Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-09-22
CHAPTER XVI.
Re-Enter Mr.. Stanley G. Fulton.

Re-Enter Mr.. Stanley g. Fulton.
In the library of Mrs. Thomas
Tyndalps Chicago home Mr.. STAN
ley G. Fulton was impatiently
awaiting the appearance of Miss
Maggie Duff. In minute she came
in, looking charmingly youthful in
her new, well-fitting frock.
The man. quickly on his feet at her
entrance, gave her a lovers ardent
kiss. but almost instantly he held her
off at arms length.
"Why, dearest, what's the mat
teri" lie demanded.
"W-what do you mean?"
"You look as if-if something had
happened-not exactly bad some-
thing, but-what is it,"
Miss Maggie laughed softly.
That's one of the very incest
things about you, Mr.. Stanley-G.-
Fulton-J ohn-Smith," she sighed.
nesting comfortably into the curve
OF his arm as they sat down on the
divan-"that you notice things so.
And it seems so good to ne to have
somebody-notice."
Poor lonely little woman! Ant
to think of all these years I've vast.
cdr
"Oh. but / shan't be lonely any
more now. And listen-I'll tell you
what made me look so funny: I've
had letter from Flora. You know
I.wrote them--about my coming
marriage" .
Eyes, yes" eagerly. well. what
did they say?"
Miss Maggie laughed again.
N Il believe-Ill let you read the
letter for yourself, Stanley. 1t tells
some things toward the end that I
think you'll like to know" she said,
little hesitatingly, as she held GU,
the letter she had brought into the
room with her.
Good! I'd like to read it," cried
Fulton, whisking the closely-written
sheets from the envelope.
my dear Maggie (Flora had writ
ten)-Well. mercy me, you have
given US a surprise this time, and no
mistake! Yet we're real glad, Mag
gle. and we hope you'll be awfully
happy. You deserve it, all right.
Poor Maggiel You've had such an
awfully hard time all your lifel
We'll, when your letter came. we
. were just going out to Jim's for an
old-fashioned Thanksgiving dinner,
so ! took it along with me and read
1t to them all. I kept it till we were
all together, too, though most
bursted with the news all the way
out.
"Well, you ought to have heard
their tongues wagl They were all
struck dumb first for minute, all
except Mellicent. She spoke up the
very first thing and clapped her
hands.
"'Therer she cried. What did I
tell your knew Aunt Maggie was
good enough for anybody
ITO explain that I'll have to 90
back little. We were talking one
day about you-Jane and Mellicent
and me-and we said you were a
saint, only not a marrying saint.
R-t Ne! liceat thought you were, and
it seems she was right. Oh, of
course. wed all thought once Mr..
Smith might take a fancy to you,
but we never dreamed of such a
thing ass,this-Mr. Stanley G. Full
ton. Sakes alive-I can hardly
sense it yet!
Jane, for a minute, forgot how
rich he was and spoke right up real
quick-'lt's for her money, of course.
! knew some one would marry her
for that $50,000P But she laughed
then. right off, with the rest of US at
the idea of a man worth millions
! marrying anybody for $4,000.
Benny says there amt any man
alive good enough for his Aunt Mag
gle. SO if Mr.. Fulton gets to being
too high-headed sometimes, you can
tell him what Benny says.
But we're all real pleased, honest
ly. Maggie, and of course we're ter
ribiy excited. We're so sorry you're
going to be married out there in Chi
cago. Why can't you make him
come to Hillerton? Jane says she'd
be glad to make a real nice wedding
tor you-and when Jane says a thing
like that, you can know how much
she's really saying, for James feeling
awtully poor these days since they
lost all that money. you know.
And we'd all like to see Mr..
Fulton, too-'Cousin Stanley as
Hattie always calls him. Please give
him our congratulations-but there,
that sounds funny, doesn't it? (But
the etiquette editors in the magazines
say We must always give best wishes
to the bride and congratulations to
the groom) Only it seems, funny
here to congratulate that rich Mr.
Fulton on marrying you. Oh. dear
| didn't mean it that way. Maggie.
| declare. if that sentence wasn't
way in the middle of this third page,
and so awfully hard for me to write,
anyway. I'd tear up this sheet and
begin another. But, after all, you'll
understand, I'm sure. You know
we all think the world of you, Mag
gle, and that I didn't mean anything
against you. It's just that-that
Mr.. Fulton isis such a big man
and all But you know what
meant.
well, anyway, if you can't come
here to be married, we hope you'll
bring him here soon so we can see
him, and see you. too. We miss
you awful;y, Maggie-truly we do.
especially since Jim's folks went
and with Mr.. Smith gone. too, Jane
and | are real lonesome.
FIN and Hattie like it real we'll
where they are. They've got a
y real pretty home and they're the
biggest folks in town, so Hattie
doesn't have to worry for fear she
won't live quite so fine as her
peighbors--though really l think
Hattie's got over that now good