Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1916-09-14
Mr.. sUDDs SPEAKS
BY KEITH KENYON.

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, Hutchinson"
When the private secretary ap-
! peared she sat down. "rve Just thought
of something, Sudds, and l guess I'll
get it off my mind before / go out.
Take that chair therel"
He obeyed.
Its about Miss Joanna. She Is COM
ing today, Sudds."
yes, Mrs. Van Kreeper?'
tits little difficult for me to ex-
press exactly what / want you to do,
but 1t 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
live forever and there are settlements
to be made and so on.
snow, I've tried to talk marriage
to her and so has my husband, but
she just laughs at us. So have been
/
gravity of the situation cr to her,
show her the business side of 1t 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
| a. nd oil ha Il ,
Joanna came. The house was alive
and astir with new life before she en-
tered the door. Youth, beauty, vital
ity and certain quality of incorrigi-
bility that was irresistible came with
1 her.
She changed her clothes and, trilling
a tune as she came downstairs, she
stuck her head into the small office
Off the library.
Hello, Suddsyl"
"How do you do, Miss Joanna7"
"Oh, just call me Joanna"
But Mrs. Van Kreeper would"
"Oh, can Mrs. Van Kreeper. Yes, /
know she would, Sudds. SO don't do
1t 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 / mean Joanna. What
would Mrs. Van"
Never mind, Sudds. I mean Billy.
Come on out and show me the new
shrubbery and the last baton Of pup
pies and everything. Let those let
tiers co.
GLADLY, Miss Gladly, Joanna I"
"Oh, 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
while. "She wants you to marry them,
Miss Joanna. / mean Jonana-Jo."
Mercy! I couldn't do that. I'd get
cross-eyed trying to keep an eye on
| each Of them at the same time"
well, she wants you to marry one
of them. I guess she doesn't care
| WHICH.
"Oh, just one!"
"And I'm to tell you it's your duty
to her and Mr.. Van Kreeyer 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. Re-
sides, they both drink ike fshermen.
You don't want me to marry hem do
you, Billy? Now answer me in your
own capacity, not as grandma's secre-
tary."
| mo, Jo!"
'Billyl" after silence.
eyes, Jo."
"Did Won ever haar of Cont MfIao