The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-07-26
EVENING STORY
E1afne's Aunt.
(By lola Forrester.)


always amused him when Elaine's
self-sufficiency was nonplused.
Read it," he said. Don't be sell
fish and keep it to yourself. You act
as if it were a message to Garcia"
'Of course it is your prerogat1ve TO
be flippant, I suppose, but there are
times when you could be choked Tor
it, No, 1 will not read it over again
Elaine tossed him the letter. Read
it yourself.
Delaney obeyed, and the CLEAN of
fun in his blue eyes deepened.
who is Aunt Jess? Sounds to me
like a pretty good old sport"
You mustn't call her an old sport,
replied Elaine, with touch of hau-
family is ones family, and it is not
for any outsiders to speak of the
same banteringly. She is a very re-
spectacle maiden lady from Middle
bury, R. 1. have not seen her since
1 was little girl, but she was my
1 shall do the proper thing by her"
"Of course, you WILL" drawled De-
lancy, pleasantly, but at the same
time, it's an internal bore having her
on here just at this time, You won't
be able to go to the ball.
Indeed 1 WILL" replied Elaine, eff
have to hire a trained nurse to look
out for Aunt Jess while I'm away.
Don't you think, Frank, that you
could coax the professor down here to
be nice to her, take her around to the
museums and that sort of thing?"
I'll do my best" he promised, but
the professor hates to be bored quite
as much as you do. How old is she 2"
''Oh, somewhere in the forties, be-
lieve. She's coming Thursday, so pre-
pare. I wonder if you'd mind passing
the warning around to the crowd SO
they don't drop in here at all hours.
expecting a good time."f
81 suppose auntie goes to bed when
the curfew rings" he laughed as he
rose to go.
Thursday afternoon Elaine went to
the railway station to meet Aunt Jes-
sica. She told one of the red-capped
porters to have chair in readiness in
case she needed it. Some wandering
shred of memory reminded her that
Aunt Jessica had not been very strong
of late years.
The Boston express was on time.
She stood at the gate watching the
passengers as they passed thru, look
ing for a little somewhat bewildered
woman in clothing of past mode.
Suddenly some one touched her on
the shoulder. and the clearest. most
attractive contralto voice asked:
isn't this Elaine?"
For the moment Elaine was speech
less. Could it be possible that this
Sl6nu0T, IdllOTeQ WOI1dIl
| was Aunt Jessica? Her suit was in
the latest mode, right to the tops of
her dark tan high-cut boots. Her
wide-brimmed straw hat was black,
with just exactly the right touch of
hand embroidery on it to make it
smart, and underneath the brim there
smiled at Elaine the brownest of
laughing eyes Her dark hair was
| dressed high, Elaine could tell, with
| not trace of gray. Her complexion
was perfect, and she looked about
| twenty-eight at the most. In the rear
| there lowered the red-capped porter
waiting for orders on the wheeled
CHAIR. Elaine motioned to him to
| carry the suitcase and call a. taxi while
| she tried her best to acclimatize her.
| self to Aunt Jessica.
Now, dear, don't let me upset any
| of your studio plans or engagements
said Miss Stowell as the taxi whirled
| them downtown. you know I have
| very nice little millinery shop in
| Newport, and I have been running up
| new styles. This year I decided to
try New York, altho you catch the
more conservative foreign touch in
| Boston, think. Just go ahead with
| your own work and don't mind me
| We professional women understand
perfectly the value of time. I wouldn't
have bothered you at all only that
wanted to see how Toms little girl
was getting along. You're really keep
| ing yourself up very nicely. So many
artists let themselves run down.
| Elaine was reduced to a state OF
| absolute meekness, almost gasping fol
breath. That night, instead of the
| usual little bachelor supper, Aunt Jes.
| sic insisted on going uptown for din
ner at the Vanderbilt, with box seats
| afterward at one of the snappiest
| shows in town. She had all her cam.
icrv, ont ms 10 Mo rJ,
wanted to see. the places where she
wanted to eat and the people she
! wanted to meet.
II think we might give two or three
teas while I'm here" she said. lie
| one be a punch tea, you know. / car
make very good Maraschino punch
| Don't you know some nice people whC
| would be interesting %
/ Elaine never forgot that week. The
first time that Delaney stepped foo
into the studio his languor vanished
under the stimulus of Aunt Jessica',
greeting. She swished him off as hel
| escort that afternoon, and he was hel
slave thereafter. The professor wal
not invited down. The teas were al
| enormous sue ess Elaine slender
back in an oak chair the night of tn,
artists ball and watched her aun
| dance, not only with Delaney but will
every eligible man in the quarter. Sh.
| danced DeaullIully- NOInlnS COul(
| have been more striking than hel
gown of white satin and lace, will
black velvet straps over the shoulder
and black je: butterflies here and
there. And this was the woman fo
whom she had expected to hire 1
trained nursei AS they passed by sh,
caught Delaney's adoring look. De
Iancy, of all people! The dilettant.
novelist, everlastingly seeking new in
terests.
The next morning he came over t,
the studio with an oddly sheepisl
look of happiness on his face.
HAS she told you YETI" he asked
Lord, Elaine, I don't see what a wo
man like her sees in me She's s,
gloriously efficient. It makes m,
ashamed of all the months I've wasted
I'm going to pitch in now and d,
something worth while. She's goini
to let me handle her advertising mat
ter and thinks she can get one of tn
big stores in Boston to let me tr,