Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 August 1919 — Impulsive Connie [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Impulsive Connie

By GEORGE PHELPS

<********************************* (Copyright. I>ll, by the MeClure Newspaper Syndicate.) Two old maid sisters and a mother, who insisted upon all gentleman callers leaving at ten o’clock sharp—isn’t it a wonder Connie managed to keep a beau? But, then, you don’t know Connie. Without exaggeration she was the sweetest little piece of femininity in existence; that’s what Harvard Cullis thought, at any rate. How Harvard was able to find an opportunity to ask her to marry him is more than could be told in a paragraph, but, anyway, he did gasp it out one time when her mother had gone to bed with a sick headache and the sisters had fallen asleep on guard. It was a hurried consent Connie gave, but she had to have one eye on the sisters all the while. When would they get married? That was the first big question that started the first misunderstanding. Wls visions of a long courtship that tended every night at ten o’clock before him, Harvard urged speed. “But I could never get married until Priscilla and Lucelle are married,” Connie told him. "Mother doesn’t believe in the youngest daughter being married first.” “Good heavens!” Harvard was next thing to being stunned. “Why they’ll never be married. They are on the shelf for good.” “They have both been engaged for years,” Connie said, a little indignantly. “James and Charles call every Wednesday night They have called ever since I can remember, and every Fourth of July they take the girls out driving.” “And haven’t married them yet? Well I neverl” "But they are going to marry them. The girls have had their things ready for years and years.” "Let’s elope 1” "Oh!” Connie put her hand over her mouth and half smothered the cry of alarm. One of the sisters stirred uneasily, but Harvard was not going to lose any time. “Why can’t we?” he demanded. “Oh, because!” Connie was fairly shaking with excitement The tantalizing answer so often used by women had Irritated Harvard, so she hastened to explain. “Can’t you see? I want a wedding—a real honest-to-goodness wedding, with bridesmaids and flowers and presents and cake and things. 1 want to have a trousseau and a green trunk and things like the girls have.” “Yes; and if you wait until’they are married you’ll have them all and they will never be used.” Harvard was aroused, so it was just as well one of the sisters opened her eyes and caught sight of him sitting close to Connie. She might have said something that would have brought an unpleasant answer had not the other sister wakened and found it was five minutes past

ten. Her exclamation of horror was sufficient to send Harvard on a jump for his hat and coat. With two chaperones in the vestibule there was no chance to speak further on the subject to Connie. Harvard had always wondered why Wednesday night was the night he was banned from calling on Connie, but the next Wednesday night he pretended he >hd lost track of the days and arrived to size up James and Charles. Two Scotch tightwads, that was his first deduction, and he knew at once why Priscilla and Lucelle were still on the shelf. On the way home he tried to work out a plan. If some old uncle or somebody would only leave the twin sisters a fortune as bait for their long-stand-ing swains, he thought; or better still, if some uncle that had not been heard of for years would show up and offer a thousand dollar bonus to the sister who was married first, James and Charles would likely fall over one another to drag the sisters to the altar first. Why, they did have an uncle somewhere —an Uncle Ben that had not been heard of for years, he remembered. Why couldn’t Uncle Ben show up? t “Look out!” Harvard was just in time to pull the old gentleman In front

of him out of the path of an oncoming car. The night was a stormy one, and the old man’s eyesight seemed defective. v “Thank you so much,” the old fellow began. Harvard could feel him shaking under his grasp. “Can’t I help you home?” he offered. “The streets are slippery and the lights are poor.” “Thank you so much,” the old man said again, but thisftime in a tone that gave consent. Harvard helped him along in silence. “They stopped in front of the city’s best hotel. “I’m going in here,” the old gentleman said, as he fumbled in his pockets. He drew forth a card. “Come to see me in the morning,” he invited. Harvard pocketed the card. He had no intention of calling on the old fellow, but when he was undressing that night and the card dropped to the floor he picked it up an<L looked at the name. “Benjamin Coles” was neatly engraved upon lfe~ Harvard laughed. The old man seemed to have come as an answer to his thoughts, but he had sense enough to know that this was not Connie’s uncle Ben. Things like that only hap-

pened in stories. Jusfrlhe same It set him think luge In the morning he did make the call on Benjamin Coles. He came away amlllng. Now for the race between Charles and James, be thought, as he sauntered off to the office. “Hello,” it was Connie’s voice over the telephone and Harvard recognized the excitement In her tone. “I must see' you at once. I’m waiting at the drug store on the corner,” she cried eagerly, and hung up the receiver before he could answer her. He hurried to meet her, for Connie excited was not the safest person to disappoint “Harvard, we moat-.be married at once,” she gasped breathlessly as soon as she saw him. “We’ll get a thousand dollars If we do.” Harvard tried to appear surprised as she poured out the story of the letter from Uncle Ben. He was In the city, but was disappointed all his nieces were unmarried, and would give a thousand dollars to the one who was married first, and perhaps an additional thousand if she was married right away. What were wedding presents and bridesmaids to two thousand dollars? It was an unexpected turn of events, but Harvard was equal to it. They hurried to get the license. “Why, this is the third Miss Lamar I have made out a license for today,” the justice told them as he affixed his signature. That knowledge only added to Connie’s speed. They arrived at the nearest minister’s in record time. "You are the third Miss Lamar I have married today,” the minister announced after the ceremony was over. “Oh!” Connie could not hide her disappointment, but Harvard hurried her out before she could give it all away. ■ “I was never so disappointed in my life,” she almost cried as they reached the street. “Just think, two thousand gone.” Then Harvard had to confess. He had persuaded Benjamin Coles to ..write the letter so as to get the sisters married off. It had all been a frameup. The old man was not her uncle at all. “Why, he’s at the house now, and he’s kissed mother and everything,” Connie cried in horror. “The old Impostor!” Harvard exclaimed indignantly. “We’ll show him.” They fairly raced home. An. odd scene presented Itself there. Twosobbing brides in the arms of their mother and two newly married hushands arguing over the right to the $2,000. Harvard demanded silence while he made the explanation. “It was all a frame-up,” he confessed, “but I am sure we are all going to be happy. Uncle Ben didn’t write that letter at all, and the two thousand dollar bonus was only a sell.” “Let Uncle Ben speak for himself.” Benjamin Coles stepped from the background. “ I did write that letter, and, what is more, I am going to make good my offer; in fact, I am going one better —I am going to give each of my nieces $5,000 each , for a wedding present. You see, young man, we all make mistakes. I am Uncle Ben, as my sister here will testify.” “You dear old darling!” Connie, with all her impulsiveness, fairly swept him off his feet as she threw herself into his arms. “Can’t you make it ten?” “Indeed, seeing your husband saved my life last night,” I think I can,” he agreed, “and, young lady, I envy that young man these hugs.”

Knew at Once Why Priscilla and Lucelle Were on the Shelf.