The enquirer southerner., 1874-11-27
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L.
enquirer -gontberner.
AUlT CllARLOTTE'S YARN.

Now, Ida, my dear girl, take /
my advice, said Aunt Charlotte to |
her giddy young reice, aud don't
imperil your future happiness nor
be guilty of injustice by slightins
the man to whom you nave given
youratroth, or by toolishly teasing
him in order to test his affections.
There is story III my own memory
that | haze never told You and
could not now bring myself to do
SO only that | see you do not like
ne to lecture you, and | wish you
to learn wisdom by an easier meth
Cd than that of bitter experience.
when | was young girl we
lived, as you know, in Canada, in
one of the small lake>shore towns
between Toronto @and Kingston.
your father was man of note in
the town, and was good deal
sought after. I was giddy, too.
and selfish, though did not then
consider myself SO. | had many
admirers and suitors, among whom
the one |. liked best was Harry
Vane. From my very infancy.
Harry had been my gallant, and
though / sometimes pretended to
be, and dsometimes really was, jeal
Gus of him or otherwise offended,
and he the same with regard to me-,
we always made up again ard were
better friend than ever. There was
not really any engagement betweeB'
US, though Harry had asked me 10
form Que; +; but my parents objected
to long eng geneats, and we were
not ready 20 marry. Matters stood
thus when, early one spr ne, We had
an addition to our list of beaux iu
the form Of dashlng young fellow,
an Englishman, sent out by veal
thy firm of the mother country for
the purpose Of establishing an
agency in their line of business.
His headquarters had been in Mon-
treal, but he how announced his in-
tention of making or town his home
during the summer.
He had good deal of leisure.
aud spent no inconsiderable part ~
lit at 5ur house, or IN promenading
the streets with me. | could
scarcely set my feet on the sides
walk without encountering him.
His name was Downs, and he
claimed to be of aristocratlc pa
rentage. He was handsome and
affabIe, though rather supercilious,
withal very distinguished in appear
ance SO no wonder the glris OF our
set wished to attract his attention.
and were envious Of me. Of course
l was proud of my conquest, and
perhaps carried myself a little
haughtily in consequence. For
same time Harry pouted, then
openly demonstrated, even pleads
ed; but as l angrily asserted my
independence, he finally desisted
from all apparent notice Of the mat
ter; and whenever We met he treats
ed me with Indifferent courtesy,
and altogether showed a manly self,
command which | did not fail to
note and admire. Still I must
confess that at that time | gave
very little thought to Harry or to
any of my old admirers it seems
wonderful to me how completely |
was fascinated by the prepossessing
stranger.
To be sure he hattered my van
! ity not a little, and my empty head
was turned by his lavish, adulatory
style of compliments. He raved
; about my eyes Of heavenly blue,
the golden glory Of my mermaid
locks, my swan>like neck, and an
endless flow of bathos that ought to
have dlsgusted me, but did not
and SO | listened and he ranted
About the middle of August We
made up among our set a picnic
party to drive out to Rice Lake
Plains and spend the day in boat
ing on the lake, gathering buckle.
berries, wild flowers, ETC., and gen
eral.y amusing ourselves.
You must know that there is an
irregular chain of small lakes ex'
tending transversely from the Bay
Of Qhinte, near the eastern end O.
Lake Ontario, to the eastern enc
OF Lake Superior. Rice Lake il
the first of the chain counting from
Ontario, and it lies at stance
Of from two to three hours drive
from several small towns on th'
frontier. We had an early break
fast, and set off at eight o'clock, sc
that we need not be on the roat
during the heat of the day. Their
were several carriages the one il
which I rode was a handsome ba
rouche hired from livery stabl
for the occasion, and by my sid
sat the all conquerlng Mr.. Bowns
For some unexplained reaso1
{ Harry Vane did not 60 in any Q
the carriages, but was mounted O
horseback, and he rode gayly b
the side of first one vehicle, the
!. another When we had gone lit
tie distance out Of town the countr
air, sights and sounds we're so ex
: hilarating that we in our carriag
began to sing. Harry, hearing Us
: rode up and joined in the song, h
being particularly fond Of singing
J, Shortly we struck off into an ol
ditty which he and l had sung tc
gether countless times when W