Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1921-12-02
CHAPTER III.
Engage the Enemy.

Gus Smith, for the next day was one
Of trial. Aunt Jane had recovered
what Mr.. Tubbs, with deprecating
coughs behind his hand, alluded to as
her sea-legs, and staggered forth wan
Nv, leaning on the arm Of Miss Higgles-
by-Browne. Yes, of Miss Browne,
while 1, Aunt James own niece, trot-
ted meekly in the rear with cush-
SON. Already had begun to realize
how fatally had moderated the
sa1y of the hyphen, in imagining / had
only to come and see and conquer
Aunt Jane. The grim and bony one
lad made hay while the sun shone-
while was idling in California, and
those criminally supine cousins were
allowing Aunt Jane to run about New
York at her own wild will. Miss Hig-
glesby-BrOwne had her own collar and
tag on Aunt Jane now, while she, so
complete was her perversion, fairly
Augged her slavery and called it free
dom. Yes, she talked about her Eman-
elpation and her Soul-force and her
Individuality, prattling away like a
child that has learned its lesson well.
mercy, aunty, what long wordsl"
Z cried gaily, sitting down beside her
and patting her hand. Usually can
do anything with her when pet her
ND a bit. But the eye of Miss Hig-
glesby-Browne was on her-and Aunt
Jane actually drew a little away.
Really, Virginia." she said, feebly
endeavoring to rise to the occasion as
&he knew Miss Browne would have her
rise, ''really, while it's very nice to
see you and all that, still hope you
realize that 1 have had IA deep
Eoul-experience, and that / am no
SOnger to be-trified with and-and
treated as if were amusing. am
Mt a loss to imagine why you came. I
wrote you that / was in the company
Of trusted friends"
''Friends?" 1 echoed aggrievedly.
Friends are all very well, of course,
but when you and / have just each
ether, aunty, / think it is unkind of
you to expect me to stay thousands
Of miles away from you all by myself"
"But it was you who sent me to
New York, and insisted on my stay
ing therel" she cried. Evidently she
had been living over her wrongs.
'Yes-but how differentw I inter-
zupted hastily. "Tbere were the
eOusins-of course / have to spare you
sometimes to the rest of the family !"
Aunt Jane is strong on family feeling,
and frequently reproaches me with my
lack Of it.
But in expecting Aunt Jane to soft
gn at this, I reckoned without Miss
Higglesby-Br A dart from the
cold gray eyes galvanized my aunt
into sudden rigid greatness.
my dear Virginia" she said with
auayering severity, '1et me remind
you that there are ties even dearer
than those Of blood-soul-affini
you know, and-and, in short, in my
dear friend Miss Higglesby- Browne /
have met for the first time in my life
with "a Sympathetic Intelligence
that understands Me?'
So that was Violet's line! / sur
yeyed the Sympathetic Intelligence
with smiling interest.
Really, how NIGEL And of course
you feel quite sure that on your side
you thoroughly understand-Miss Hig-
glesby-Browne ?"
Miss Brownies hair was rather like
n clothesDrush in her mildest moods.
In her rising wrath it seemed to quiv-
ct like a lions name.
'sMiss Harding" she said, In the
ehest-tones she reserved for critical
moments, "has nature impossible to
deceive, because itself incapable of de-
ception Miss Harding and I first met
on this plane-in an atmosphere I'M
usually favorable to soul-reYelation.
7 knew at once that here was the ap-
pointed comrade, while in Miss Hard
Eng there was the immediate recogni-
zion Of a complementary spiritual
force"
ats perfectly true, Virginia." ex-
claimed Aunt Jane, beginning to cry.
You and Susan and everybody have
always treated me as If I were child
and didn't know what I wanted, when
the fact is I always have known per-
fectly well ~ The last words issued
IN wall from the depths of her hand
kerchief.
"You mean, suppose" 1 exploded,
"that what you have always wanted
was to go off on this perfectly crazy
chase after imaginary treasure ~
There, now had gone and done it. OF
course it was my red hair.
"Jane," uttered Miss Higglesby-
Browne in deep and awful tones, "do
you or do you not realize how strange
by prophetic were the warnings / gave
you from the first-that If you re-
yealed our plans malignant Influences
would be brought to bear? Be strong,
yane-cling to the Dynamic Thought I"
''T'm clingingl' shifted Aunt Jane,
dabbing away her tears. Really, Vir-
ginia," she broke out in a whimper,
~it is not kind to say, suppose, but /
would just as soon you hadn't come !!
SuSt when / was learning to expand
2y individuality-an then you come