The Southern herald., 1918-11-15


World for the past % years, rath-
er complete set of cookery books, the
works of George Eliot and Maria
Edgeworth.
"But l detest George Eliot-and the
rest isn't worth the freight to take
then home" insisted Madge, and Stan
ley was really embarrassed, for he had
frankly thought that his cousin would
find this second pile of books entirely
to her liking.
Three days later, after hours and
hours spent together In the book room'
Madge called on Aunt Elizabeth Dun
ham, excusing herself from her cousin
on the ground of needing a little d.
version before going on with the Sc
lection.
zone thing we agreed on" she as
sured Aunt Elizabeth, land that Is Oh
books, for every book that appeals to
me appeals to him, and while he is per
fectly gentlemanly about 1t, we both
set our hearts on the same books. 1t
really seems a shame to separate the
collection. They are quite remarkable.
l didn't realize that Aunt Mary Jane
was so booky."
II suppose Aunt Jane might have
left them to a library" commented
Aunt Elizabeth with a smile that puz'
zled Madge, "but she thought that
you two school teachers might like
them"
1--WE do like them-lt's dividing them
that makes 1t hard"
"Oh. we'll, perhaps you'll find o
way" was all Aunt Elizabeth sug'
gested."
Two days later Stanley Taylor, on
the pretext Of wishing little diver
sion, made his call on Aunt Elizabeth.
He had met her scarcely three times
before in his life, but as one Of the
few surviving Dunhams he felt that
she would be able to give him advice.
Still, he was amazingly embarrassed
when he got right down to the matter
about which he wanted advice. How.
ever, he got to the point In short
order"
"You know, 1t all started this way"
Stanley began. "When Madge came
back the other day she told me where
she had been and she said that all
the help you would give was to say
perhaps we'd find way. She told
me that and then she laughed and
turned her head away and blushed.
Madge is very prety when she bushes
she has improved immensely the
last few years since that time Aunt
Jane had us here to try and get US to
fall In love. I think the Dunhams do
improve with age" And Aunt Biza-
beth said undoubtedly they did.
"What l want to know is what you
meant, and what Madge meant" con-
tinued Stanley. "The more l have
thought of that remark-well, the truth
is It put an idea Into my head that
had been shaping Itself ever since
Madge got here. We have tastes very
much In common--the very fact that
we can't divide the books shows that,
and of course the books wouldn't have
to be divided If we-well, hang 1t all,
Aunt Elizabeth, you're a woman. Do
you think Madge would have mei'
Aunt Elizabeth wasn't at all sure.
but when Stanley took his question I'd
Madge that evening back in the
dimly lighted library, Madge need'
ed no urging. Her only regret,
she said, was that 1t might seen
that she was accepting him on
account of the books, whereas she
wanted him for his own dear self,
Stanley had never realized what an
ecstasy of contentment there was In
being called "dear SELF by wOm'
an before. In fact it was an entirely
novel experience.
They hurried to Aunt Elizabeth with
their good news and Aunt Elizabeth
was ready then to play her surprise
on them. Yes, Aunt James fortune
really, my dears, quite staggering in
slze-had been left to her, but only
until the match could be made. Really,
old Aunt Jane was pretty shrewd,
even if she was near the century
mark. She had made up her mind a
little while before she died that II
the cousins could be brought together
over library Of books that way they
would do-exactly what they had done.
So she sent to a book collector in
Boston and told him just what she
wanted. OF course, Aunt Jane had
never had any books to speak of her
self.
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