The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-03-18
SHORT
SHORT
STORY

0rONa Fount of All Wis
STORY do nj you'd come to
us that way" Glenn
began magisterially, you'd a-been
marked fraudulent! You never
mean a word you say-nor say a
word you mean"
"Deceitful and desperately wick
ed! I see! To the scandal of my
fine family-which always sticks to
the straight truth-except in horse
trades" Ethel retorted.
"Oh, St. Clement! You'll fair be
the death O. me if I don't watch out!
All this racket just because you
eaVesdropped, and heard me jolly
in Dave Doom about bein' so good
lookin'-When l had just told you
before he came he was ugly enough
to chaW wool with the burrs in it."
'That was just one thing!" ST.
Clement defended.
Ethel shook her head at him, ask
ing demurely: ''Now where is your
family pride, son? Your own blood
kin-first cousin three times re-
moved-and the worst words you
can lay tongue to amt bad enough
for me-and believin' all the time,
poor innocent, that you thought me
rather nice"
A glance from slightly lowered
lids winged the last words home.
Glenn gulped: IL d-did-at first.
Fact II wrote some poetry to
you"
"Fie, File on you! amt you
'shamed?" Ethel burst in. "When
I hadn't ever done you the least bit
of harm!"
"You had! You-you-made me
made me l-love you-and 1 didn't
want tot" Glenn all but walled.
Ethel sprang up, stood very
straight, her eyes flashing, and
asked with preternatural gravity:
"And why was that?"
ooh, because-because I've got to
marry Jimmy Baxter. Granny will
have it so-she wants Jimmy to
have her money. I didn't mind
much-until-until you came. Now
well, l most wish I was dead
SEEM you playin' fast-and-loose
with all those other fellows-and
know well maxim fun of me to
them, as you make fun of them to
me-"
Ethel had felt rascent thrill in
| Clem's dumb worship, spoiled boy
that he was; he was also disgust
ingly good to look at. Granny, plus
three devoted maiden aunts, had
made him fully sensible of the fact.
Glenn, Granny's sons son, would, of
course, inherit the Landon fortune
always provided he wived to suit
its possessor. jimmy Baxter, her
godchild, also grandchild to the
chosen from her cradle upward.
Ethel played with him daintily,
unaware of danger until the after
noon when he came upon her fast in
tall fellows arms. A stranger,
rather grim-faced, with a touch of
gray In the temples, and lines of
experience craving a tanned face.
He held Ethel tight, and so high
her cheek rested against his-her
arms clasped his neck, the while her
fingers, soft and pink as rosebuds,
played with his hair. Glenn gazed
at the pair spellbound a full minute.
then, with growl deep and menac-
ing as any jungle beast, flung him
self upon the stranger, caught him
by the throat and tried to throttle
him. His eyes were live Goals in a
corpse-Whlte face, his clutching fin
gers crushed like steel wise. But
Ethel did not Shrek nor tremble ;
instead, she caught Clem's wrists,
saying, her voice deadly quiet
stop! At oncel Or-I shall kill
you'll"
Somehow she freed her hands
the strangers arms had fallen fac
, cid at his sides. How or whether
she would have kept her words, no.
body can say, for just then Granny
reused from her doze on the sofa,
cried out acidly: Clement, if you
want to wrestle, go outside-you
know l don't allow it on my Turkey
carpet"
Il am very glad you do not, Ma
dam, the stranger said, bowling
over her hand before she was fully
awake. 81 love a warm welcome,
but your grandson's was a bit too
rough-you know that is the beset-
ting sin of tiger cubs"
Early next morning there was a
very quiet neutrality-suspicious. Loder,
of the Engineers, had merely come
for his bride. Glen was not present,
but showed himself a sport-he sent
a check in four figures as a wedding
present.