Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-01-25
Il CAME TO ASK"

Two pretty, old-fashioned cottages
standing near each other on secluded
shaded country road, separated by a
little meadow, which from the birth of
spring to the death of autumn rejoiced in
waving green grasses and white daisies and
yellow dandelions, and after that wore a
robe of snow-fakes as fair and pure as
when they fell from the skies, until old
winter, to whom the robe belonged, hear
ing the returning birds ask for the violets,
gathered it about him and vanished
again.
In one Of them, the larger, in front of
back small dollhouse and miniature
vegetable garden, lived Miles Guernsey
and his nan Mike, the one an old bachelor,
the other, as he described himself, "a wild
dy man, thanks be to the Lord that sint
her reSt.''
In the other-Rose Cottage they called
it. for in rose-time it was completely sur
rounded by roses. they filled the space in
front and clambered over the porch and
up the sides of the house-there lived a
quiet elderly couple for many years, until
about month before my story begins,
when they went to heaven on the very
same day, as they had often prayed to,
loving old souls, and left Rose Cottage
waiting for new tenants.
Just. as I'd got comfortably settled, -
grumbled Miles Guernsey, ''to be all up
set again! Other old men and women live
till they're a hundred. Why couldn't
these have done so, instead of dying at the
early age of eighty? And there's no l1now
ing who'll take the cottage. Somebody
with cats, dogs and babies, I've no doubt
thu ee kind of animals detest."
"Thrue fur ye, boss" said Mike with an
ominous shake of the head.
There was something else Mr.. Guernsey
insisted he detested, and that was an old
maid. ga man," he used 20 say, ''don't
need smiles and kisses and pet names aud
children hanging around him to keep him
sweet, but woman does. Of course
some Of the poor things can't help their
they do aud run away, or their parents cut
up rough or they have invalid relations to
take care of. Pm very sorry for them !;
but, all the same. l don't like EN-"
And so when Mike came one lovely June
morning to tell his master the cottage was
rented, adding, with sly grin, can shure
it's ovid maid an her mother" Mr.
Guernsey said something of which he
ought to have been ashamed, and which.
for that reason, 1 shan't set down, and
then went on, sarcastically, ''And now
We'll have all sorts Of sweet cunning
pets,' suppose but if any of them come
near my prem ises"- furiously-"I'H poi
son 'em, drown 'em, wiring their necks.
do you hear, Mike?"
"Faith I do said Mike, grimly.
"I've lived here ten years." resumed
the master, ''In peace and quiet, driven
here by an old maid in the first place, and
it will be hard indeed if I am driven away
by mother. With piano orguitar, no
doubt?"
Gather that last or fiddle, sur said
Mike. II saw the gurril a-carryin' 1t in
yesterday in it's own nate little cofin.''
''She'll play and sing from morning till
night, out of time and tune, and 1 shall be
obliged to close all the doors and suffocate -
"Anyhow," suggested Mike, there can't
be no babies.
"Thank Heaven for that!" said Mr..
foruc nfIv ssfh011rt,
know but what the guitars worse. You
can scare young children by making faces
at 'em. When do they move in Mike ?"
Tomorrow, SURF said Mike. "Och,
but It's dreadful"
"We'll go fishing, Nike Be ready to-
morrow morning at daybreak, and we'll
stay away a week, never could bear the
noise women make when they're putting
house to rights, as they call it /: and if
cannot stand it after we come back, why
I'll pull up stakes and go for good, that's
ALL"
eyes, sur" said Mike.
When Miles Guernsey and his man re-
turned from the fishing excursion, Miss
Osborne and Miss Osberne's mother and
Miss Os3erne's maid of all work were in
stalled in Rose Cottage, and sure enough,
the first sounds that greeted the ears Of
the fishermen were the pleasant tinkling of
the guitar and an equally pleasant voice
singing an old fashioned love song-not
out Of time, however, and decidedly in
tune.
And the very next day small dog after
smiling curiously about On the outside for
while. squeezed himself nearly fiat, and
crawling under the front gate. frisked gay
ly over the tiny lawn, and from thence up
to the porch where sat the lawns owner
reading newspaper.
The intruder was a bright eyed little
terrier, slightly lame in one OF his hind
legs, and he proceeded to caper about the
old bachelor as though in him he recognize
ed an early but long lost friend.
mike" shouted Mr.. Guernsey.
ssSur Il, Shoutad Mike running out with