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Show , ininimw w MARRYING JASPER By ACNES G. BROGAN. Professor CarletOn glanced up from his desk- Impatiently us the study door opened. His Impatience changed to mild resign:! I Ion us be perceived the tall figure of his older sister enter the room. "Yea, Hephzibah," he' meekly Inquired. In-quired. "Jasper," she Siiid. "the lime has Come when I must relieve myself of the care of 'our household. I in growing grow-ing too old for the responsibility." Professor Carleton r:in his fingers perplexedly through his thick graying hair, beneath It his still young eyes gazed hack distressed. "Well, Hephzlbah," he said nt last, "you are Justified In your determination. determina-tion. Marllia will have to look after me as best- she can." "Martha," his sister explained, "is going with me. She Is used to my ways and will need no training. You must make other plans for yourself' "Plans!" gasped her brother. "What plans can I make concerning a household, house-hold, Hephzibah. when I 'have always depended upon you?" "That's jusi the trouble," his sister remarked, "you have depended too long. There Is but one solution, you must find you a wife." "A wife?" The professor blinked; If he had not been always absorbed in books he might have realized that discouragement dis-couragement of this very possibility had always been tiis sister's purpose. At last to Hephzibah had come the solution: Prudence Winters, daughter of Professor Winters, deceased, should be chosen as the fortunate woman. True, Prudence was by several years Jasper's senior, but did not Jasper's advanced brain tit him to be suitably the companion of an older woman? And in Prudence the sister found all those virtues desired. So quietly she answered her brother's question. "A wife certainly is the solution of your problem, and because your mind has been occupied with other matters, Jasper, I have thought the thing out for you. You must pay respectful re-spectful attention to Prudence Winters. Win-ters. She is a woman who would make you entirely happy I" "Is not Prudence," the professor asked disapprovingly, "that thin woman wom-an with the tired-looking face?" "Faces," his sister severely remarked, remark-ed, "should no longer influence your choice. Practical worth is now your necessary consideration." "But I'm not so old," Jasper demurred. de-murred. "I have still a good many years before fifty." Hephzibah fixed her cold eyes upon him. "You have my suggestion," she said, and arose. "What do you wish me to do?" the brother asked uneasily. "For the sake of your own future comfort I advise you to pay your ad-I ad-I dresses as soon as possible to Pru-! Pru-! denee Winters," Hephzlbah said, and I passed from the room. Undecidedly the professor fingered his hat. His sister had spoken ; soon she and Martha would leave him alone in his helplessness ; perhaps after nil her plans might be worth consideration. considera-tion. Jasper had learned to have confidence con-fidence in Hephzibah's judgment. Slowly Slow-ly he passed down the street to Prudence Pru-dence Winter's home, but when he returned re-turned his face was gloomy. Hephzibah's lips twisted In the nearest near-est approach to a smile. "Well?" she asked, "you found Prudence Pru-dence at home and a worthy person?" "As a housekeeper," her brother dryly replied, "Prudence is doubtless unexcelled." "You must go again," his sister advised. ad-vised. "Next time you will also discover dis-cover that she has brains." And obediently Jasper went the second sec-ond time. His countenance upon his return seemed somewhat brighter. "You stayed longer this evening," Hephzibah said hopefully, "you discovered dis-covered the brains." "She has her interesting side," the brother admitted, but thereafter he appeared ap-peared to nped no further urging. Jasper now often sat smiling fatuously fatu-ously into vacancy and to fancy one's self in love with a Prudence Winters Hephzibah thought must take imagination imag-ination indeed ! She was interrupted in her reflections by the unexpected appearance of a young woman In the doorway. "How de do," remarked the young woman breezily. "I rang, but no one answering, and the door being open, I walked down through the hall. "You are Hephzibah, aren't you? I'd know it." The young woman smiled and dimpled. "Jazz sent me in for his cap," site said, "the wind blows his hat so In the car. And he said I'd better introduce intro-duce myself you'll have to know me. better" later. We are on our way to lie married." Hephzibah arose dazedly. "Jaaz?" she repeated, "married! What do you mean?" The lovely girl laughed. "Jazz that's what I call Jasper," she exclaimed. "I met him at Aunt Prue's a month ago. She's going with us now to the parsonage where we are to be married. Jazz was afraid to tell you about it for fear you wouldn't approve ap-prove of me " Impulsively the girl caught Hephzibah's Hephzi-bah's wrinkled hands in her warm ones. "Oh ! come along with us," sh said. "He will be so pleased." And to her own astonishment Hephzibah Heph-zibah went. (Copyright mil), by Wcslera Newsp.ir.--r I 111. .B.I |