The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-06-06

TO be sure. It seems but a day since
was as young as Gertrude there, with
Harry Ames drawing my picture, in
a rustic dress, and a. wreath Of corn
flowers and wheat as Flora. I believe
I should have married Harry Ames Il
it had not been for the meddling OF
Sarah Clifford. He did love me-and
yes, do think 7 loved him. Well,
perhaps it is better so, and yet
''HallO-O ~ shouted a deep grufi
voice over the hedge of arbOr-vitR
that separated Miss Pennybacker's
domain from the eccentric disciple OF
Galen, who kept house with a select
corps Of men; 81 wish you would keep
your hens at home, scratching up my
strawberry beds"
"Hens yOurseIf,D somewhat ironic-
ally responded Miss Grace. "HOw
can they when I don't keep any,"
"WhOse are they then ?"
''HOw should 1 know! Who are
you?D
''I'm Doctor Ames! And wish
you'd tell your servant girl to leave off
flirting over the fence with my stable
man, at least until he gets the wagon
wheels washed"
"If you are Doctor Ames,n philo-
sophically responded Miss Penny
backer, ''I think you might be better
in making pills and powders, than
quarTeling over the fence with your
neighbors."
There was a moments silence then
a rustling among the leaves of the ar
bOr-Vitfe hedge, and round, ,gOOd-hu-
mored face appeared above the green
luXuriance.
"I do believe you are Grace Penny
hacker" ," said the abjurer OF woman
kind.
"Of course I am, said Miss Grace;
"and you are Harry Ames, grown old
er and not halfsO handsOmem
"Shake hands," said Doctor Ames.
III would if l could reach, "said Miss
Grace.
"HOld on a minute, I'll come round
by the gate" exclaimed the doctor
And this was tile unrOmantic way
in which the two lovers, separated for
eighteen years, met again.
"As brisk as ever, eh Grace ." said
the Doctor, "and not married yetp'
''I should think nOtn Miss Grace
announced emphatically.
"And why nOt?n
"Thats my business n
The Doctor looked rOguishly up.
hiiss Pennybacker laughed; she could
not help it.
When Gerty came home, casting
about in her mind how to tell her aunt
that she had promised the Rev. Car
los Canterbury to take charge of a
class in the Sunday School, she found
aunt Grace chatting familiarly with
the ferocious medical man who was
the terror of half the country.
81 needn't tellher just yet" thought
Gertrude
But the catastrophe couldn't be put
off forever.
"Aunty" gasped Gerty, running in
to Miss Pennybacker's room the next
day, "the Rev. Mr.. Canterbury is try
ing to open the garden gate. May I
go and unlock it ?"
'fYes, child, yes" said Miss Grace,
her nose. "Phese men will
work their way in, and 1
don't see any use TO struggle against
fate"
So while Gerty and the Rev. Carlos
mingled romance and
theology together in the front garden,
Harry Ames and his sweetheart
talked a melody of auld lang syne and
rhubarb plants and re-
proach, over the hedge in the kitchen
garden.
''It's all nonsense, I know" said
Miss Pennybacker to herself "but he
has improved ~
"Aunty, dear" said Gertrude, one
day in October, 81 wish you would
tell me what you really think Of mat
am too young ortiz"
"Am ] too OldT' demanded aunt,
Grace, turning with look of cOmical
perplexity to her neice.
al don't know what you mean,
aunty?
"What do you mean, Gerty?"
"Mr. Canterbury has asked me to
marry him." faltered Gerty, growing
pink.
"And I've promised to be Doctor
Ames' wife," said Miss Pennybacker
resolutely not to be embar-
rassedi $50 while we are about il we
may IA well have two SSodtifns5.'
"Oh, aunty? whispered Gertrude,
Nesting close up to Grace, 'I'm so
glad !-because L really don't thiuk l
should have dared to get married un-
less you did too"
"Child," said Miss Grace, smooth
ing the girls golden hair, there's an
end to our independence"
''NO, aunty," said Gerty, coming
boldly out with her first original Opin-
ion; ''it's only the beginning Of it."
And Miss Pennybacker did not con-
tradict her niece.