Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1918-05-17

'NAN w W ~ Az -
the same way about your
yes" With not quite the same
promptnesS, but still deiantly.
"You feel sartin Of II, do your"
She stamped her foot. ayes, yes,
yes" she cried. "Oh, do say what you
came to say and end It'll"
Her uncle rose to his feet.
why. l guess likely I've said It." he
observed. when two people arr for
each other like that they ought to be
married, and the sooner the better. I
knew that you'd been lonesome and
troubled, maybe, and all l can say Is
that I'm awful glad for you. God bless
you, my dear! 1 hope you'll be as hap
by as the day is long,"
His niece gazed at him, bewildered
and incredulous. This she had not ex-
pected.
THANK you" she stammered. II did
not know thought
"Of course you did-of course. Well,
then, Caroline, I guess that's all. I
won't trouble you any longer. Good
BY"
He turned toward the door, but stop
ped, hesitated and turned back again.
There is Just one thing more" he
said solemnly. II don't knows I ought
to speak, butt want to-and I'm go
in to. And I want you to believe til
I do want you to"
"What Is it," she demanded.
"Why-why, Just this, Caroline. This
Is a tough old world we live in. Things
don't always 60 on in 1t as we think
they'd ought to. Trouble comes to ev-
erybody, and when it looks right some
times 1t turns out to be all wrong. If
II there should come a time like that
to you and Steve, / want you to re-
member that you've got me to turn to.
No matter what you think Of me, what
folks have made you think of me, just
remember that I'm waitin' and ready
to help you all I can. Any time I'm
ready-and glad. Just remember that,
won't you, because Well, there!
Goodby, goodby"
He hurried away. She stood gazing
after him, astonished, q little fright
ened and not a little disturbed and
touched. His emotion was so evident,
his attitude toward her engagement
so different from that which she
had anticipated, and there was ONE
thing in his manner which she could
not understand. He had acted as II
he pitied her. Why? 1t could not be
because she was to marry Malcolm
Dunn. II 1t were that she resented his
pity Of course. But it could not be
that, because he had given her his
blessing. What was it? Was there
something else-something that she did
not know and he did? Why was he
SO kind and forbearing and patient?
All her old doubts and qu~estionings
returned. She had r~esolutely kept
them from her thoughts, but they had
been there, In the background, always.
When, after the long siege, she had
at least yielded and said "yes" to NAL
colin she felt that that question at
least was settled. She would marry
him. Had not Mrs. Dunn told her over
and over again what a good son he
was and what a kind heart he had
and how he w%orshiped her? Oh, she
ought to be a very happy girl! OF
course she was happy. But why had
her uncle looked at her as he did?
And what did he mean by limiting that
when things looked right they some
times were all wrong? She wished
Malcolm was with her then; she needed
him.
She heard the clang Of the elevator
door; then the bell rang furiously. She
heard Evans hasten to answer. ThN,
her amazement, she heard her broth
er's voice.
Caroline !" demanded Stephen. Scar
oline! Where are your
He burst into the room, still wearing
his coat and hat and carrying a travel.
ing bag in his hand.
"Oh" he exclaimed, you're all right
then! You are all right, aren't your?
"All right? Why shouldn't l be all
What do you mean? And why
are you here?"
why am I here?" he repeated.
Yes. Why did you come from New
Haven?"
"Why, because I got the telegram, Of
course! You expected me to come,
you"
Il expected you? telegram What
why, the-Good Lord, Caro-, what
Are you talking about? Didn't you
know they telegraphed me to come
home at once? I've pretty near broke
my neck, and the taxicab mans, get
ting here from the station. l thought
you must be very Ill or something
They telegraphed you to come here?
Who Edwards, you may take Mr..
Warren's things to his room"
When they were alone she turned
again to her brother.