Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 154, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 June 1920 — AN IMPLACABLE WARDEN [ARTICLE]

AN IMPLACABLE WARDEN

By EDGAR WHITE

(Copyright.) The crime of Martha Trueman's unattached loveliness was laid without reservation at the door of her tall and soldier-like aunt, who was a spinster, and who, it was said, had ordained that the fair-haired orphan should travel tn her own austere footsteps. It was a matter of common knowledge that quite a number of eligible young men of Prairie Valley had visited the Trueman mansion, in the suburbs, and then had, from unknown causes, lost interNo one ever hinted that the object of their visit was at fault —not at all. She was admittedly the prettiest girl in town, and the most pbpuhtr. The amazing thing about it was that she didn't drop away and lose her buoyancy under the rigid blockade her grim aunt seemed to have established against all mankind. At church, at social gatherings, and on the streets her blue eyes sparkle*! with good nature and seemed to invite confidence. One night when the subject of Aunt Naomi's reprehensible conduct was being quietly discussed by several young men in the Prairie Valley club room, Robert Compton, a newcomer, who was assistant superintendent of the local electrical machine works, casually remarked that he had been introduced to Miss Martha that day, and had been very courteously invited to call. ' _ “Better not go," said Lloyd McPherson. with an Imjfressive look at the other members of the party; “it only means trouble for you.’’ “How so?” inquired Compton. McPherson shrugged his shoulders, and laughed bitterly. “You’ve had fair warning,” he said, “and all the boys here will bear me out.” They promptly echoed the, doleful statement. Compton was sitting with his feet on the edge of the window. He meditatively knocked' the ashes off his cigar, and said: “Well, my head's set on being initiated. I can be one of you. I’m going out.” ’ — ~ Compton was a city man, having been reared in Chicago and there learned his calling. The trip was made the next evening. < Martha received him graciously and showed him into the parlor, where Aunt Naomi was sedately awaiting him. . Compton decided she couldn’t be as black as some had painted her. Martha sat dutifully beside her, and let her aunt do most of the talking. The visitor waff enjoying quite a pleasant evening and was beginning to wonder where the baleful Influence came In. While he was conversing interestingly with the master of ceremonies, the fair-haired girl quietly arose and began stirring the fire in the grate. As she did so a tiny cloud of smoke was wafted toward her and she coughed slightly, but hastily covered her mouth with her apron. Aunt Naomi requested her to get the checkers and board before she sat down again. “You play checkers, I presume, Mr. Compton?” inquired Aunt Naomi. “I can, though I don't,” said the young man. boldly.” “You won’t play checkers with me?” demanded Aunt Naomi, in astonishment "Let's talk ; that’s nicer," said Compton, ingratiatingly. __zz It was nearly eleven when Compton arose to leave, and as he did so he remarked apologetically to Aunt Naomi: “You mustn’t think hard of me because I didn't play checkers. It'? a great game and some other time you and I will have a bout.” “Oh. that’s all right.” she said; “I enjoyed your talk better, anyway.” They accompanied him to the door and Martha's bright eyes warmly seconded her aunt's invitation to repeat the visit. “Well. Miss Martha met him with smiles at the door.” remarked McPherson dreamily, when Compton joined them in the cozy corner of the club room, next evening. “And she ushered him into the little parlor, where Aunt Naomi received him like a captain of the old guard,” added Harry Guthrie, reminiscently. “You’ve guessed right,” returned Compton, smiling.

“You air sat down for a quiet little chat,” McPherson said, “and just as you began feeling you were glad you came, and that you would be still gladder if her royal and somewhat ancient highness would get sleepy and go to bed, she challenges you to play Ja game of checkers.” “She did that very thing,” said Comp, ton, easily. “Of course, and you being a gentlemanly sort of fellow, and naturally wanting to get into the good graces of the old dame, said you would be delighted.” .. ■ “You’re off on your lines there,” interrupted the novitiate. "What!" exclaimed McPherson, and the others echoed his astonishment “I simply told her I wouldn’t play checkers with her,” remarked Compton, quietly. “Do you mean to tell me that you refused to play checkers with Aunt Nao»fr demanded McPherson, sternly. “What is wonderful about thatr

asked the new citizen of his questionera. _ “ "" Finally McPherson spoke up candidly and delivered this load from his soul: . “Bob, if you've turned that female grenadier down on her checker game, you've shown more nerve’ than any of us.” “You see.” said McPherson, earnestly, “It’s a put-up job. She don’t want her good-looking niece to have company.” "It Is cruel,” murmured Compton, sympathetically. “Suppose you defy her.” “That’s Just what I'm going to do,” said McPherson, boldly. The manly course was unanimously indorsed, and- Martha’s emancipation was then and there proclaimed ..by some half dozen “loyal hearts and true.” The next day business called Compton away Jimlhe was detained a couple of weeks. Not long after he returned he called at the Trueman home, and was led in by a most indignant maiden. He saw the time ot day and to back out. “Come in; I've something to tell you.” said Miss Martha, in a voice indicating a strong effort at control. “While you were away Aunt Naomi was grossly insulted by four of your friends,” exclaimed Miss Martha. Compton started and then looked at her In amazement. “They surely didn't ” “But they did,” she said, impetuously. “They came out here to see us, and when Aunt Naomi was good enougti to invite them to playxheckers with her they declined —positively declined!” “There are fully twenty to come yet, and I’m satisfied all are going to act in the same ungentlemanly way. It’s a conspiracy—that's what it is!" “As many as thatl”_he hazarded. “Yes, as many as that; there were twenty-four before.” “Twenty-four what?” He felt safe there, but when he saw the red blood mounting to her temples he knew he had put his foot In it. “Don’t you know what I mean?” “Er—you don’t mean ” “Yes. I do!” she admitted as promptly as if he had said “admirers.” “And the whole thing will have to be gone all over again!” “Y^-e— 8.” “I don’t believe you understand me at all,” she said, in some disdain. “Miss Martha,” he said, “to be candid with you, I don’t know what trouble's ahead of you, but if you’ll tell me, and I can help you out any I'll do It if it ruins me!” “I don’t know what you can do,” she remarked, dlscouragedly; “I guess they’ll all come and the little farce will be played with each one. There’s no help for it.” “You mean there’s twenty to come yet?” The bright head nodded, resignedly. “I know a way to fix that,” with excessive' Confidence. She looked inquiringly. "Yes, I do," he said, approaching her. “I’ll see Aunt Naomi and ask her to let us get married.” He was very, very close to her now, and she wasn’t trying to get away. As he took her hands she looked up at him with a mischievous smile. “You forget—you wouldn’t play checkers with Aunt Naomi, either, sir." *But I will; I’ll play with her morning. noon and night. If that won’t do, I’ll shut down the works and play between times.”

“That's good of you. Robert.” whispered Martha, fluttering the white flag of surrender, “but the truth is. Aunt Naomi don't care much for checkers, and it was only at my urgence she agreed to play with them when they made me tired.” "Then you're the —ah —the ” stammering over the astounding disclosure. “The sinner,” she said, demurely. “Well, I never!” Then remembering something, he added, distrustfully : “She wanted me to play the first night.” She shrived him with a pair of warm, tremulous lips. “It was all a mistake, Robert.” she said ; “when they weary me I cough and auntie gets out her checker-board. The night you came, I got up to stir the fire, and the smoke —I tried so hard to keep from it, but auntie heard me and like the good old soul she is she understood the time had come to relieve me. and ghe went about it in the usual way.” When the details got around to the club, McPherson offered a resolution, which was unanimously adopted : "Resolved, That appearances are always misleading and deceptive, and we hereby retract all the mean things we've said and thought about Aunt Naomi these years past, and wish to say that we regard her as merely an innnocent and guileless instrument in skillful hands, and, furthermore, as long as we. individually, get Miss Martha we congratulate our fellow member, Robert Comptom on ■his luck.”