Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1922-01-12
SEEDS OF ROMANCE
BY VERA M. HILLS

g. 1921. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
Senator Hubbard was returning to
his "old home town" to do penance. He
had not been there for over fifty
years, not since he had been uncere-
moniously dismissed from highl
school, and sent. by the wise parents,
to work his way through technical
school.
OF all his boyhood pranks, the one
which stood out cleareSt in his mind
was the one which he had always re-
GREETED. Miss Betsy Perkins, near
neighbor of the Hibbards, had been at
thirty-seven a real 'old maid" But
1t was whispered that she still had
"hopes." Then suddenly there had /
burst upon the town the story Of Miss
Betsy's romance She was receiv-
ing notes from an unknown admirer.
Miss Betsy grew younger-looking
day by day, but Mrs. Hubbard was IN
easy. "Pm afraid there's something
wrong about It," she told her husband
anxiously.
There came a day when Miss Bet
sy was to meet her lover at the park.
Dressed in new gown, and with
shining eyes, she had been there at
the appointed hour Of course no man
appeared. Among the boys hiding be-
hind the trees to watch her. Walter
Hibbard was the hero of the hour.
He had enjoyed writing those notes,
but he did not enjoy seeing Miss Bet
sy trailing desolately homeward,
with quivering mouth, and hurt eyes.
He found that he had conscience,
and that it was an uncomfortable pos
session.
Walter Hibbard, coming back as a
prosperous senator, paused to speak
to the proprietor of the general store.
els Miss Betsy Perkins still living?"
He detected signs of surprise In the
mans face.
"Betsy Perkins? Sure, Small white
house on the left, up the street" He
rang the bell and the voices ceased.
After moment of quiet someone ran
upstairs and someone else opened
the door.
She was very pretty girl, and the
senator liked pretty girls.
MAY 1 see Miss Perkins?' he asked,
smiling.
II am Miss Perkins," replied the
girl, "unless-unless you mean my
sister, Elfreda."
II was looking for Miss Betsy
Perkins, who would be quite an old
lady,"
won't you come in? You must
mean Great-Aunt Betsy; but she died
many years ago. Were you a friend
Of hers?"
They had just seated themselves
when a stair creaked there was q
sound of closing door, and the noise
of an automobile in the street beyond.
Betsy rose, trembling a little.
ooh, will you excuse me minute,
please?" she said. and. ran from the
room.
In few moments she stood,
tragic figure, In the doorway.
"She's gone; my sisters gone away
to be married. She's only seventeen,
and 1 was trying to persuade her
not to, when-when you came. Oh,
must stop her some way"
She seemed very helpless, and the
senator was used to thinking and
acting quickly. Ten minutes later
+box xvoro IN hirod COR cnnadinu IN
the direction of Allerton, a haven
for clippers.
At the parsonage the woman told
them that couple had come and
gone. "They went to get ring" she
said, and Betsy's sudden alarm died
down again.
"We are in time," she whispered
exultantly, and the senator no longer
regretted having come.
They found the runaways in front
of the jewelers. shop, dlsagreeing
stormily. Elfreda was firm; If sha
couldn't have the kind of wedding
she wanted, she would not be mar
ried. She thought she would spend
a week in Allerton with Pussy VIII
liams
"Well, that's over-for WHILE" said
Betsy, on her own doorstep. She held
out her hand In farewell, but the
Senator had other plans.
Little Miss Perkins," he said,
"you can't stay here all alone. Let
me take you up to the city for
few days. Mother and miss all our
young folks. And besides, for your
Aunt Betsy's sake"
Because she wanted to see much,
Betsy went. In the great city sta
ton, when CHEEKY voice said
"Grampr" at her elbow, she would
have gone ON, but the senator
stopped abruptly. He had forgot
ten that Walter, his grandson and
namesake, was to meet him. But
there the young man stood, hat In
hand, looking expectantly toward the
girl.