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Warner, Anne, 1869-1913

"The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary"

Aunt Mary regarded the sum as much
higher than necessary, but still pleasantly less than that demanded of
her, and so life in general moved quietly on until Easter.
But Easter is always a period of more or less commotion in the time of
youth and leads to various hilarious outbreaks. Jack's Easter took him to
town for a "little time," and the "little time" ended in the station-house
at three o'clock on Sunday morning.
Accusation: Producing concussion of the brain on a cab driver.


CHAPTER TWO - JACK

The news was conveyed to Aunt Mary through private advices from Mr.
Stebbins (who had been hastily summoned to the city for purposes of bail);
she was very angry indeed, this time--primarily at the indignity done her
flesh and blood by arresting it. Then, as she re-read the lawyer's letter,
other reflections crowded to the fore in her mind.
"Funny! Whatever could have made the boy get up and go downtown at three
in the morning, anyway?" she said. "Seems kind of queer, don't you think,
Arethusa? Do you suppose he was ill and huntin' for a drug store?"
Arethusa had been sent for the second day previous because Lucinda's
youngest sister's youngest child had come down with scarlet fever, and the
family wanted Lucinda to enliven the quarantine. Arethusa had sent
invitations out for a dinner party, but she had recalled them and hastened
to obey the summons. It was an evil hour for her, for she loved her
brother and was mightily distressed at the bad news.


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