| Show CU alil 08 AIN aunt Fidel itys ultimatum N not at obeyed by little love god by SUSANNE GLENN mary ellen dlan dian I 1 see you talking in the lane with ben putnam this afternoon er noon miss Fidel itys voice sounded bounded unusual sharp 1 1 I I did not liot suppose you saw us an mary elleu ellen with a laugh though she felt tier her courage coz ing rapidly at sight of her aunts austere look well it so BO happens that I 1 saw you and tile the sight was one that would have made your father weep for sh shame arne mary ellen closed her lips in a determined line and remained silent you must take it from your mother she was always pestering about baa being friends with ms 1 I have been told aunt fidelity that the loneliness here killed her and I 1 can believe it there Is no call ball for anyone who Is into interested rested in her work to be lonesome and I 1 would rather be lonesome than associate with those dishonest honest Putnam ms sl are you prepared to prove such an assertion the girls voice shook with feeling abo those e are strong words aunt fidelity what do you call lt jt but dishonest when people move a line fence hire help away from a neighbor steal the hens eggs and empty out the sap becketa ln in sugar time do well to leave that young putnam alone I 1 hope there will not be occasion to say anything more about it and now continued miss fidel ity green a after waiting in vain for some response from her indignant niece they have raised my bid for the e castler ast er woods code that at they ay knoy nony weve been trying for years to buy but what do you want with that great tract of 0 woods aunt fidelity it was different when father was here to look after jt it that woods was never worth what lt it Is now and I 1 guess I 1 can look after it as well as any danl im going downin the he morning and raise my bid but the ahall never beat met me I 1 during the hosrof hour ot miss Fidel itys absence mary ellen spec up the 14 lane no ab to alq the old A all hastily scrawled atter letter which sh she e concealed in t the he pocket like hole in its huge side next day she escaped miss greens eye long enough to secure the answer 6 she ehe knew she would find it said dearest meet me to tonight at nine by the old basswood in the lane B mary ellen watched the paper turn to ashes in the kitchen stove with wildly beating heart for her resolution was taken she would meet her lover what are you burn burning ingup jip questioned miss fidelity suspiciously bously some old papers answered the girl laconically pretty particular to see the last of df them seems to me shrewdly 1 I was thinking said mary ellen about the different kinds of wood in the big tract and she put the stove lid back in place emphatically at exactly eight that evening miss fidelity wound the kitchen clock put old rover in the woodhouse and locked the kitchen door mary mairy ellens heart sank as she observed that she slipped the key into the pocket of her dress arrived in her room the girl moved about softly preparing for bed her belief that she was being watched was ve verified rifled when her aunt presently looked in with some unwonted question con concerning the chickens but mary ellen was covered snugly in bed and miss fidelity went away evidently with experiment her during the space when the old clock was slowly striking nine a white faced girl dropped softly from her window to the grass not far beneath and stole stealthily away in the adadow could she ever brave the mysteries of the gloomy lane what if 1 aunt fidelity should discover her absence what if ben should be detained sup pose she had read the note wrongly mary ellen I 1 was afrati afraid you dare comel come ben en I 1 dont know how bow I 1 dared tot but she ehe mado me so BO angry with the m things she said that I 1 help it tell me mary ellen the young min wrapped her in a warm coat he bad provided and walked slowly he be side aide her over the crisp dead grass there anything I 1 want to tell you couben yo uBen ben it Is all so unkind and now that the castler woods deal has come up again she is worse worse than ever she vows sho aho will own them at any cost coat and father Is just as determined mary ellen I 1 1 I 1 am scared to death to think I 1 i C camo arne don ben what if she discovers iny illy empty room hen putnam stopp stopped resolutely see here mary alary elleu we are both young and I 1 meant to wait a while w allo but she has herself to blame for hur dying JE it up I 1 love you you know tonu mary ellen yes yep whispered the girl and you wo love me dear Y yes 1 I am alit going back with you now it i you can call get in undisturbed nil all right if not ill settle matters if she a fuss well get married right away no one is going to dictate to you any more my iny dear girl at a sound of approaching steps they turned suddenly mr mr putnam stood before them kin tin he said ive thought bought the Gustie Cust ler woods that thatis ts a settle dt oh walled waited mary ellen nc never cpr forgive us now mr putnam chuckled conie come children 1 he bo said said at last q 1 guess id better see eo you both safely home the window la ii closed gaspad mary ellen Sh ehas found out I 1 am conol OT 1 1 dont daye go in abe chev y ampro approached eclied tile the darline darkened ned house silently aly mr putnam striding up door rapped resoundingly in a moment it was opened by miss fidelity fully dressed tl 1 I hear bear began mr putnam when they had all entered the kitchen itchen and closed the door that xa you call us a low dishonest family famely 1 I do jed putnam and it if you need any particulars to refresh your memory I 1 can give them thank you there Is no need I 1 have tried for many years to prove to you that you have misjudged me As that has proved fruitless I 1 am going from now on an to live up to our reputation for dishonesty I 1 to begin with my son eon den ben has by my advice and coni consent ent stolen the heart of your niece not satisfied with that rascality I 1 have further declared that in case you do not give your full consent I 1 shall aid and ana abet him in removing her from yourl pro lection and marrying her without your consent miss fidelity stood grim at eight this evening I 1 closed the deal for foi the castler woods being fully aware of your unreasonable deo de i o to ta possess them and giving 10 1 re an acre than you offered even th I 1 consider a good bargain there is now but one possible way for you to obtain themi them and I 1 guess you ou know what what that is fidelity miss fidelity tossed tier her head indignantly dign antly you ellen and ben be married in a respectable manner will willylu you consent to call yourself mrs putnam for tile the sake of owning the castler woods mary ellen gasped at the audacity of anyone who dared defy her unconquerable qu erable aunt fidelity mary ellen said miss fidelity severely beverely after a period of breathless suspense 1 I guess now that your roost most priceless possession has been taken fro from m you you will believe what ive told you about the ms young man turning to ben 1 I 1 have nothing to say of your duplicity your punishment will come in possessing a wife so simple and cerling ning that she will be influenced by every wind that blows deaf wad to advice and admonition and taken in by every impostor al to your proposition jed putnam there is but one thing to bo be said ive sworn to possess tile the castler woods and it if I 1 cant d do a it one way I 1 must an another otherl copyright 1312 1912 by the mcclure mcclura newspaper syndicate |
