The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1916-01-29
aunt Adde'S CONSENT
BY ERNIE STURGlS.

to the station pldtlOIIu' Iie woo oeoAu
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 wavered
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 It.
They had decided. first Of all, not 20
fall in love. That had been In tue
summer when she had gone to the
shore. II he could just promise to be
good pal and steer away from the SEN
timental she'd love to be not exactly
q sister to him, but sort of second
cousin.
And then right out Of the blue sky
there had dropped-Dick. II 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 was hero"
81 didn't" Gwen had answered pleas
afltly. II 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.
81 don't suppose you can help 1t, but
I'm so sick and tired of playing heart
balm for every boy know. They all
propose sooner or later Just from hab-
it, / do believe, or because they know
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"-Gwen's brown
eyes were sparkling with fun. 80 she
put half in trust for me until l was
twenty-one on condition that | didn't
marry by then and the other half when
l am thirty on condition that am not
married then"
what II you do?"
1T all 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
it was December and he was visiting
Batty Madison. She had seen him sew.
eral times, but that one word would
come between them. He had suggest
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 II
the next car.
It did seem as II Aunt Addie was un
usually trying. She wanted to recline
then she wanted to go out on the oh
| servation and get breath OF fresl
air, then she wanted some cracked ice
and finally she wanted to play bridge
It was five, hours to Boston and sh
simply couldn't stand 1t without som
diversion, and she wished she hadn'
come anyway. Just then she beanie
radiantly on somebody coming alon
the aisle, and 10! 1t was Cliff.
well, II 1t isn't Clifiie Bigelow," sh
exclaimed. Come here, child. Nv
known him, Gwen, since he was kne
high to a toadstool; lived next us 9
Weston for years when your uncle wa
alive. How's your mother, Chile? d.
ing pretty we'll for her age, isn't she
| olt uOWu uuu tdho u manu-, hoi PieJ
sake"
Gwen never forgot those five hour
II seemed as II Aunt Adelaide was po
sessed to make her unhappy. She to-
stories OF Cliff when he was lit
boy and big boy, and how he he
saved her life once when old Grt
! Eagle took fright at the morning g
press and ran away with her and CT
: had stopped him.
you know, as long as we're goiI
: out home for few weeks, ! kind
think I'll have you stay with US, Gil
: The folks will be up in Boston, and Il
8 house is all closed up. You're goil
!. to Weston, amt your"
why, no, mann. was on my WI
y to Boston"
Nonsense. Come along with U
Maybe you and Gwen can comic
each other, for l declare she's II
mopiest girl ever saw since la
= summer. Go out on the platform, y,
i two, and see II we're near Providen
yet. l want to get a look at Pro,