The herald., 1919-05-22
HER VIGILANT AUNT
BY JACK LAYTON.

Miss Tuxberry had long been con-
sidering the idea of a companion, with
whom to spend her later days. The
great difficulty lay in finding one Of
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
I ed. His sister was his last hope Of
J 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 a new
and sterner order of things.
Drusilla's disposition changed not
! by her aunt's fretfulness, but from
each trial emerged again sunnily, like
I flowers after rain.
One morning bulky letter arrived.
Its postmark was that of the city
where Drusilla had made her home.
The address was undoubtedly in a
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.
at is from Jack" she murmured
happily; che and have known each
| other all our lives. He really felt
dreadfully when I came away. We
might have married, but the war and
all made things so uncertain. Now"
Drusilla jumped up and whirled about
in joyous sort of dance. "He's COM
ing here" she ended.
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.
swell, If were you" she advised
briskly, 'Td 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
tients are merely healthy people hu-
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 I'M
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 indiffer-
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
berry's 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 Tu1berry felt none of the ap-
prehension of other guests.
Drusie, pale and sad-eyed, gazed
wonderingly down the road.
'Why, oh why did Jack not answer
her letters?"
absence had brought forgetful-
ness" her aunt insisted.
IF Jack forgot" Drusilla felt des-
perately that she could not bear her
longing heart ache.
"A telephone message at the Office
from your housekeeper," a nurse In
formed Miss Tuxberry.
Asking some tiresome question"
that lady surmised.
"You answer 1t, Drusilla."
But 1t was not the housekeeper's |
voice which greeted Drusie's ears.
'This is Jack" came decidedly over
the wire, "and 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 a runabout |
at the entrance"
'But-" walled Drusie.
mo buts," 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.
Near the outer door, his face bent
over a paper, was the quarantine
-nI MA u