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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1942-11-27, Page 7N1 i a' A}�4�1'Jd,7t tl#otdtit Id9 9Gi • tea °C1IAPIElit TWWE'NTV-SEVEN "will -y'ott do it -act at; icy hostess, Drape" Dian shook her head. "Sorry, Jen:" ome," she said. "That's what I tried to tell you.. Ieee got another engage- ment for Thursday, night. Claire Les - tee's invited me to a dinner sheee giv- i"ng at th'e club." She was quick to see Jerome's disappointment, and said, "I have an idea!" 'What is it?" Jerome wanted to know, ' "Let Aunt Martha be your hostess!" She waved Jerome to silence as he started to speak. Aunt Martha's won- derful at that sort of thing -much better than I am. Besides, I happen to know she has a perfectly sciump tious evening dress she'd adore wear- ing. "But, Dian, my dear," said Jerome,. "you know I hope to .make you . my wife some day, 'and=" "Why, Jerome!" Dian said, pretend, ins,,to be, serprised. , "We it go• into that later," Jerome said. "But,,wwhat •I .mean is that hav-, king you act as my hostess at the country club would give you some- er-experience and let me see if yen have the-er-ability-" "To fill the place of a banker wife?" said Dian. ''Is that it?" "Well -yes -in a way." Dian laughed, "Jerome, one could never accuse you of being a wild and eager lover," she said. "Frankly, I. don't relish the idea of being tested, so to speak. So I think you'd better not -count On 'nie." - r. 11 "But there's eo Iittle time to get a I id Jerome. • else," said - ' Aint Martha's out in the car;" said Dian. "1,11 send her in, if you wish.'" "Very well," said Jerome in a re- igned tone. "And you can unload the Tandy also:" "Thanks," said Dian. She walked o the door. She paused there, look - ng back at Jerome. "And another thing, Jerome" she said, "I think Aunt Martha's far better fitted to am a banker's mansion than I am." Jerome frowned. "That," he said omewhat. coldly; "is a matter for me o decide." "Yes, I suppose it„•is," Dian said. 'Only I just thought I'd tell you." She sent on out. At the car, she said, 'Aunt Martha, Jerome wants to see cull." "What about?" Miss Martha asked. - eonret`fiiirg own -re; r gatliei'," 61ali replied. Then, 't� Bill, "Want to yelp me take this candy in?" "Certainly!" said Bill. - When they were through, Miss Mar - :ha said, "You two go on out to the arm now. I'll Walk home." She drew Dian to one side and whispered, "I i!ce him, Dian. He's a charming man -not a bit the smart Alecky type I .xpected, his being a New York art- st and all that." Dian smiled ' He is nice," she said. I'm glad yo ulike him, Aunt Martha. Ire you Sure you don't mind my tak- ng him out to the farm again?" "Of course not! Heaven knows, if to can turn . any of those paintin;;s nto cash, he's a wood^r." Miss Mar - ha stepped into the doorway of. th.- ane. "Oh, yes, be sure and stop off it the house and get him some of hat candy." ; 'Yee, Aunt Martha," Dian said. then, joining Bill, she said, "My aunt ikes you." "Good!" said Bill. "I like her al - o." "She was surprised tb find a New zork artist such a nice man." "What°did she expect?" "A smart AlevIc!" said Dian. They both laughed. A little later, with some candy in a taper bag between them, Dian and hill "d"r"ove on out to the farm. Once more they went up ,into the otic„ and once more Bill looked over xrandfather Weston's paintings. He cund two more .which he thought had possibilities. "I like this one of the rail fence nd the calf," he said. "Grandfather painted that after he tads his stroke," Dian said. "I rolled tim down to the pasture in a wheel - d chair." "The other one is good, too," Bill cent on. "But I'll not do anything tbout either of them until I bear from ,ndrew Williams: e "Who's -,he?" "Andrew's -the agent who sells hir„gs for me," Bill etplained, "I ent him the painting of the little irl under the apple tree." "Ob, I hope he'll like it!" "So do 1., And I rather -think he vill. Anck'eW may not be exactly an rt critic, but he knows 7 commercial alues. He's sold a number of my alotings to the calendar people, and ve a feeling he'll agree with me that our Grandfather Weston's painting as• fine possibilities along that line." "It Was awfully nice of you to go o so much trouble," Dian said. "I an't tell you how grateful I am." "Don't try. I was glad to do it. s I told you, I'Ve fallen in love with he little girl." "She- WOiJLD iogk sweet on a cal - Oder( Dian skid. "I've thought a �t about it, and I can just see her ending ver desks and ;kitchen fovea"," She siliiled, . Since n b e oes$t't• 11, irel'y irincl like me, I alp feel t1a.. vtal Without seeming be vain, cant I?" "Of course you can." , , "Shall we go down now?" Dian Bald. "Perhaps you'd like to look ov- er; -the plantation --or what's left' of it." "Yes, I would." Bill said. And when they were walking down through the resr of the grounds, he said, "Maybe you'd sent the place to me some 'time. les a place I could come to, to relax and do a different sort of painting from what I'm doing now." "Do you really think you'd like liv- ing out . here?" "Yes, I do. I told Claire last night that I thought I could be happy in Ardendale-under the right circum- stances." "What did Claire say to that?" "She said she felt the same way. Only she said if she were married to the right man." "Or!" said Dian. Claire . . . Claire . . . Darn Claire! Always intruding and`spoil- ing things. "I've often tried to rent they place,' She went on. "But so few people around here want such a big house and one that's so far from every- thing." very- thing" "Far?". said "Bill. "Why, my child, it's nearly in town, even if it is plumb in the country." He paused, and pointed, "What's that over there? It looks like a tomb." "It is," said Dian. "Or rather, it's the family burial vault. Grandfather and a number of other Westons are sleeping there," "I've often read about such places," Bill said, interested, "but I never saw one before." • "Lots of southern families have their own vaults like this one, or private burying grounds. dome on, and I'll show you," , CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT Dian and Bill crossed a grassy stretch of land, and were soon stand- ing looking through the grilled iron gates. 'r "What a peaceful spot for a last resting place," Bill said. "Yes," said Dian. "My greatgrand- father had it built." "And how nice that your grand- father can be so close to the place he loved." • "Yes, it is," Dian agreed. Then she smiled and said, °'It •was once us- ed as a prison -temporarily, ,I mean." '_'row. ran earth dad that (happen? "Grandfather did it. He caught two tramps pilfering the house, and lock- ed them up in the vault until he could get the sheriff." "A vault for a jail! That is ,,an idea!" Dian twisted some loose tendrils of ivy' about the iron grillwork. "Grandfather loved to tell about tyre experience," she went on. "He said you should have seen the expressions on the 'faces of the two men when they realized where they were." "I. don't, wonder!" said Bill. "But how did your grandfather capture .two men sinplehanded?" "He used his old shotgun - and marched them out here' in front of him." "Boy, I'd like to .have been 'here!" "So would I." ' • "Did they steal anything?" "They had their pockets full Of greenbacks when Grandfather cad•ght them." "Good Lord, you mean your grand- father kept that much money in this out-of-the-way spot!" "Yes," said Dian. "In a shoebox." "Well, I'll be-" "But it was.. Confederate money - left over from the days following the Civil war. The tramps thought the luscious 50 and 100 -dollar bills were , the real thing." Bill laughter. "I'll bet their expres- sions were worth seeing then," he said, "when they discovered what they'd really stolen." "They were," said Dian. "And then they fainted., Or so Grandfather said. I've always believed that he made up that part of the story." "Well, even, if he did, it makes a good climax:" They stood silent for some Mom- ents, looking into- the. vault. Bill could make out names and dates here and there. He also noted that there were two unoccupied repositories in the vault. And somehow the sight of them sad- dened him -gave (him a feeling of de- pression. He found himself thinking of the passage from the. Bible which spoke of man being as the grass that witheretb. Here today . . : Gone to- morrow, . . . "And the place there- of shall know it no, more.', "Those two empty places," 'said Dian as though she were reading his thoughts, "are for Aunt .Martha and me." "Don't!" said Bill 1•uskily. Dian looked at him, puzzled. "What's the matter?" she asked. "I can't stand the idea of you -be- ing 'in a place like that." ."But I don't mind," Dian said. "Well, l do. Let's not talk about it." "It's peaceful .out here. You said so yourself." 12'es; I know I 'did. Peaceful for Others, perhaps -but not for irou." Corry," Dian said, "I 'didn't Ow you. felt that way about it." Then Bill R+olli>ti8 did.' something he had certainly wit expected to do. He took Dian in\ his ar a and held her there, close to him. And then he kissed her. "Why did you do that?" Plan asked when she had freed herself. "I hardly know," said 'Bill. It was just that 3-1 cogicin't', bear thinking of you in there-irt the exalt." "Oh, I see," said Dia[►. "Yon aren't angry, are you?" "C,ertainly not." Dian decided to be flippant if it killed her. "It was. rather nice -being swept off my feet ;Ike that, Living -in Ardendale as r do, .I seldom get -swept off my feet." • Bill looked at her closely. "I don't like hearing you talk like that," he ;said: "You sound hard. And you're not. that sort of girl at 'heart," "How do you know what sort' of, girl I • am, at heart? You've -only known me a few hours." "Just the same, I don't think you're -that sort." • "Did you expect, m•e'- to burst into tears when you kissed mer "Why, no--er-that "Or perhaps you exp'eeted me to be wounded, and say, 'Sir; how dare - you!' " "All right, I'm sorry, !