The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-02-11
aunt Adde'S CONSENT
BY ERNIE STURGlS.

-*$+++++++ts'3s.
| Gwen saw him as the car rolled up
to the station platform. He was stand
ing over near the express Office talking
to Batty Madison and he raised his cap
to her with the cheerful, ingenious
smile of one who has overlooked the
past.
Very. very slightly she had bowed
her head, SO slightly that the curling
pheasant-tail feather hardly wayered
in the air. Her mother was busy CIV
ing last injunctions to the chauffeur.
Clifford glanced at her several
times before it really dawned on him
that she was still provoked at him.
Then he tried to remember what had
caused 1t.
They had decided, first of all, not to
fall in love. That had been in the
summer when she had gone to the
shore. If he could just promise to be q
good pal and steer away from the SEN
timental she'd love to be not exactly
a sister to him, but a sort of second
cousin.
And then right out of the blue sky
there had dropped-Dick. 1t had al
most seemed part of the summer rou-
tine that Dick should appear sooner or
later. But there had been trouble be-
tween them, and the day she had been
swept out to sea past the lifelines 1t
had been Dick who had swan to the
rescue and brought her back.
But you needn't have treated him
the way you did just for that" Clifford
had said, most disagreeably. I've
saved lots of girls lives, but they
didn't act as if l was hero"
Il didn't" Gwen had answered pleas
antly. Il just treated him like dear
old friend. Nv known Dick for years"
And you've known me just six
weeks. Which do you like the best so
far?" 1t was impossible to stay angry
very long with Cliffs good-natured
face smiling at one. They had really
been wonderfully good friends until he
had stepped over the border land of
good faith and proposed to her.
Il don't suppose you can help it, but
I'm so sick and tired of playing heart
balm for every boy l know They all
propose sooner or later just from hab-
it, do believe, or because they know
l won't accept"
why won't you"
Don't you really know? Uncle
Stanhope left all his money to his ia
vorite sister, Aunt Adelaide, and she's
an unbeliever in men"-Gwens brown
eyes were sparkling with fun. $50 she
put half in trust for me until l was
twenty-one on condition that l didn't
marry by then and the other half when
! am thirty on condition that am not
married then"
What II you do?"
1T al goes to some charity. She's
very peculiar"
III you really loved the right man,
you'd throw the whole thing up In the
air" Cliff had returned. 81 never would
have thought you were mercenary."
That had been in late August. Now
1t was December and he was visiting
Batty Madison. She had seen him sew
eral times, but that one word would
ed that she was mercenary. Today
she waited until her mother and Aunt
Adelaide were comfortably settled in
the chair car before she even permit
ted herself to remember that the only
man she had ever really missed was in
the next car.
1t did seem as if Aunt Addie was I'M
usually trying. She wanted to recline,
then she wanted to go out on the OBJ
servation and get breath Of fresh
air, then she wanted some cracked ice,
and finally she wanted to play bridge.
It was five hours to Boston and she
simply couldn't stand it without some
diversion. and she wished she hadn't
come anyway. Just then she beamed
radiantly on somebody coming along
the aisle, and 10! it was Cliff.
well, II it isn't CLINE Bigelow," she
exclaimed. Come here; child. I've
known him. Gwen, since he was knee
high to q toadstool; lived next us at
Weston for years when your uncle was
alive. How's your mother, Clifie? Do
ing pretty we'll for her age, isn't she?
Sit down and take hand, for PHYS
sake"
Gwen never forgot those five hours.
Il seemed as IL Aunt Adelaide was pos.
sessed to make her unhappy. She told
stories of Cliff when he was Q little
boy and big boy, and how he had
saved her life once when old Gray
J Eagle took fright at the morning ex
press and ran away with her and Cliff
had stopped him.
| you know, as long as we're going
out home for few weeks, l kind OF
think I'll have you stay with us, Cliff
The folks will be up in Boston. and the
house is all closed up. You're going
to Weston, amt you?"
why, no, ma am. l was on my way
to Boston"
Nonsense. Come along with us
Maybe you and Gwen can comfor
each other, for | declare she's the
mopiest girl l ever saw since las
summer. Go out on the platform, yo,
two, and see if we're near Providenc,
yet. | want to get a look at Provi
dence."
They stood together on the observa
ton platform, and Gwen was Laughing
biting her lip to keep from it, blu
laughing.
Suppose we had been married an
I'd have had the money to chase afte
gypsy moths?" Clifford leaned agains
the door and looked at her. Isn't sh
i repular old dear thnugh9 I neye