Omaha daily bee., 1918-08-26
Author Of "Pollyanna"


Copyright. 1913. by Eleanor H. Porter ant
by the Public Ledger Co.
BY Permission of the Houghton Mifflin Co
All Rights Reserved.
THE STORY THUS FAR
Checks for 100000 apiece have been re-
ceived by Frank Blaisdell, James Blais
dell and Flora Blaisdell from the estate Of
Stanley G. Fulton. millionaire. Fultor
is supposed to be in South America. ant
his relatives incline to the belief that he Il
dead AS a matter Of fact, he is in theil
homo town. Hillerton. masauerading a!
Joha Smith. genealogist, interested in data
concerning the Blaisdel family. He is re-
{ rred for such data to Miss Maggie Duff
daughter Of a man who married the mother
Of the Blaisdells and survived her.
CHAPTER X.
What Does It Matter1
The days Immediately following tn,
receipt of those three remarkable let
ters by the Blaisdell family were
nerve-racking for all concerned. Hele
by Mrs. James insistence that they
weren't sure yet that the thing wa:
true. the family steadfastly refused tc
give out any definite information
Even the eager Harriet yielded tc
Jane on this point, acknowledging
that it would be mortifying, of course
if they should talk and nothing came
OF it:
Their enigmatic answers to Ques.
tions, and their expressive shrugs and
smiles, however, were almost as ex.
citing as the rumors themselves; and
the Blaisdells became at once veri-
table storm center of surmises and
goss:p-a state of affairs not at all un.
pleasing to some of them. Mrs. Har.
riet in particular.
Miss Maggie Duff, however. was
not so we'll pleased. To Mr.. Smith
one day, she freed her mind-and
Miss Maggie so seldom freed he,
mind that Mr.. Smith was not a little
surprised.
Il wish," she bgan. Il do wish tina,
if that Chicago lawyer is coming
he d come, and get done with it! Ger.
tainly the present state of affairs is
always unbearable."
1T does make it all the harder for
you, to have it drag along like this
doesn't it?" murmured Mr.. Smith I'M
easily.
"For-me?-"
That you are not included in the
bequest, I mean"
She gave an impatient gesture.
II didn't mean that. I wasn't think
ing of myself. Besides, as I've told
you before, there is no earthly reason
why | should have been included. It's
the delay, mean, for. the Blaisdells--
for the whole town, for that matter.
This eternal Did you know9' and
They say is getting on my nerves!'
"Why, Miss Maggie, / didn't sup
pose you had any nerves." bantered
the man.
She threw him an expressive
glance.
Haven't Iw she retorted. Then
again she gave the impatient gesture.
But even the gossip and the ques-
Etioning aren't the worst. It's the
family themselves. Between Hattie's
pulling one way and Jane the other,
/ feel like a bone between two quar-
relsome puppies. Hattie is already
house-hunting, on the sly, and she's
bought Bessie an expensive watch
and a string of gold beads. Jane. on
the other hand, insists that Mr.. Full
ton will come back and claim the
money, SO she's running her house
now on the principle that she's lost a
hundred thousand dollars, and so
must economic in every. possible
way. You can imagine itP
II don't have to-imagine it," mur-
injured the man. Miss Maggie laughed.
II forgot. Of course you don't.
You do live there, don't you? But that
isn't all. Flora, poor soul, went into
a restaurant the other day and or
dered roast turkey, and now she's wor-
rying for fear the money won't come
and justify her extravaganza: Melli-
cent, with implicit faith that the hun
dred thousand is coming, wants to
wear her best frocks every day. And,
as il she were not already quite ex-
cited enough, young Pennock has;
very obviously begun to sit up and
take notice"
7"You don't mean he is trying to
come back-so soon" disbelieved Mr..
Smith.
"Well, he's evidently caught the
glitter Of the gold from afar," smiled
Miss Maggie. "At all events, he's taxi
ing notice"
"And-Miss Mellieentl" There was
a note of anxiety in Mr.. Smiths voice.
Doesn't see him, apparently. But
~-------