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Show I AUNTIE CONCILIATED ! I - By CATHERINE CRANMER. ,: "Marhin. are you uctunlly engaged to tltut pennlleNS young drenmer, Gcr-nlil Gcr-nlil Holme?" Mrs. Martyn threw this question abruptly at her niece. "Yes, Aunt Caroline," admitted Marian, with n smile, for, although fond of her worldly aunt, she was also amused nt her sometimes. "Rut my decision wasn't bnsed on pennies so much ns on principles. It's making money tho first consideration that mnkes so many marriages a failure." "Drenmlng, ns usual," Mrs. Martyn shook her well-groomed gray head. "Still, I've hopes that you'll wake up bnfore It's too late. Come with me to the senshore and make yourself agree ablo to tho men you meet there." While Marian swam, golfed and flirted with the ellglbles at tho seashore sea-shore In a way that misled her ului'l-tlous ului'l-tlous aunt, Gerald Holmes busily clicked away on his typewriter In a manufacturing section whose laborers produced the wealth which made It possible for the rich ellglbles to llvo In luxurious Idleness. Every day letters let-ters passed between Mnrlan and Gerald Ger-ald and every letter contained a bit of description of the ltfo nround tho writer. The contrasts wcro so striking strik-ing that Gerald got the biggest plot idea he had ever had, and he sat day after day and sometimes untll.fnr Into the night, working on his first novel. "Kindling the World's Kinship" was the title of his book, which came out early in the fall, when tho summer Idlers were returning to the city. It was the story of a millionaire mtno owner, who, when ho went for tho first time to Inspect conditions In his mines In the hope of nvertlng a strike, wns overwhelmed with tho responsibility responsi-bility resting upon him In providing the means of cxlstenco for that small world of workers. With the nld of n miner and his daughter, who proved n sort of prophet and prophetess for their people, tho mine owner faced this responsibility so frankly and discharged dis-charged It so fully that ltfo after-wards after-wards meant Infinitely more for him nnd for the laborers and their children chil-dren than any of them hnd dreamed that llfo could mean. Gerald published pub-lished the book over the name of "Gery Marlon," hut covering the Identity Iden-tity of both of them. At Mrs. Mnrtyn's first reception nftcr her return to tho city tills book wns n mnln topic of conversation. At Marians request, Mrs. Martyn had Invited In-vited Gerald to tho reception, nnd ho hnd the unusual experience of hearing his book criticized with absolute candor. can-dor. Ho had 'tho very uncomfortablo experience, however, of seeing tltut John Morehend, one of tho most dls-tlngulRlicd-looklng men present, was devoting himself to Marian nnd of seeing see-ing by Marian's manner that" those attentions wero not unwelcome. Gerald Ger-ald knew that Morehead was one of tho many young mnrrted men whoso marital Infelicities had been aired In tho newspapers, but In the midst of his anxiety over this unpleasant discovery dis-covery Mrs. Mnrtyn called him to her and presented him to Mrs. Morehend. "Everybody's discussing 'Kindling tho World's Kinship,"' began Mrd. Morehead, "and as you are a writer, perhaps you'll divulge some of tho tricks of the trade. I'm not tho ono to nay whether this book Is good literature, liter-ature, but I know It has made mo shudder nt the thought of the amount of money thrown away on gewgaws by tho few when It could be used to make life more worth living for a lot of people." Gernld snw that the woman was Intensely In-tensely Interested and that sho was seeking to regain a normul outlook on life, but his Interest In her suddenly ceased to exist as ho saw Murlan and John Morehead approaching them ufter n tete-a-tete over their tea. "Mrs. Morehead," said Marian cordially, cor-dially, "this Is tho opportunity I'vJ been hoping for, and I'm going to throw myself on tho mercy 'of nil three of you at tho sumo time. To you, I have to confess an unfair, monopoly of your husband all through tho afternoon; to your husband, Ihnvo to confess my responsibility for some of his Identical speeches being put Into the mouth ot tho hero of 'Kindling 'Kin-dling tho World's Kinship,' nnd to Mr. Holmes, I must confess that I havo allowed the authorship of his book to become known to Mr. Morehead as tho last step In proving that It was not prompted by envy of tho wealthy classes." "Mr. Holmes, forgl.vo me for suspecting sus-pecting that you could onvy anybody," said John Moreheud gallantly, "but until n few moments ago I didn't know you wcro Miss Martyu's llance. I congratulate you." "Hut wo must keep that authorship a secret among us for a while longer," said Marian, with a blush and n laugh, as sho and Gerald started away from tho Moreheuds, for wb don't want our honeymoon spoiled by enraged millionaires." John Morehend looked Into his wife's eyes nnd asked her If they couldn't take a little honeymoon trip to tho Pennsylvania mountains where his mines were. Tho haughty head lowered a little, and tho words that tried to form themselves on her trembling trem-bling lips wero less eloquent of her willingness than tho glad brightness that shono through tho tears lit her eyes, (Copyright, 151, by tho McClure Newspaper Newspa-per Hyndlcnle.) |