The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1921-11-03
A Jealous Old
Maid
BY MURIEL BLAIR
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q. 1921. Western Newspa per 'Union)

Don't talk to me about Elsie Strick-
| land-Or Bonner, as she Is now-my
dear. If ever l had been tempted not
to believe in original sin that girls
ingrattude would have convinced me-
And after all I've done for that girl,
to treat me the way she has!
"Of course Ralph Bonner was at
the bottom Of THE and that Florence
Williams. The Boomers were quite
ordinary people-came here from the
south, and nobody knows what they
were before they came or why they
had to leave their home, wherever it
was.
"Elsie Strickland was a sort of cou-
sin Of mine. Her mother left her in
my care when she died, and took the
girl into my home and looked after
her from the time she was twelve
years old. l must admit she was a
good worker. l can't find any fault
with her on that score. But she had
common ways
Ralph Bonner used to call on me
whenever he came home from the
city. don't know what he did there.
People say I liked him, but that was
Just gossip. l hated him; hate the
very memory of him.
Pm ashamed to death to tell you,
but l suppose it's the only thing that
will stop the neighbors saying I was
in love with him.
II can't tell you how shocked was
that that little guttersnipe Elsie
Strickland should steal him from me
spoke to the girl as kindly as 1 was
able; told her that the Boomers were
worthless lot and were under sus-
picion Of having had to leave their
town in the South in a hurry. asked
her If she thought any one Of them
worthy to wipe the shoes of we'll
bred, well-brought up lady like her.
"'But love Ralph said Elsie, kind
Of piteously.
""The more fool you,' l answered.
And that's more than he does you
l went into that parlor and sat down
to think. You remember that Flor
ence Williams, who left town sudden
~ last year, to take position as a
stenographer her folks said, but we
thought she wouldn't have left so sud
denly, if there wasn't something
scandalous about it? Well, l knew
she'd never dare to show her face
in this village again. SO l wrote
letter to her from Ralph-you know
I'm quite good at initiating handwrit-
ing-and in it had few things that
l knew would put an end to that gar
den filtration. showed the letter to
Elsie next morning.
"That's how much he cares for YOU
said. He's playing with you, child,
as he did with that poor girl. Now
what are you going to do?
"She turned so white l thought she
was going to die. l had to give her
ice water.
"'What ought l to d. aunt?' she
asked me. l brought her up to call
me ma am in public and aunt In priv
ate. | thought it sounded more affec
tomato.
"Tll dictate letter to him that will
save your pride, my dear answered.
And believe me, 1T was a singer.
II found out that they were engaged
and he was to send for her in few
months. knew an answer would
come from him. l watched for the
postman. Sure enough it came. 1t
almost made me cry, I'm so soft-heart
ed; but l knew my duty and burned
the letter.
"Well, no more letters came, and
Elsie went round growing as pale and
white as ghost.
"After Labor day I knew Ralph
couldn't come back for another year,
and l breathed freer. I forgot all
about the business, in fact.
"And then, about the middle Of Oc
tober, the worst came to pass. l was
sitting in my little room at the back,
reading, and supposing Elsie was busy
doing the laundry. She had got strong
again and liked to be useful to me.
Suddenly there came tap at the door
and in walked Elsie, Ralph, and that
Florence Williams.
II put a bold face on the matter.
had to.
ralph Bonner came forward and |
planked document down on the ia !
BILE. I don't care to judge you, Miss
jones' he said. That's between your
self and your Maker. But you'll sign
this paper or I'll have you arrested
for criminal libel !
II remember the very words: 4 |
hereby acknowledge that l have
forged the appended letter purporting |
to be from Ralph Bonner to Florence |
Williams 1t ran. There was lot |
more to it, calling me names. But
signed it, dear. They had me trapped, !
you see.
"What do you think had happened? |
That false jade, Elsie, had gone to
the Williams woman and asked her |
about her relations with Ralph and
found out about my Well-meant plan |