Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-24


little, her Imagination, long cribbed and
gan to expand within her. The things
she could do with $1,000!
There. was her nephew Harry strug..
Cling along with n large family and
sick wife: there was Cousin Lefty,
another poor relation Ike herself, only
hopelessly crippled with rheumatism:
there were the destitute families down
In the hollow whose men were out OF
work: there was the newsboy, Dick;
oh. there were so many that she could
help with that thousand dollars.
Aunt jimmy decided TO keep the
check.
She let no time slip away after her
decision. That very afternoon, in her
faded old bonnet and rusty coat, she set
cut for the little bank downtown, car
rying high hopes, beating heart, and
IL her worn rcticulc a $1,000 check
and a carefully thought out list.
There was to be a cheap automobile
and n years supply of conl for Harry
and n new cook stove for his wife for
Cousin Lefty a roll-out chair and some
warm undergurments for Dick, the
rewsboy, an all paid up course at busi &.
ness college; for the three families in
the Hollow. three Thanksgiving dinners
ordered And there we're other lesser
tcnetCiaries.
That evening Aunt Jimmy sank once
more into the old rocker, tired but
happy. All she had left to show Of her
munificent check was n crumpled list
with every item scratched. Oh. yes,
she had also the memory Of many ra-
diant faces, many protesting thanks,
and the tears in Cousin Letty's old and
faded eyes.
Suddenly Aunt jimmy sat upright.
Just suppose there had been somo mis-
take! Suppose the check had really
been intended for some one else and
had been mistakenly addressed to her
| An unsual sound broke In upon Aunt
JinnS's frightened reflections. Down
the lonely road a car was slowly com
ing, feeling its way. II drew up in
front Of the house. 1t stopped.
a moment later an unmistukably mas
culine step sounded on the tiny porch
and the front door revcrberatcd with u
determined knock.
With the expression on her face of
one who goes to meet a dreaded IL
deserved Nemesis. Aunt jimmy bravcly
rose and turned the knob. Yes. It was
Lemuel Bassett. for all his fur coat
swallowed him up completely.
'Miss-cr-Virginia Bassott?" he
wanted to know. II want to talk with
you
| A moment later and Aunt Jimmy was
sitting opposite him much as a criminal
faces his judge. There was an awk :
ward pause. Then. after a prclim
mary clearing of his throat, Lemucl
began:
II had hardly expected to call upon
you so soon. But, we'll. you forced me
to il. This-er-wcll, this is the how
Of it: | gave the bank instructions to
let me know when you cashcd your
check, had a young fellow hired to
keep tab on how you spent it. I had
him engaged indcfinitcly--a week, O
month. a year. AS it was-well. you
certainly gave him n busy day" Lam
uel paused and chucklcd
Aunt jimmy relaxed. II wasn't ms
bad rs she had feared Then she arose,
startled. For the man had risen. too
and was standing over her.
Listen, jimmy" he began gently. "It
came to me the other day that l was
getting on in years and that / had a
darn lot of money, with no one to helm
mo spend it. My boys are well fixed,
and always will be. I was thinking
over the women / knew and I remem :
bcred you--how good and gentle you
were with the children the day my
wife was buried. ] said to myself,
There's a fine woman for you, Lem
uel" Then I wondered about the
money.
How would you handle it If 7 went
first? And decided to test you. That
explains the check. And--why, jimmy,
you didn't spend n single penny for,
Yourself. | want you to marry me,
Maybe we're too old to talk about
| love-
He paused at the look in Aunt
Jinny's eyes. "Maybe-maybe not /"
she murmured.