THE FALLS CITi' TRIBUNE , FRIDAY , OCTOBER 5 , 1906.
In Pursuit of a Lover.
By Alice Louise Lee.
Never was there an uncle
watched over with more solicitous
care than was Bennett Henry ,
and when a certain disquieting
though vague report reached his
niece she promptly laid aside her
palette , wrote to Jane to air the
front rooms and started for All-
dale a month before the close of
the New York Art school.
When her uncle met her at the
station his appearance confirmed
her worst fears. lie was smooth
ly shaven , his iron gray hair was
closely cropped , his suit new and
jaunty , while crowning shock
his head was surmounted by a
tall silk hat. Josphine Henry
scarcely recognised him.
"How d'ye do , Josic ? " this new
looking uncle inquired in the old ,
big , hearty voice.
Josephine stopped short and
stared. "Uncle Ben ! Where is
your beard ? " Uncle Ben looked
embarrassed. ' 'Gone , Josie ; gone
in a tight shave. Cost a quar-
ter. "
' 'I harcll } ' know you , " continued
Josephine , looking him over with
uncertain e3Tcs.
"Tell you what , " Bennett
Henry retorted in his jerky , good
natured fashion , "I thought 'twas
time I kept up with you. Gad !
You're a stunner , Jo ! "
And so she was. She was
taller than the average woman
and dressed to emphasize her
height. Her large black hat
sent its broad brim out over a
face which was capable of many
expressions , but the predominat
ing one was pride. She carried
herself proudly , her head well
back , her figure erect , her step
light. All her life she had culti
vated the pose which best ex
pressed her style and expecta
tions , for she was Bennett
Henr3''s only heir and would con
tinue such , provided he did not
marry.
They came in sight of two
white houses facing each other
on opposite sides of the street.
Josephine gave one glance at her
uncle's house and bit her lips.
Her uncle , exceedingly uncom
fortable , picked at the fingers of
his gloves and rattled on at ran
dom.
"Awfully sorry , Jo , you've
come back to such a lonesome
house. If you'd waited awhile
longer your mother'd be back.
Guess her sister is some better
now. Mighty hard lines to be
shut up in a sick room this hot
weather. Well , I hope Jane will
feed you well. If she doesn't you
know where there's a boss cook
and alwa3s a welcome. "
Josephine turned in at the gate ,
saying coldlv and ceremoniously ,
"Thanks , uncle ; I am sure Jane
and I will get along nicely. "
Jane admitted her. On the
threshold Josephine turned and
glanced at the carpenters at work-
beautifying the house opposite.
"Uncle is making quite a change ,
is he not. Jane ? " she remarked
carelessly , and the girl grinned
knowingly as she replied , ' 'Folks
do say , Miss Josephine , as he's
gettin' ready for a bigger
change. "
Josephine smiled calmly , but it
was with a heavy and angry
heart that bhe went upstairs to
her own room. She sat down in
front of the window without stop
ping to remove her hat.
Her uncle , being an easy going
and jolly man , had shown alarm
ing matrimonial symptoms be
fore , but Josephine had always
been enabled to check them by
use of prompt and skillful meas
ures.
She reviewed her maneuvers as
she sat staring at the improvements -
ments across the street. There
was evident need of prompt action
on her part , but she was handi
capped by a lack of knowledge.
She had yet to learn for whose
benefit these changes were being :
made. She began to pass in review -
view all the eligible women in i
Alldale. with a possible obstruc
tion plan in each case , until the :
rattle of wheels and the rapid I
thud of horses'hoots aroused her.
It was her uncle in his high
hat and gloves , driving a Miiart
new trap. The vehicle rolled
down the long stroct and disap
peared , crawling slowly up the
side of a mountain which rose
sharply from the town , and then
a paralysing fear seised Jose
phine. She dashed into her
mother's room , seised a lieldglass
which lay on the table and was
back at her post in a moment ,
raising the glass with unsteady
hands. Half way up the moiin
tain side was perched a small
brown house , standing out bare
aud unsheltered against the
green. In front of that house
Uncle Ben secured his horses and ,
sauntering up the steps with the
air of one familiar with the place ,
sat down on the piassa. In a
moment a woman came out Of
the house and joined him.
Josephine lowered the glass.
Her cheeks were flaming , her
hands were cold. That brown
house was the last house in All-
dale where she would have her
uncle call ; Ellen Beck was the
last woman in Alldale that she
would have had her uncle choose.
She sat down and stared at the
house across the way. Was she
too late ? Her anger rose hotly
against her uncle , who knew that
she and Ellen Beck had been riv
als from the time that they con
tended for the spelling prise in
the fifth grade until the previous
3'ear , when Jim Ashdown Jose
phine gave a sudden esclamation.
An idea had shot above her
mental horison , carrying in its
wake a plan , an obstruction plan.
When she arose there was a
tight , unpleasant expression
about her lips. The expression
deepened as she unpacked her
trunks. She carfully shook out
the folds of a handsome ecru silk ,
one of Bennett Henry's latest
gifts. Josephine looked exceed
ingly well in ecru , and her plans
required that she should look and
act exceeding ' well , beginning
with a church sociable to be held
that very evening.
Alldale had never before seen
Josephine at a church social. She
had heretofore scorned them , but
her campaign required her attend
ance at this one. She went pre
pared to cope with a situation
which met her e3res as she en
tered the door of the church par
lors. It was a situation in the
form of a gay group centered
around Mr. Henry and Ellen
Beck.
Ellen wore a dress of some
cheap material which she had
made herself. It was made with
a view to laundering easily , but
the fabric was a delicate blue ,
which showed to the best advant
age her fair skin and delicate
color. A knot of crisp blue rib
bon in her hair accentuated its
softness and the occasional gleam
of gold among the yellow
strands.
"Hello , Jo ! " cried her uncle ,
suddenly espying her. "Never
thought of your coming. Thought
you generally ignored church
shows. "
"Oh , you don't know me yet ,
uncle , " responded Josephine ,
gayly advancing. She was the
very spirit of graciousness , and
her journey through the room
j was a royal progress. She aston
ished Mrs. Brown , her mother's
most intimate friend and her own
particular aversion , by a kiss.
She surprised Ellen Beck by the
unaffected cordialit3r of her greet
ing. She caused her uncle's
heart to swell with pride , and
she fascinated Jim Ashdown by
her vivacit3' .
But it was not until near the
close of the evening that she per
mitted Jim to draw her aside.
"Why didn't you let me know
you were coming , Josie ? " he
asked reproachly.
"Don't you like to be surprised ,
Jim ? " Josephine murmured , with
'a bewitching glance.
After all , Jim , straight and
handsome , with his merry eyes
and the clean cut look about his
mouth and chin , was the superior
of any young man she had met
in college or in New York.
"No. I don't like you to sur-
> rise mi1 , " he returned.
"I'm going to surprise you
again tonight , .lim , " she almost
whispered.
The surprise came just before
he company broke up. It
brought a flush to Jim's cheeks
uid a queer expression to his
eyes. "To please me , Jim , " urged
Josephine , "I want to see uncle
onight. You come down in the
norning to visit me , but not now ,
> lease ! "
There was a pusslcd look on
ISllen Beck's face a few moments
ater when Jim approached her ;
there was a heavy frown on Ben-
ictt Henry's face as the two left
he parlors together , but Jose-
jhine's face was serene as she
ook her unclefs arm and they
walked home together.
In her own room the girl
combed out her hair in luxurious
ease. Only a year ago Ellen
Jeck had loved Jim Ashdown.
Josephine had reason to know
; hat , and she believed that love
lad not grown cold. K she
could open her uncle's eyes to the
fact the victory would be hers.
She laid down her comb and
ooked at herself in the mirror
with a satisfied smile. It was
only when she glanced below the
glass at the portrait of her moth
er that her conscience was un
easy Her mother was the one
being on earth whom Josephine
eared and revered , and it was
with a feeling of relief thai she
reflected that the case of Bennett
Heiir3r versus Josephine Henr3'
.vould be quietly decided before
icr mother's return.
In the morning Jim Ashdown
called. Josephine received him
on the broad front piassa , vine
sheltered and perfumed with the
scent of delicately tinted , over
hanging apple blossoms. Jim
had brought hi : ; horses.
"The day is too beautiful tote
to stay indoors , " he cried pres
ently. "Come out for a drive ,
Jo. "
Josephine shook her head lan
guidly. She wore a long morn
ing dress and reclined lasily in
the hammock , a novel lying on
its face beside her. She yawned.
" 1 can't today , Jim. To tell the
truth , I'm lasy. It got pretty
hot in New York before I left ,
and this piassa never seemed so
cool and pleasant before. " Jose
phine 3'awncd again and clasped
her hands beneath her head. "I'm
too lasy even to go out on an
errand this afternoon , but I must
unless" she looked around in
sudden animation "you will be
good enough to do it for me. "
' 'Is it is anything I can do"
began Jim awkwardl3' .
It's the simplest thing to do in
the world , " the girl interrupted.
"It's not to match dress goods or
buy ribbons or anything of the
kind. Mamma left a book here
to be returned , a borrowed book.
Will you take it back ? "
"Certainly , " returned Jim , lin
gering his hat. "Where does it
go ? "
' 'Away up to Ellen Beck's
such a long walk , " added Jose
phine. ' 'I tell you I am lasy. "
A few moments later Josephine
occupied the piassa alone.
Her uncle appeared at the cor
ner of the house. "Jim , " he
cried and then stopped abruptly.
"I thought Ashdown was here. "
"He was , but he has gone. He
went up to Ellen Beck's , " Jose
phine answered from behind her
book , and Bennett Henry turned
and strode away without a word.
That dav was but the begin
ning. With great persistence ,
but with consummate tact and
skill , Josephine monopolised her
uncle's time and threw Jim Ash-
down and Ellen Beck together.
With secret exultation she
watched Ellen's eyes kindle and
her cheek flush whenever Jim ap
proached. With equal skill she
warded off all attempts on her
uncle's part and they were many
to approach the subject of
either Jim or Ellen.
Her task was a peculiarly gall
ing one to Josephine on account
of its publicity as well as its dif
ficulty. She was aware that the
Alldale population was viewing
her with marked interest.
It was one afternoon when the
July heat and the people's curi
osity , combined with the fear of
ultimate failure , had got badly
on her nerves that she met Mrs.
Brown.
As has been hinted before ,
Josephine was not the warm ad
mirer of Mrs. Brown that her
mother was. Mrs. Brown as
sumed a right to pry into Jose
phine's affairs , which that young
lady resented ; hence when they
met that afternoon Mrs. Brown
calmly walked in where the other
angels of Alldule feared to tread.
She stopped and asked coolly :
"Well , Josie , how do you like
your uncle's choice ? "
Josephine's eyes biased. Her
checks Hushed. She spoke with
a peculiar icy deliberation wljich
always characterised her tones
when she lost her self possession.
"My uncle's choice ! If he knew
her as well as 1 do he would see
in her only defects to be endured
where he now sees virtues ! "
"Josie McIIenry ! " cried Mrs.
Brown indignantly. Shame on
you for speaking like that ! " And
she shook one of Josephine's arms
vigorously.
"I know , " continued Josephine ,
with a sneer , "that she is a fav
orite of yours , but then you do
not know her as well as I do.
Good afternoon. "
Ten minutes later , sitting in her
room with hot checks and cold
hands , she would have given
weeks of her life to unsa3' those
hasty , biting words. They would
be repeated. If they should
reach her uncle Josephine set
her teeth. If they reached her
mother The girl gave a quick
gasp. That thought stung.
Her first fear was realised
within a few days. She had not
dreamed that her jovial uncle
could look at her with such angry
eyes. She had not imagined that
he could intrench himself behind
so high a barrier that she could
not scale it , and Josephine trem
bled before his overwhelming
flood of silent displeasure and
scorn. Things were in this un
expected state when she received
a letter from her mother , bearing
the unwelcome news of her home
coming.
When Josephine read this she
went up to her room , hiy down
and turned her face to the wall.
Jane put her head in at the
door. "Ellen Beck is downstairs ,
Miss Josephine. She wants to
see you very particularly. "
"Send her up , " replied Jose
phine , dully wondering what
Ellen Beck , of all people , should
want of her.
When her caller entered she
found the shades drawn and Jose
phine on the couch with a hand
kerchief , wet in camphor , held to
her head. Ellen hesitated. "I
am sorry your head aches , " she
said , with the uncertain air of
one who docs not know quite
what to do. "Perhaps I'd better
go away and come some other
day , only"
There was something in her
manner which startled Josephine.
"No , no , " she exclaimed sharpty.
"Why should you go away ? My
headache is not severe , but I am
coaxing it into good humor before
mamma comes tonight. "
"Is your mother coming to
night ? "
"Yes. "
Ellen looked down a moment ,
playing with her handkerchief ,
and Josephine felt her heart give
a leap which sent the blood crash
ing through her temples , for on
the third finger of the other's left
hand shone a diamond held by a
slender circlet of gold.
Suddenly Ellen looked up. She
spoke in hesitating , gentle tones.
"I have come on a most delicate
mission , Josephine , but I have
not come voluntarily. Mr. Henry
requested it as a favor to himself ,
and I cannot refuse his requests. '
Josephine sat motionless , wait
ing , but her heart gave another
suffocating leap.
"lie has asked me to come to
you with what people are talk-
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ICllen paused confused.
Instantly Josephine's pride was
in arme. To be humiliated , and
by Ellen Beck , was indeed a new
experience. Her tone was bit-
in gly sarcastic as she said swift
ly , "My uncle could have chosen
a more welcome messenger. "
Ellen's face showed no resent
ment. Instead an expression of
pity stole over it as she glanced }
at her hostess. Her checks were
flushed ; Josephine's were white.
"I told him the same thing , "
she continued , "but he persisted
in the request , and I came. "
"Suppose"said Josephine icily ,
"you leave my uncle out of the
question and tell me the object of
your mission. "
Ellen raised her head with a
dignity which became her fain
earnest face. "I will. " she re
plied in a spirited tone. "Your
uncle wished to be relieved of the
painful necessity of telling you
that he considered your attitude
toward your mother cruelly un
just and that your accusations
against her are arousing great
indignatian in the town"
"My accusations ! " interrupted
Josephine. She sat up , gasping.
Her white fact * flamed. "Are
you insane , Ellen Beck ? I think
my mother is the noblest woman
in the world ! "
"So do we , " continued Ellen
quietly.
"Who has been telling con
temptible lies about me ? " de
manded Josephine hotly.
"No one , " said Ellen promptly.
"You yourself have said the most
contemptible thing that has been
uttered , and you said it plainly
to Mrs. Brown.1'
Josephine gave a cry and fell
back among her pillows. Anger
and utter bewilderment played
over her face. Finally she burst
out , "The remarks which I made
to Mrs. Brown were made con
cerning 3'ou ! "
There was a pause. A light
leaped into Ellen's eyes , and her
tone thrilled with suppressed
feeling as she said , "The remarks
were aimed at 3rour uncle's
fiancee , who , as the whole town
knows , is your mother. "
"My mother ! " The room swam
before Josephine's wide eyes. A
thousand incidents which she had
misinterpreted adjusted them
selves now. Her uncle's resent
ment when he had seen Jim with
Ellen had been for his niece then ,
not for himself. Alldale's curi
osity , Ellen's pity , her own cool
rejection of her uncle's confidence
Josephine groaned aloud and
covered her face with her hands.
Ellen arose. Words seemed to
strangle her. "I understand you
Josephine Henry , at last. Your
uncle has aided me this summer
in a financial matter which has
necessitated frequent calls. I
understand many things which
have been pussling to me before.
Goodby. "
Josephine glanced up. Ellen
had opened the door. A gleam
of sunlight from the hall window
struck the third linger of her left
hand. Then the door closed and
left Josephine alone with her
thoughts.
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Burlington Bulletin.
September , 1000.
To Now England aiuljCanada :
Daily low excursion rates during
September to Canada , on Sept.
5 and 10 to Now England resorts.
To California , Portland and
Piik'et Sound : Round trip Sept
,5 to M , $50.00 to California ; one
way via Pu el Sound , $02.50.
Last chance this summer.
Denver , Colorado Springs and
Pueblo : One faro round trip ,
maximum excursion rate $15.00
from Nebraska Sept. 10 to 22 in
clusive.
I To tin1 East and South : Clienp
excursions to various destinations
during September.
Ilomeseekers' Excursions :
Frequently each month to West
ern Nebraska , Eastern Colorado ,
Big Horn Basin , dry land farm
ing destinations or irrigated sec-
tioiiH.
Free Kinkaid Lands : Write
Clem Deavor , Agent Burlington's
Homeseekers' Information Bureau
at 1001 Fnrnam St.Omaha , about
getting hold of a free section of
a free section of Kinkaid lands
now being restored to the public
domain.
Cheap One Way to Pacific
Coast : Cheap Colonist rates ,
daily to San Francisco , Los
Angeles , Portland , Seattle , Tacoma -
ma and other Coast territory Aug.
27th , to Oct. , 151st also cheap one
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Big Horn Basin , Utah and "West
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Special rates to Los Angeles ,
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Americon Royal Live Stock
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Oct. 5 to 13 inclusive , with re
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