Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 97, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 March 1919 — JANET’S BEAU [ARTICLE]

JANET’S BEAU

By AUGUSTA LEWIS.

(Copyright, 1919, by the McClure Newspaper Syndicate.) “Do you suppose he’ll ask her tonight, Maldle?” piped up Laura from her seat near the window. Maldle only laughed and answered : “Maybe, with the surprise Aunt Janet s planning." We both clamored around her and tiled to learn what the.surprise was. But as she refused to tell us we left the room rather sulkily. It was then Laura told me of Aunt Janet's beau E<l Saunders, escorted her to meetings oil Tuesday, ■ walked home with her fiom church on Sunday, and literally carried her around with him the rest of the week a most dominant air of proprietorship. “This state of affairs,” said Laura, “has been going on for about seven years and yet Ed had never asked Aunt Jane to marry him, and the family are getting rather Impatient.” I knew there were many wild speculations as to the reason for Ed’s attitude toward Aunt Janet, but Laura’s ■ version came nearer being right than any. . “Ed was too sure of Aunt Janet,” chirped she. “All he needed was a Jolt to take him out of the masterful air he paraded when with Aunt Janet.” I could control my curiosity no longer, so I turned to Laura. “What do you suppose the surprise la? This morning—” I didn’t finish, for shrieks of laughter were coming in torrents from the room above (Aunt Janet’s) and' I could distinguish Maldle’s shrill voice saying: “But where did you get It, Aunt Janet, it’s really too—” And again she went off Into gales. Laura and I needed no urging. With one bound we had made the top of the stairs, and fairly flung ourselves into Aunt Janet’s room. There, doubled up on the floor, sat Maldle rocking in paroxysms of laughter, and mother with her face working spasmodically tried to keep back the smile which hovered round her lips, but finally burst out in a howl of laughter. And Aunt Janet —we took one look and collapsed. Standing In the center of the room with a very grim expression she stood, wearing In place of her somber black bow a gorgeously-colored and hlghly-ornate orange one of flaunting length, embroidered with black beads and set at a most rakish angle. “Why, Aunt Janet, h-o-w, wh-y,” stammered Laura and I between gasps —“Ed’s coming tonight, you know,” said Aunt Janet, “and when he sees my new bow —” z We turned and fled. The sight of • Aunt Janet standing there as demurely a» the bow would permit was too much

for out tender young minds. Then we plunned the perfonnahce for the evening. I was delegated to watch for Ed Saunders on the porch and tell the girls when he turned In at the gate. I had been out on the porch a few minutes when I saw him coming up the walk to the house. Thdre had been loud voices echoing from the living room before, but now they seemed to potind forth, and amid gales of mirth I could hear the words : “Aunt Janet’s new bow. He’s sure to take noflFe. I wonder how she found —” And then the voices trailed off into Indistinguishable sounds; and Ed heard as much of this as I had. Just as I started to bolt, he came up to me and grasped me by the arm. “Aunt Janet’s now beau—what do you know about It?” He fhlriy spluttered the words, and then with two strides he made for the front door, only to be confronted by Aunt Janet wreathed in Broad beams of welcome, the orange bow bristling with Importance In all its grandeur. By tills time the family had circled round the two, and we all heard Ed say: “Jan®—et, Janet, I—l—you’ll keep the old beau now, won’t you, Janet? And then” the words stuck. z Of course, Aunt .Tnnet attributes the success of the plan to the new bow, but Laura and I think differently.