Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-08-06

am not hesitat1ng. hope 1 do not 8
seem to be, but know-I suspect
that your decision is sudden"
"Isobel's affection for us is greater {
than her demand for independence,
said Mrs. Sidney. eff she knows that
: asked you to consent to this an
nouncement. she will think of you as
proved friend"
L had suggested all the precautions
that were reasonable. "You certainly
may make any use Of me you want
to-" I said. She thanked me and said
good night.
Isobers view of our engagement was
purely comic. She may have had
second Of spiritual revolt, but comedy
a1d consideration for her mother as
serted themselves. Mrs. Sidney, when
she told Isobel Of the engagement, had
me present. The mother was really !
embarrassed, almost flustered, but she
was determined. Isobel was greatly
amused.
It may be imagined that was not
heroic. I might better have been a
wax figure taken from a display win
dow. | felt like one, thing with a
wax smile and no animation.
at is merely precautionary" said
Mrs. Sidney uneasily. "It is quite i'm
possible to explain. You will have to
accept my judgment, Isobel. DR.. john
an odd halfway house toward init
macy she reached and stopped at
'Dr. John has been kind enough to
do as I asked him. I need and want
the support of my children in what I
am doing"
I felt a touch of emotion at that.
Unconsciously, intent upon her main
point, she had included me at the fire
side and had spoken of her children"
Anything you do or have done is
all right, mother" said Isobel, recov-
ering from her sense of humor. "Dr.-
John-will not be unhappy am sure
will you, doctor? And mother
I'll get an advantage Of you il this
see if I don't"
"You mustn't try to, Isobel,'' said
Mrs. Sidney anxiously. Il am doing
the best ! can" ....,...-. 80. -.
Later in the evening / saw 1sobe1,
finding her alone in the library, where
she was reading. I went in to get
book before going to bed. She was
by a lamp near the fireplace, ald she
looked very beautiful.
ST want to talk to ypu," she said
when she saw me. do you know the
explanation of this?"
NO. I said.
''You are not quite honest" she said.
ga man engaged to girl he never
asked to marry him might suspect that
something was out of the ordinary"
"Of course, something is eXtraordi-
nary" I said. do you know what
it is?"
"No, don't" she said. "Why don't
you sit down?"
: With a soft witchery of femini1ity
she pervaded and glorifed the room,
but she was peremptory. I was not
, sullen. but felt defiant.
Because 1 don't want to sit down,
said.
$ Isobel smiled indulgently at me.
l "Oh, sit down, DR.. john" she said
t 81 want to talk to you. We are en-
gagged, you know, and engaged people
ought to have a talk after the event
y if not before"
"You understand how this hap
y pened," I suggested.
ST do" she said. "Ny mother is
e frightened. Jed has been trying tt
: marry me-"
!. "What can give him the privilege o.
: such insolence!' I exclaimed.
t "I imagine he is enamored," she sale
J. serehely. "It may seem impossible tt
d you"
s "Has this man approached you di
rectly?" I asked.
n "He has been gallant, amorous, sug
y gestive, tender, soulful, aggressive
pleading, threatening, subservient ant
e Il think that is all-but only in man
It ner."
it 'T don't understand it," I said help
i" lessly.
d Neither do t. she said. "And
1t know just enough to know that I shal
1T not understand it. do not like to fin
Romeo among the servants, but
d have learned to accept some strang
conditions here-among them you"
le "Don't disturb yourself about me-"
y said.
'e A good deal Of my hurt pride mus
f. have found expression in that remarl
81 am unjust" she said. 81 kno'
that you are doing what my mothe
wants done and that you are not col
sidering yourself. shall be reason
able I want to make my mothers lif
as pleasant as it can be made. I ca
not understand everything that sh
needs of me, but I know that you hay
! done everything that you could do fl
her. I do not want to seem inconSi'
! crate"
/ "rd like to protect you and yoJ
II MOTHER" I said.
II "We are indebted" said Isobel, wit
s| a chill and unkind restraint. Then ST
Il smiled and said:
N "Good night, doctor. If am incol
N siderate at any time, put it down to
\ naturally bad temper"
Il
Jed had taken a small shotgun ar
IIAdL lC was SO1hG tl4IOl AeAoOAe
which were unusually numerous ar
threatened to be damaging to tt
young brush about the place. It W;
an October afternoon with a war
sun. An hour or two after Jed hf
gone, I went out for a walk, goi1
down by the pool.
1 was in the brush for fifteen mi
utes, and it happened that while W;
= there I saw from a little prominen
~ the figure of Jed on ahead with b
shotgun. He was some distance ava
tie but I could see that he was goil
fl stealthily from tree to tree in an OF
fashion for one hunting for rabbits.
1g. was as if he were stalking somethil
ou rather than trying to kick rabbits I
out of the brush.
We I went on toward the pool. On