The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-11-22
HER WGILANT AUNT
BY JACK LAWToN.

suitable disposition. various maidens
of apparently suitable dispositions"
having been tried, the most promising
failing to remain suitable under Miss
Tuxberry's exacting needs.
The death of a far-away and half
| forgotten brother seemed the answer
TO the solution. Thomas, neglected
! by his fortune-favored sister. in leav-
| ing this world was obliged to leave his
beloved daughter. Drusilla would be
alone and penniless Thomas, easy
going and visionary. had not prosper
ed. His sister was his last hope Of
| help in time of need. To her. there
! fore, with an apologize letter, he sent
his only daughter.
Drusie. he had called her tenderly;
| In Aunt Tuxberry's home began new
and sterner order of things
Drusilla's disposition changed not
| by her aunt's fretfulness. but from
each trial emerged again sunnily, like
| flowers after rain.
One morning a bulky letter arrived.
It's postmark was that of the city
where Drusilla had made her home.
The address was undoubtedly in
mans chirography.
The blue. eyes of her niece seemed
| suddenly illumined by an inner light
as she reached for the envelope and
her dimples came into play, as she
perused the letter
ut is from Jacks she murmured
| happily; che and have known each
other all our lives. He really felt
dreadfully when came away. We
might have married, but the war and
all made things so uncertain. Now"
Drusilla jumped up and whirled about
in a joyous sort of dance. Hes COM
| ing here" she ended.
5 All the hard lines came back to
Miss Tuxberry's face, but being wise
| in the ways of women, she said not
a word. Being INSCRIPTIONS, also,
where her own wishes were concerned,
Miss Tuxberry merely watched for,
and failed to deliver Jacks next let
| ter.
Drusie's eager face grew perplexed.
II cannot understand" she said, "why
| Jack does not write the date of his
| coming"
| Miss Tuxberry had learned the date
| Of Jacks coming.
"Well. if 1 were you" she advised
briskly, ''Pd have more pride than to
moon about IT." and that evening she
summoned her physician.
II want to go away to rest my
nerves." she told him. "What sani-
| tarium can you recommend, where pa
tfents are merely healthy people hui
moring their imaginations? / don't care
| to be shut up like sick folks"
The doctor. knowing his patient,
smiled as he scrubbed an. address. So
Drusilla was dragged away.
Surely" the girl answered her trou-
bled conscience. 81 could not be so un-
| grateful as to refuse this service. If
| only Jack would write"
Jacks second peremptory letter had
been disposed Of Miss Tuxberry
hoped secretly that hot-headed youth
| would find in this apparent fndiffer-
ence upon the part of his sweetheart
| cause sufficient for long and injured
! silence. When she and Drusilla re-
| turned from the sanitarium she would
| consider further means to prolong that
silence. For faithful and undivided
| attention to herself, the girl should
| inherit her entire estate. That would
be reward for present deprivation.
| Some evil fortune aided Miss Tux
| berrys plan. She had barely become
established in her luxurious room in
| the sanitarium, with Drusilla near by,
| when a servant brought to the place
| evidence of dreaded germ, and quar-
antine was declared.
Aunt Tuxberry felt none of the ap-
prehension of other guests.
Drusie, pale and sad-eyed, gaZed
| wonderingly down the road.
'eWhy, oh why did Jack not answer
her lettersg"
absence had brought forgetful-
| ness" her aunt insisted.
eff Jack forgot" Drusilla felt des-
| perately that she could not bear her
longing heart ache.
"a telephone message at the Office
from your housekeeper," nurse in
| formed Miss Tuxberry.
| asking some tiresome question"
| that lady surmised.
you answer IL, DruS1lla.
| But it was not the housekeeper's
voice which greeted Drusie's ears.
| ''This is Jack" came decidedly over
| the wire, land I'm not going to stand
| any more of this hide-and-seek. I'm
| on my way TO the sanitarium, be there
| in fifteen minutes; look for runabout
| at the entrance"
But" walled Drusie.
mo butts" answered her impatient
| lover, and cut off connection. Evident
| ly Jack was ignorant concerning the
| quarantine law. She would not be
| permitted to see him.
! Across the office couch before Dru-
silla's eyes was thrown the visiting
| doctors auto coat.
J Near the outer door, his face bent