Okolona messenger., 1921-10-13
CHAPTER !.

An Aunt Errant.

Never had life seemed more fair and
smiling than at the moment when
Aunt James letter descended upon me
like bolt from the blue The fact
is, ] was taking a vacation from Aunt
Jane. Being an orphan, ! was sup
posed to be under Aunt James wing
but this was the mereSt polite fiction.
md | am sure that no hen with one
chicken worries about II more than
! did about Aunt Jane. ! had spent
the last three years. since Aunt Susan
died and left Aunt Jane with all the
money and no one to look after hut
me, in snatching her from the brink
OF disaster. Her most recent and mar
row escape was from velvet
tOngued person of half her years who
turned out to be a convict on parole.
She had her handbag packed for the
elOpement when confronted her with,
this unpleasant fact. When she came,
to she was bitter instead of grateful,
and went about for weeks presenting
q spectacle Of bllghted affections
which was too much for the most self
approving conscience. So 1t ended
with my packing her of to New York.
where wrote to her frequently and
kindly. urging her not to mind me but
to stay as long as she liked.
Meanwhile ! came up to the ranch
for a long holiday with Bess and the
baby, holiday which had already
stretched Itself out to Thanksgiving
and threatened to last until Christ.
mas.
AS to Aunt Jane. my state Of mind
was fatuOusly calm. She was stay
ing with cousins. who live In a suburb
and are frightfully respectable. /
was sure they numbered no cOnvicts
among their acquaintance. or indeed
any one from whom Aunt Jane was
likely to require rescuIng. And II It
came to q retired missionary was
perfectly willing.
But the cousins and their respect
ability are Of the passive order, where
as to manage Aunt Jane demands az
gressive and continuous action. Hence
the bolt from the blue above alluded
to.
] was swinging TRANQUILITY In the
hammock. l remember. when Bess
brought my letters and then hurried
away because the baby had fallen
downstairs. Unwarned by the slight
est premonitory thrill. kept aAilnt
james letter till the last and skinned
through all the Others.
At last came to Aunt Jane. n
ripped open the envelope and drew
out the letter--a fat ere. but then
Aunt james letters are always fa..
Nevertheless, as ] spread out the
close-tilled pages felt mild wonder.
Writing so large. so black. so stag.
gering. 50 madly underlined, must in
dicate something above even Aunt
Jane's usual emotional level. Per.
haps In sober truth there was a mis-
sionary-
Twenty minutes later staggered
into hess room.
"Hushi' she said. Don't wake the
bahyis
Baby Or no baby whispered say
agely rEve got to have timetable.
] leave for the city tonight to catch
the hrst steamer for P,nama."
Later. while fhe baby sIumbered
and l-packcd. explained. This was
dIficnIt not that Besa Ii az 4 gen.
ernl thing ohtuse. but because the pic.
aure OF Aunt Jane embarkIne for
some Wild. lone islp Of the Pacific a.
the head of treasure-Seeking exptN
fltlon Wns enough to shake ihe strong
81 intellect And YET. amid the vel
ier of Ink and elaquence which liIspd
those fntef1i paKes. there was me cold
hard fafi cnnfrpntlng you. Aunt Jane
f1E eo|nr % i0pk Or hurled tFcasnre
IS 6I rtnr TIIh one Yioles fIiggIs al,y-
.a~ne. whom s EnrunE On you
'|I01 8 slightest explanation a.
'n1|14 b. ||e 0Pen of Sheto
.e.t fF'1t n>teglnning