The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary by Anne Warner


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Page 2

ILLUSTRATIONS


"Aunt Mary en f�te" (May Robson as "Aunt Mary") _Frontispiece_

"'Do not let us play any longer,' she said. 'Let us be in earnest'"

"'She's goin' to the city all alone!' Lucinda's voice suddenly
proclaimed behind him"

Aunt Mary and Her Escorts

"The carriage stopped three hundred feet below the level of a
roof-garden"

"And now the fun's all over and the work begins"

"'Yesterday I played poker until I didn't know a blue chip from a
white one'"

"Aunt Mary had also had her eyes open"





Chapter One

INTRODUCING AUNT MARY


The first time that Jack was threatened with expulsion from college his
Aunt Mary was much surprised and decidedly vexed--mainly at the college.
His family were less surprised, viewing the young man through a clearer
atmosphere than his Aunt Mary ever had, and knowing that he had barely
escaped similar experiences earlier in his career by invariably leaving
school the day before the board of inquiry convened.

Jack's preparatory days having been more or less tempestous, his family
(Aunt Mary excepted) had expected some sort of after-clap when he
entered college. Nevertheless, they had fervently hoped that it would
not be quite as bad as this.

Jack's sister Arethusa was visiting her aunt when the news came. Not
because she wanted to, for the old lady was dreadfully deaf and
fearfully arbitrary, but because Lucinda had said that she must go to
her cousin's wedding, and the family always had to bow to Lucinda's
mandates. Lucinda was Aunt Mary's maid, but she had become so
indispensable as a sitter at the off-end of the latter's ear-trumpet
that none of the grand-nephews or grand-nieces ever thought for an
instant of crossing one of her wishes. So it was to Arethusa that the
explanations due Aunt Mary's interest in her scapegrace fell, and she
bowed her back to the burden with the resignation which the
circumstances demanded.

"Whatever is the difference between bein' expelled and bein' suspended?"
Aunt Mary demanded, in her tone of imperious impatience. "Well, why
don't you answer? I was brought up to speak when you're spoken to, an'
I'm a great believer in livin' up to your bringin' up--if you had a good
one. What's the difference, an' which costs most? That's what I want to
know. I do wish you'd answer me, Arethusa; there's two things I've asked
you now, an' you suckin' your finger an' puttin' on your thimble as if
you were sittin' alone in China."

"I don't know which costs most," Arethusa shrieked.

"You needn't scream so," said Aunt Mary. "I ain't so hard to hear as you
think. I ain't but seventy, and I'll beg you to remember _that_,
Arethusa. Besides, I don't want to hear you talk. I just want to hear
about Jack. I'm askin' about his bein' expelled and suspended, an'
what's the difference, an' in particular if there's anything to pay for
broken glass. It's always broken glass! That boy's bills for broken
glass have been somethin' just awful these last two years. Well, why
don't you answer?"

"I don't know what to answer," Arethusa screamed.

"What do you suppose he's done, anyhow?"

"Something bad."

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Books | Photos | Paul Mutton | Thu 28th Mar 2024, 10:22