The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-07-02
TWAS the Wind.

She is saucy young lady of eighteen,
this Gertrude, with short upper lip
used to scornfully curling but she is
charming enough when she smiles.
Aunt Jane is thirty.fve, with the pen
sive, softened face we used to admire in
our youth. Aunt Polly-a few years
older-sits on the farther side and in
the old leather-covered armchair is
Uncle Ned, his brown meerschaum pipe |
in lis mouth, in sort of haze of tobac-
co and meditation. Uncle Ned is not |
profoundly impressed, possibly, with
the solemuity of the occasion. He is |
used to sitting up till midnight, and a
good deal later, and does not trouble !
himself much about the past, except in
its geologic or historic aspects. But
Aunt Jane is sensitive, gifted crea-
ture, profoundly sympathetic, with a
dark mobile face and deep luminous
eyes. She is in the habit of holding
forth on matters connected with love
and the relationships of the sexes with
great fervor. On these occasions Ger
trude generally makes pantomimic ges-
lures, as though she were beating the
big drum but Aunt Jane goes on with
glistening eyes, needless of the lrrever-
erce of her junior. .....
Gerty, however, is rather silent and
solemn tonight. Perhaps it is that the
thought of the ruthless fight of time
has come wildly home to her, or haply
she is sobered by the reflection that she
is still unbalanced at the end of her
first year in society.
1t is long, irregular, many-cornered
room, in an old-fashioned country
house. At one end is low window
that looks upon lawn and large gar
den. In the farther angle is adoor lead
ing out upon the lawn. Gertrude rises,
and marching to the other end of the
room, opens this door, letting in vol
ume of cold air and the sound of dis
tant churchbells.
"Bother the girl ~ growls Uncle
Ned, shivering. "Gerty, shut that
door,"
Gertrude let go the handle of the door;
gust of wind caught it and slammed
it to with a loud bang.
Aunt Jane jumps and turns little
pale. Polly too is startled, and looks
significantly at her sister.
"Do you remember, Jane?" she
asked.
Aunt Jane sighed softly. "Ah, yes"
she said.
"Mysteries |" cried Gertrude, sinking
down into her place again. "What do
you remember, Aunt Jane? Come, tell
me-"
"It is very old story, dear"
"All the better for that let us hear
it. But first tell me what reminded
you Of it p
"'Twas the wind" said Aunt Jane.
"Ah, tell it, Jane," cried Polly; " it
will be alesson for these young people. !"
CA lesson they don't require" !" said
Aunt Jane, severely; but as you'll tell
| it, Polly, if I don't, and as L couldn't
bear to hear you tell it-well:
cit was eighteen or twenty years ago,
Gerty, and your grandfather was alive
then. He was physician and we
lived in big house in the Clapham
Road. There was a nice garden about
it, and close adjoining was another
large house, whose grounds were divi.
ded from ours by high wall. 1t was an
old-fashloned house--your grand
fathers-with wide passage right
through it, and a glass door, leading
out into the garden, directly opposite
the hall door. In the other house lived
an Indian nabob, hot-tempered, fiery
man but he had son Benjamin who
was very nice-at least 1 thought so
then. Papa attended on this nabob, and
by degrees we became quite intimate
with the family not with him, for he
would never go out. but with his sons,
especially Ben, who was the youngest,
and only a year older than 1.
"Well, we grew up together, girls
and boys, and somehow Ben and were
thrown good deal together, and he
seemed to take fancy to me."
"Ah, you were very fond of him ;
don't tell me - cried Polly.
"Well, perhaps 1 was" said Aunt
Jane, with another sigh. "At all events
this went on for three years, and Ben
had never said anything to me-not
anything particular, you know"
"Three years !" cried Gerty, in
amazement. Clancy and never pro,
posed. Goodness me I'd have brought
him to book in three months. "
"Ah, we were very differently brought
up in those days, Gerty. Why, I was
quite baby in such matters, very
child, compared with you and vet
was about your age, il not older. Why,
L don't think I'd said word to him al
those three years but just Yes, Ben,
and mo, Ben.' Yes, I was little
fool, 1 dare say, Gerty; I can see il
now. We would go out for long walks
together, too and Ben would talk al
sorts of nonsense to me-about love
and so on; and all 1 could say to him
was, "Oh, Ben, you shouldn't say sucl
things {! ooh, Ben, you shouldn't, in
deed =! Ben, how can you ? Ben
you mustn't" All, could shake my
self now to think of it
"But one New Years Eve-yes, i
was Just eighteen years ago-Ben came
and spent the day. And we had little
carpet dance, and Ben danced with mt
ever SO many times, and we danced the
new year in together; and when thu
time came for him to go l went to the
, door with him-I generally did-tt
show him out.
"And Ben turned round upon MT
after had opened the door, and he
had Just crossed the threshold-turnec
round with his face quite white, ant
his voice husky. Jenny he said, IL
| sort of hoarse whisper Jenny,
, love you will you be my wife 2 Ant
he tried to take hold of my hand t
draw me to him. And l was frightened
dear, and stepped back ; and somebod.
at that moment opened the glass doc
/ at the other end of the passage, and
J gust of wind roared in, and slammed
the big hall door right in Ben's face
And l sat down at the foot of the stair
) and cried. l never saw Ben again, no
: for years.