The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-11-07
Mr.. SUDDS SPEAKS
BY KEITH KENYON.

tory to mornings shopping. Outside
the big stone house a d0ye-gray car,
with two men in 'dove-gray livery.
waited before the steps.
Then something occurred to the mis-
tress of all this magnificence and she
pressed a bell "Send Mr.. Sudds to
me, Hutchison.'
When the private secretary ap-
peared she sat down. i've Just thought
of something, Sudds, and [ guess I'll
get it off my mind before l go out.
Take that chair there :"
He obeyed.
IT'S about Miss Joanna. She is com
ing today, Sudds."
Yes, Mrs. Van Krepper."
Its little difficult for me to ex-
press exactly what | want you to do,
but it amounts to this: Her GRANDPA
Their and myself want her to get mar
ried. Her parents, you know, are
both dead, and the earlier she marries
the better, for we are not going to
1--we forever and there are settlements
to be made and so on.
''Now, I've tried to talk marriage
to her and so has my husband, bat
she just laughs at US. SO l have been
thinking that if you would put the
gravity of the situation 70 to her,
show her the business side of it and her
duty to Us, it might bring the desired
result. And incidentally there are two
young men you might mention. One is
Reginald Crecy, the other Houghton
Vance. Either one would be accept
able to US. They have family and
money and all that. You understand"
Joanna came. The house Nsts alive
and astir with new life before She en-
tered the door. Youth, beauty, vital
ity and a certain quality Of incorrfgi-
bility that was Irresistible came with
her.
She changed her clothes and, trilling
Il tune as she came downstairs, she
stuck her head into the small office
OFF the library.
Hello, Suddsyw
"HoW do you do. Miss Joanna?"
oh, just call me Joanna"
But Mrs. Van Kreeper would"
oh, can Mrs. Van Kreeper. Yes,
know she would, Sudds. SO don't do
it when she's around. When there's
just you and me, though, you do as
l say. I'm going to cell you Billy"
''Oh, Miss l mean Joanna. What
would Mrs. Van"
Never mind, Sudds. | mean Billy.
Come on out and show me the new
&hrubbery and the last butcn If pup
pies and everything. Lei those let
tiers CO.
Gladly, Miss Gladly, Joanna :"
ooh, never mind calling me that if
it's going to give you st. Vitus' dance.
You can make it 10 if you like. That's
right. Lock up the desk. Too bad
you're English! You'd have made a
perfectly bully American. Come on
now and tell me what grandma's got
up her sleeve about Reginald Crecy
and Houghton what's his name?'
Sudds found his tongue after q
while. 'She wants you to marry them,
Miss Joanna. | meaG Jonana-Jo."
Mercy. | couldn't do that. I'd get
cross-eyed trying to keep an eye on
each Of them ut the same time.'
We'll, she wants you to marry one
of them. l guess she doesn't care
which"
oh, just one!" ~
And I'm to tell you it's your duty
to her and Mr.. Van Kreepe@ to make a
proper alliance and these men have
money and family"
And red hair-that is Reggie has
and an awful temper and he's selfish
as pig. And Houghton hasn't enough
brains to go in out of the rain and
he's sick in bed most of the time. Be
sides, they both drink ike. fishermen.
You don't want me to mary diem. do
you, Billy? Now answer. ne III Your
own capacity, not as grandma secre-
tary." 5ast
mo, Jor' .
Billy after a silence.
Yes, Jo."
did you ever hear of Capt. Miles
Standish?" ILL.,
Eyes, Jo.'
''And Priscilla?"
Yes"
/ And John Alden?"
| Yes"
She flushed a furious red and
laughed neryously.
what kind of Il girl do you imag-
inc Priscilla was to do what she did?
Little ana white and kind of milk and
water?"
Il never thought So 10. l always
imagined she was more like YOU"
well? How is that?'
Independent and proud and brave
and the best and dearest girl in the
| world
And what did you think of John
| A1den?"
THAT he was q bally coward. He
| didn't deserve herr
That's what | think, Billy
| Something in her voice made him
turn sharply. They were alone in the
| heart of the Shrubbery.