The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-11-11
SHORT
SHORT
STORY


But had to accept this house party
invitation. Just remembered about
Aunt Mary Jane-I was supposed
to call at her hotel-the Blackmore
tomorrow morning and then show
her a good time for a day or two.
The old dame owns a mine or two
and I'm one of her heirs-so spare
no expense. Use this as a starter
and charge for your time just as
if you we're tutoring. Show her some
real night life-that's what they all
want to see when they come to the
city. Q
yours in haste,
FIRED TILDEN."
William Ogden was thirty and
Fred Tilden was under twenty, YET
there had been a feeling of unre.
strained friendship between them
ever since the year before, when
Fred was a freshman, Professor Og-
den had been able by dint of inten-
Sive and high-priced tutoring to
keep Fred from being ANONYMOUSLY
fiunked.
William Ogden made definite
plans. He would call on the lady,
and suggest that to begin with they
take tea together at one on the fash
ionable resorts-something smart
out rather sedate. The next day they
might meet for drive.
But the fabric of Professor Og-
denis plans was completely unrav-
eled when he saw, and realized that
, he saw Alright, Fred Tilden's Aunt
Mary. She was young-didn't look
thirty-and she wore clothes quite
as smart and up to date as any
woman he knew She had keen
blue eyes and a smile that was
completely disarming.
''Tm half sister of Fred's mother
but I've never even seen Fred"
she said.
1t was after the exhibition of night
life in the great city. Aunt Mary,
dressed in an inconspicuous but
very becoming evening frock, had
been a charming partner for Will
| liam and had even danced with him
, little. He was escorting her to
her hotel at late hour-walking
because she insisted that she want
ed to get breath of good fresh air
after the sitting atmosphere of the
dance place.
81 don't mean literally sitting"
explained Aunt Mary Jane. 81 just
mean sitting as far as my peace of
mind is concerned. 1t just seems
perfectly appalling to me that life
in this great big city means that
and that people like you and-and
/ my nephew consider that having a
good time I've heard before that
there wasn't any home life here"
William laughed. "Bless you," he
said, with his arm through hers and
drawing her closer to him as they
walked under the starry sky. Give
lived here all my life-and I've
never been to one of these night-life
places before. But-Mary Jane-I
could take you, if you'd let me, to
a dozen little homes-poor instruc-
tors and professors like myself
only they've married and have
found their measure of content. It
isn't the city or the country, the
east or the west, that makes for
that, Mary Jane. It's finding the
woman you can love and then MAX
ing her love you--but I'm afraid
I'm going to be disappointed, Mary
Jane"
For a minute or two Mary Jane
forgot that she owned a mine or
two and an oil well and confronted
the problem of disposing of the in
come of several million dollars. She
was thinking what JOY it would be to
be the helpmate of a poor professor
like William Ogden-making a real
home for him in the city where real
home life was said not to exist
Perhaps you could make your
self love-the woman who truly
loves you," said Mary Jane.