eyes. Down
l flew, pell-mell, and landed in J.'s arms
at the foot of the stairs,
"Oh, Joe-Joe" l gurgled, as he caught
me up SO tight the end of his necktie
nearly went down my throat "lve been
so hateful. OF course We'll forgive each
other and be friends once m-m-more'
won't we?" Here ! crushed the white
carnation he wore in his buttonhole, but
he did not mind-just kissed me quite
| recklessly, until door In the hall opened
and fathers head stuck out.
'I hear geese" he announced where
upon one of the geese flew upstairs
All that | can tell about Evelyns we'd
ding is that II was the sweetest we'd
| ding that ever happened, except one
| which followed on its heels shortly atter'
When | returned Aunt Cassandra's ran
1 gave her two extra hugs. Its magic
i
at is a magic fam" she assented' ana
II II helped you make up your tin with
Joseph it's the second time it's been a
peacemaker. oh, dear. how well l re-
| member my first quarrel with your
| Uncle Jason before we were married.
| Auntie had dreamy, the-past ex-
preston on her good little face, and l
! knew she was rsveling in her old ro-
nance. 1 shall always maintain that
| Uncle Jason was an exemplary man; but
| could any one for a moment compare
| him to Joe? Why, who but Joe would
/ ever think of mending a mlsunderstand-
! ing by means of a beautiful couplet on
| a fan? Connect Uncle Jason with any
thing like that bit OF sentiment! l was
waxing indignant at the idea when Aunt
| Cassandra spoke again
DO you see those two lines about in
| the centre OF the fan, Cassie, in pencil?
| Well, Jason and 4 had not spoken for
nearly a week. though We were anxious
| 10 make up~our quarrel One evening at
a party left my fan--this one-lying upon
| a table | saw Jason fooling with It, but
/ didn't notice what he was doing. After
| a while, when / got possession OF 1t
again, / saw those lines: Dear Cass.