The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1916-07-25
AUNTIE CONcILIATED
BY CATHERINE cRANmER

MuTiuus are lVu uCtuuii9 thttet'
TO that penniless young dreamer, Ger
MD Holmes?" Mrs. Martyr threw this
question abruptly at her niece.
yes, Aunt Caroline" admitted
Marian, with smile, for, although
fond Of her worldly aunt, she was also
amused at her sometimes. But my
decision wasn't based on pennies so
much as on principles. It's making
money the first consideration that
makes so many marriages a failure"
Dreaming, as usual" Mrs. Martyr
shook her well-groomed gray head.
"Still, I've hopes that you'll wake up
before it's too late. Come with me to
the seashore and make yourself agree
able to the men you meet there"
While Marian swan, golfed and
flirted with the eligibles at the sea-
shore in way that misled her ambi-
tious aunt, Gerald Holmes busily
clicked away on his typewriter in a
manufacturing section whose laborers
produced the wealth which made 1t
possible for the rich eligibles to live
in luxurious idleness. Every day let
tiers passed between Marian and Ger
aid and every letter contained a bit
of description of the life around the
writer. The contrasts were so strik-
ing that Gerald got the biggest plot
iitiief he iiiati ever iiad, anu me sal day
after day and sometimes until far into
the night, working on his first novel.
"Kindling the Worlds Kinship" was
the title of his book, which came out
early in the fall, when the summer
idlers were returning to the city. 1t
was the story of a millionaire mine
owner, who, when he went for the
first time to inspect conditions in his
mines In the hope of averting a strike,
was overwhelmed with the RESPONSE
bility resting upon him in providing
the means of existence for that small
world of workers. With the aid of a
miner and his daughter, who proved
sort of prophet and prophecies for
their people, the mine owner faced
this responsibility so frankly and dis
charged it so fully that life after
wards meant infinitely more for him
and for the laborers and their chill
dren than any of them had dreamed
that life could mean. Gerald pub
lished the book over the name of
Gerry Marion" but covering the iden-
tity of both of them.
At Mrs. Martyrs first reception
after her return to the city this book
was a main topic of conversation. At
Marians request, Mrs. Martyr had in
vited Gerald to the reception, and he
had the unusual experience of hearing
his book criticized with absolute can
dor. He had the very uncomfortable
experience, however, of seeing that
John Morehead, one of the most dis
nguished-looking men present, was
devOting himself to Marian and of see
ing by Marian's manner that those
attentions were not unwelcome. Ger
aid knew that Morehead was one of
the many young married men whose
marital infelicities had been aired in
the newspapers. but in the midst of
his anxiety over this unpleasant dis
covery Mrs. Martyr called him to her
and presented him to Mrs. Morehead. |
"Everybody's discussing 'Kindling
the Worlds Kinship,'" began Mrs.
Morehead, land. as you are writer,
perhaps you'll divulge some of the
tricks of the trade. I'm not the one
to say whether this book is good liter
allure, but l know it has made me
shudder at the thought of the amount |
of money thrown away on gewgaws
by the few when 1t could be used to
make life more worth living for lot
Of people"
Gerald saw that the woman was in
tensely interested and that she was
seeking to regain a normal outlook on
life, but his interest in her suddenly
ceased to exist as he saw Marian and
John Morehead approaching them
after a tete-a-tete over their tea.
Mrs. Morehead," said Marian cor
daily, this is the opportunity I've
been hoping for, and I'm going to
throw myself on the mercy of all
three of you at the same time. To
you, 1 have to confess an unfair,
of your husband all through
the afternoon; to your husband, have
to confess my responsibility for some
Of his identical speeches being put
into the mouth of the hero of kin
fling the Worlds Kinship,' and to Mr..
Holmes, must confess that l have
allowed the authorship of his book to
become known to Mr.. Morehead as the
asst step in proving that it was not
prompted by envy of the wealthy
classes"
mr.. Holmes, forgive me for sus-
)ecting that you could envy anybody"
said John MOrehead calamity, "but
lnul a few moments ago l didn't
know you were Miss Martyrs fiance.
congratulate you"
but we must keep that authorship
/ secret among us for while longer"
aid Marian, with blush and a
augh, as she and Gerald started
Iway from the Moreheads, for we
lon't want our honeymoon spoiled by
milliOnaires."
John MOrehead looked into his