Liberty High School - Lion Yearbook (Brentwood, CA)

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pressed something' shiningj in her eyes and toning' her words and laughter-that made them wonder and eaeh vowed, privately, that it' she stayed forever they would make no etfort to banish her. I hadn't tl1e heart to do it, boys, said lloward, when asked to explain. I would rather play Aunt Jerusha forever. After that began a. silent struggle he- tween liineoln and Philip as to who should he her eseort when she walked 01' drove. Philip managed to take her walk- ing over the hills next morning' and Lin- eoln arranged to drive her to a neighbor- ing' town in the afternoon. lle was dis- appointed, however. tor Miss Bernice eould not go. Aunt Jerusha had promised to show her how tty knit a breakfast shawl, and as Aunt Jerusha seemed to like her company it was her duty to do what she eould to lighten her afflietion and loneliness. Lineoln gasped. Howard was surpass- ing himself. He always was a good aetor, hut how in the world does he make good when he promises a thing' like that?'l said Philip. He must have aeeomplishments of whieh we know nothing, answered Lin- eoln. At the end of a. week Lineoln and Philip eonsulted together and deeided that the friendship that had sprung' up between Miss Bernice and Aunt Jerusha was beeoming' ala1'ming', it' not sulspieious. Any morning' the gentlemen might have the pleasure of Miss Berniee's company, hut all her afternoons and evenings were devoted to Aunt Jerusha. Aunt Jerusha's head aehed and Miss Berniee was going' to hathe it, or Aunt Jerusha wanted to learn the shell stiteh for hahies' honnets. until the very name ot' Aunt Jerusha her-ame a horror. And now the night had eome when Howard was to he remonstrated with for monopolizing' the eompany ot' Miss Ber- niee. Iloward rarely joined them at dinner. hut this evening' he had done so, and sat with them in the parlor afterwards. Phil- ip and liineoln had eoneluded to taekle him after Miss Berniee had gone. Thus it was that they were all together when a rig' drove up to the door. Visitors at the -l'ove were rare, esper-ially at night, and they had not recovered from their sur- prise when the parlor door opened and the real Aulnt Jerusha stood -before them. Lineoln tried to rise, but consternation held him hound to his 1-hair. Aunt Jerusha hut with a very large presenee, and on this oeeasion it seemed to fill the XVZIS Il slllilll Wljlllilll. was magnified till it room. Her little hlaek eyes looked around from beneath heavy way that seemed to gray brows, in a say, lJon't tell me any lies: I lean see it all. VVhat's that? she said abruptly pointing' a thin finger, asparkle with rings, at Voward, who was trying' to 9:- eape unseen from the room. No one gave an answer, and indeed the lady waited for none. Who's that young' lady? she said, turning' the finger on Miss Berniee, Who, pale and bereft of smiles and dimples, clung' to a friendly window eurtain. Lineoln pulled himself together and arose to his feet. This, my dear aunt, is Miss Berniee. of whom l wrote you. And what is she doing' here without f r-hape.:1n'? Lineoln threw an appealing look at Howard. that stopped the latter in his wild rush fog lla door. 17 This lady kindly eonsented to aet as ehaperon until you eame. She- Tutl sputtered Aunt Jerusha, as she strode aeross the room toward Howard. Before she reaehed him the red wrapper was lying' around his feet, and he was bowing' to her with the little ihlaek silk eap and dangling' gray eurls in his hand. HI knew it. she said. with ohvious meaning: Stand up here. She waved her hand with a gestuire that ln-ouglit the three young' men promptly before her. iVhat this disgraeefnl eondnet may mean. l fin not know. 'hut one of you young' men must mar1'y this young' wo- man in the morning: Vvllivll one will you have. Miss? turning' to Miss Berniee. Quiekly the eolor and the smiles and the dimples eame har-k to Miss Berniee's far-e as she let go of her supporting eur- tain and moved a little nearer the group. Lineoln and Philip spru-ng' quiekly for- ward. eager desire in their faees, while

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edged with gray eurls, pushed baek on his well shaped head, and a red wrapper eom- t'ortably unbnttoned at the neek and waist, sat with his t'eet up on the dresser. Lin- eoln and l'hilip had laughed themselves into tears at the first. sight of him. and then the reaetion had left them in des- pair. For l'leaven's sake do, said Iloward. Un: day ibuttoned up in this thing, big' as it is. would ent me in two. lt' you have the breakfast room good and dark in the morning, l'll make my appearance- postively one appearanee only. You fel- lows elear out and I will explain how nu- expeeted eomplieations have set in my knee. necessitating my removal to the hos- pital to have my leg amputated-that soinnds all right, doesn't it? Ot' eourse being' a lady of rare pereeption she will see the situation at ont-e and take her depar- ture. lt' Miss Louise had eome we eonld have managed some way. but it is eruel kindness to keep her-here alone. As she is to spend one night here. it will be 'better for her peaee ot' mind to let her go away without knowing the truth. Breakfast next morning' was eaten in a dim religious light. At its c-lose Aunt Jerushav hobibled with a most melancholy the wrapper limp into the room, with straining dangerously at the waist blnttons. and the gray eurls bobbing into her eyes from beneath the silken eap. The mittened hand almost erushed Miss Bernie-e's slim fingers, and Aunt Jerusha's voiee was alarmingly faint as she bade her guest welcome. Miss Rerniee's eyes t'lew open to their widest extent for a mo- ment, then her long lashes hid the light within them-a light that made the men turn hot all over and long' to answer with a shout of laughter. There was no laugh- ter. however, at that meal.. The nearest ap- proaeh to it was the deepening' of the dim- ples at the earners of Miss Berniee's mouth. Lim-oln and Philip kept up a des- perate c-hatti. r that betrayed the anxiety of their souls and Aunt .lsrusha groaned oe- easionally as she earefully lifted one leg over the other. liineoln and Philip got through their breakfast with surprisinu' rapidity and ex- eused themselves, leaving' Aunt Jernsha to :idirst things with Miss Berniee. fWhatever may have been said over the eot't'ee eups was not ot' a nature to hurt Miss l5erniee's feelings. That mneh Lineoln gathered from the brightness ot' her far-e as slle joined them in the hall a half hour after. She spoke pleasantly about the prospec-ts for a fine day. but said no word anbont leaving the Clove. The men were puzzled but dared not broaeh the su-bjeet. not knowing' what turn lIoward's plans might have taken. As an opening for her eontidenee l.ineoln invited her to take a walk after hun-h. but she thanked him and der-lined. saying she had promised to drive with Aunt Jerusha. Howard is going' to see her to the train himself. eonehnded Lineoln. Ile always was a good one to get a fellow out ot' a hole. Hut won't Miss Berniee be suspieions after the tale he told her about his knee being worse? said Philip, who would have weleomed an earthquake if it would keep Miss Berniee under the same root' as him- self. . ossibly, but what matters that. so long as he gets her safely and happily away? Ile should have told her the truth in the first plaee. U U I lfll Aunt Jerusha might have been taken for a woman disguised for a man or a man for a woman. aeeording to eirenxnstanr-es. as she eame down the stairs dressed in a long' eoat and a deer skin eap. Miss Berniee eame down direetlv after. and they elimbed up into the rattling old dog eart and drove away, leaving two very lonely, and very mueh puzzled, yontng men behind them. Strange she didn't say good-bye to us, said Philip. as they watehed the eart growing dim in the foggy distanee. Evidently lloward hasn't told her yet. and is going to dn so on the way to the station. reasoned Lineoln. But Miss Berniee did not go away that day. 'Instead she was bar-k in time to ap- pear at dinner. looking' very bright and lovely in a gown ot' pure white. with a white flower in her hair. The hearts ot' her two eompanions glowed within them, in spite ol' previous misgivings, at sight ot' her. There was a subdued buoyanev ahout her-a llfllf-!'0l'll ,'2lll'4i. hilt'-em

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lloward sluotl loking on with a queer smile. lf Miss Berniee would do me the hon- or, said Lineoln. Or me. ec-hoed Philip. Miss Hernive stood slipping a ring' bat-k and forth on her t'ing'er. l'm sorry, hut 1'm already married, she said deruurely. Married: to whom? lt would he hard to tell who asked the question with the most interest. To, Miss Berniee nodded her head, to Howard, the ehaperonf' she said. 'Howard crossed the room and took Miss Berniee's hand in his. 'WVQ were married in f'lanmore 'Chl11'f'l.l the day after her arrival here. And what's the meaning of that? asked the old lady pointing' to the wrap- per. Oh, just a little masquerade. laughed Howard. Then why don't you two clear out and leave those folks to enjoy their honey- moon? said Aunt Jerusha, turning to Lincoln and Philip. And then Howard knew why Lincoln thought so miueh of his Aunt, in spite of her queer ways. Here's a present for you. young lady, she went on jerking a beafutiful ring of pearls from among its eouipauious on her iinger. l wish you good lurk. l'll go back to liiverpool in the morning and you two young men will go with me. l want to eonfessf' said Lincoln, when Aunt Jerusha had taken the bride away with her. and left the men alone. When you drew that slip ot' paper whieh entitled you. to het-ome Aunt Jerusha you had no chan:-e-all the slips were marked with a. eross. We thought, as it was you who arranged the sc-heme, that you Should be the vietim of it. l know it, said Howard, found the slips next morning, had thrown them. on the hearth. That's why I didn't mind fooling you a little- Berniee was willing. She knew me the minute she set eyes on me. though she never expeeted to find me here. We were sweethearts long ago, and 'but for this turn of affairs mig-ht never have made it up. lt was the best way-and for me the happiest-out of an awkward situation, with at little revenge on the side. I think you must admit l had the hest of the joke. And Lineoln and Philip, with sighs that eame from their hearts. admitted that he eertainly had. gently. I where you Il ll Il ll ll' F 'll