The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1921-10-21
SUPERVISED
BY ETHEL NJ. FARMER.

the recess OF the house. What ar
you doing out there on the piazza? l
Is getting dark and growing rattle
chilly you had better be coming In |!
I'VE are only talking" came bacl
the quiet answer, "and it is not a bi
cold"
"Very WELL" the shrill voice wen
on, but you must come in very short
ly."
"All right, Aunt Mlllnda," and Doris
sighed, as she looked at the manly
form dimly outlined in the twilight
before her. 1--WE have a good super
visor, JIM" she spoke slowly.
I'VE have, at that" he said, teas.
ingly; but l do not blame her, when
she is your guardian"
Doris! D-o-r-i-sw Came the call
again.
Eyes, Aunt Milinda, we are coming
And with final, wistful glance at the
harvest moon they entered the house
Aunt Milinda sat beside the kitchen
table knitting, and did not seem to
notice their approach.
Would you like some music, Jim2'
Doris asked.
Jim opened his mouth to agree
heartily with this proposal, but shut
1t with snap, for Aunt Mllinda was
ready before him.
"No, Doris, it is too chilly in the
parlor this fall evening, and anyway,
the lamp needs fixing"
Doris sighed, and Jim unconscious
ly Joined in. 1t was hard being in
love with a girl for four years, who
had an aunt like Aunt Milinda.
The old-fashioned clock licked away
heartlcssly, but somehow the CONVEX
sational powers of the trio were
limited.
Finally Aunt Millnda looked at the
clock suggestively and peered over
her goId-rimmed spectacles at the
caller.
ut seems to me the men folks make
rather late calls on the girls nowadays.
When | was girl the boys always
went home sharp at nine o'clockw
"Perhaps had better be going" Jim
said, rising to his feet, apologetically.
"Please don't" Doris begged, you
have Just barely got here"
Then the rapid clicking of the steel
needles grew slower and finally
stopped entirely. Aunt Milinda's head
fell back against the chair and she
was asleep!
"Shall we see IL that harvest moon
is still there?" a deep voice asked JOY
fully.
"Of coursew a softer voice replied,
and two dim forms crept stealthily
from the house.
Has your aunt ever been in lover"
Jim asked abruptly, as they wandered
along the river bank.
Eyes, once, but she lost faith in her
lover and is now a sworn man hater,"
she answered. His name was Paul
and they were going to be married,
but little trouble arose just before
the wedding and the wedding was can
celled. But Paul wrote to her and
asked to be allowed to come to her
home to explain. Aunt MiIinda was
very proud, but decided to let him
come. She wrote to him, telling him
so, but he never came and died very
short time afterward."
THAT was unfortunate" Jim spoke
seriously, "and can understand now
why she is so opposed to me-"
They walked along thOughtfully and
forgetting how rapidly
the time was slipping by.
Aunt Milinda opened her eyes in
fright and jumped to her feet. Where
was she, and why was she alone? She
rubbed her eyes in bewiderment and
reached anxiOusly for the lamp.
Doris! Doris" she called, but
there was no answer. The clock
struck ten.
It did not take long to light the
amp and begin hurried search for
her beloved niece.
Suddenly she heard little scratch
ing and weird scufling in the wall.
"Micew shrieked Aunt Milinda, and
with frantic bound landed on top of
he table. There was q crash and a
sound, and the next thing
she knew she was sitting on the floor,
by pieces Of an old kitchen
able.
As she sat there, trying to discover
what had happened, she saw an old,
Yellow letter in the ruins, addressed
n her own handwriting.
well, l declare" she spoke excited
y, reaching nervously for it. II never
nailed that letter to Paul, after all.
t must have slipped In crack Of the
table when the other letters were |
nailed. No wonder he never an
'weredw
Doris and Jim heard the crash In |
he house and came rushing in to |
Zee what had happened. There sat |
llgnified Aunt MiIlnda on the floor
With broken table around her and |
letter in her hand.
"Oh, Aunt Milinda," Doris cried.
are you hurt?"
"Only my pride" she answered
rightly, as they helped her carefully |
O her feet, "nOW, YOU two Young