, 1922-11-30
SEEDS OF ROMANCE
BY r NJ. HILLS

had not been there for over fifty
years, not since he had been uncere-
m%oniously dismissed from high
school, and sent, by the wise parents,
to work his way through a technica,
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, a rear
n%elghbor of the Hibbards, had been at
th~irty-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. Hibbard was I'M
easy. I'm afraid there's something
wrong about it," she told her husband
%anxiously.
There came n day when Miss Bet
sy was to nee her lover at the park.
Dressed in a 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
Hubbard 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 hal he had Il conscience,
and that 1t was an uncomfortable pos
session.
Walter Hubbard. coming back as n
prosperous senator, paused to speak
TO the proprietor of the general store.
rs Miss Betsy Perkins still living?"
He detectedssigns of surprise in the
mans face.
BETSY Perkins? Sure, Small white
house o the left, up the street" He
rang the bell and the voices ceased.
After a moment of quiet someone ran
upstairs, and someone else opened
the door.
She was a very pretty girl, and the
senator liked pretty girls.
May 1 see Miss Perklnsf" he asked,
smiling.
Il am Miss Perkins, replied the
girl, 'unless-unless you mean my
sister, Elfreda."
81 was looking for a 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. We're you a frient
of hers?"
They had just seated themselves
when a stair creaked; there was a
sound of n closing door, and the noise
of an automobile in the street beyond
Betsy rose, trembling a little.
"Oh, will you excuse me a minute,
please?" she said, and ran from the
room.
In a few moments she stood, a
tragic figure. In the doorway.
"She's gone; my sisters gone away
to be married. She's only seventeen,
and l was trying to persuade her
not to, when-when you came. oh,
/ must stop her some way"
She seemed very helpless, ana the
senator was used to thinking and
acting quickly. Ter minutes later
they were in "A hired car, speeding in
the direction OF Allerton, a haven
for clippers.
At the parsonage the woman told
them that a couple had come and
gone. 'They went TO get a ring" she
auf1 onI UatgVs- gY,TJan .Inp.. .If.l
down again.
1--WE are In time" she whispered
%exultantly, and the senator no longer
regretted having ONE.
They found the runaways in front
Of the jewelers. shop. disagreelng
stormily. Elfreda was firm; II she
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
llams.
"Well. that's over-for a 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 a
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
tion. when a CHEEKY voice said
"Grnmpi' 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.
Betsy Perkins was very pretty, ana
Walter, like his grandfather, az
nrpciatad urpfty fappS-