The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1917-07-13
MYRA and MATRIMONy
BY NEIL LANGsHAWE.


To her establishment, she was toll
that she had drawn the lucky humble
for the automobile at the fair, an,
the slip was q blue command to
certain bank to pay her thousan,
dollars in cash should she desire thu
money instead of the car
Kitty, Kitty-oh, Kitty" she Grief
excitedly. When she remembered
that Kitty was away visiting Bob'l
mother. Kitty was going to MARI,
Bob, when he could afford it.
That was what Charlie had said tt
her long ago. At first, she didn't mint
| this long absence and unsatisfac
tory letters, that spoke only vaguely
of their prospective wedding.
She had laid the check and letter on
the kitchen table.
In the hall was an old-fashioned
mirror In passing, she caught q
glimpse of herself. She went back
stopped and faced the glass squarely
Now, Myra Lovelace," she said to
it, 'let us see what you look like since
you have inherited fortune" She
stood a minute with compressed lips,
appraising herself. Then she lifted
her hands to her temples where the
golden hair was fading and thinning.
pulled down a loop on each side and
fastened them with pins. Then she
rubbed her cheeks hard. She was go.
ing to match the Cherries as Charlie
used to say, if it took the skin off,
She was surprised at the result.
She looked farther. Her eyes were
all right. Excitement had frightened
them. Why, she was still pretty, very
pretty-and rich! Surely If Charlie
could see her now he wouldn't stay In
the West-or at least he would make
some definite suggestion about their
wedding day.
Her eyes went down. The glass, not
very large, reflected only part of her
blue calico dress, made plain and
narrow across the chest and just now
stuck full of pins. She took out the
pins and tried to pull some looseness
into the front. 1t was no use.
One thousand dollars With thou.
sand dollars she could buy dresses,
soft, exquisite, lacy and fine, such
as she had seen on the daughters OF
Congressman Hodge when they came
home in the summer. And lovely
shoes that were all curves, and silk
stockings to match. And hats large
and small she pictured in the steam
of the teakettle. Big gauzy ones, with
q single rose, right underneath next
the hair, and tiny black velvet ones
with band of Jet. Black velvet she
the cloaks. Such wonders she had
seen in Mrs. Purdum's fashion book!
A thousand dollars! She would like
q wrist watch and a gold mesh bag
and something for around the neck |
She knew it was still smooth and |
white beneath the calico. And there |
would be clinging silken undertakings, |
delicate shaded and wonderful feel |
ng. And gloves and wells.
She rose. Charles last letter, months
I'D, was in the paper wallet i'll the |
'itting room. She got it and looked
It the address. She thought of an
lncle in the same town! Then she
made up her mind to do something!
1t was long past dinnertime, but
he sat down to write a letter! That
one, she hunted up a schedule of city
rains, made out list, pressed out
er white waist and got everything
eady for a day of shopping in town.
Charlie had forgotten how attrac.
i've she was, she would remind him!
Then she drank some tea, lay
own and started to redream all the
isions of her girlhood.
But she heard wheels, then Kitty's
dice: "Auntie! Auntie Myra, where
re your"
Here, dear. 1 wasn't expecting you
} soon. Why, what's the matter"
Kitty was sobbing softly.
"Bob's here! He came over to say
bobby to you. He is going West. Oh,
mite, "a man they know wants him
start right away. There is-a good {
lance open and he must not even
ait a day. And he's going tonight!
he had the money to put into the
ore here, they'd take him into part {
,rship and he would stay and we
ould be married. But there's mol =
lance, he says, and he's going. I'll =
see him again" II
Myra patted the heaving shoulders =
ID smoothed the soft head on her =
east. u
''Dearie, don't cry! Listen to me! u
live had some luck, Kitty. The n
If people sent me a thousand dollars.
had the winning number. And I II
Is just wondering what / should do q
tn it. Do you think / could persuade II
b to take it as a wedding present!
can't think Of anything better, can u
~" q
Aunt Myra-why-you-" kfttys d
es were big. Then she rushed for
, door. "Bob-oh, Bob, what do you e
nix"
The rest was lost, for Myra had [1
oped to the kitchen and dropped y
lewly written letter and list into C
Goals.
Ind as she did so she looked wist- q