Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-01-25
sTAUNToN VIRGINIA, FRIDAY. JANUARY IS, 1878

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ssRemove this dog"
6 Ramove it is, sur, said Mike, dropping
both knife and potato.
But t'this dog clearly objected to belnl
removed. He skipped nimbly around
Ebarking all the time in ''what larks =
manner darted under the garden chairs
got entangled in a woodbine that was
/ climbing to the roof of the porch and tore
it down sliced the knife Mike had drop
ped in his mouth, and made off with it
and the ''widdy man, making after him
slipped on the treacherous potato ano
] came down with a whack.
ssThis thing must be stopped at once !?
exclaimed MIR. Guernsey setting his broad
brimmed hat firmly upon his head, and
grasping his cane. Out of his own gate he
MARCHED in the most dignified style along
| the path, through the rose crowded garden,
to the door of Rose Cottage, II want to
sec yotr mistress, The said to.4the black
eyed maid-servant who answered his ring.
(which ?" asked the girl.
'.What ?" retorted Mr.. Guernsey.
s.Oh thought perhaps you didn' It know
the OLD lady's laid up with the rheumatis
got cold moving. Will Miss Osborne
do %
s'Anybody,'' said Miles. walking into
the parlor, as she threw open the door.
Evidently Miss Osborne was extremely
fond of roses. The white muslin curtains
was Topped back with sprays of half opened
ones vase filled with them stood on the
centre table on the hearth lay shells from
which they peeped, and vine that ran up
the window outside had been coaxed
through an open pane, and hung, heavy
with sweet, white buds, over the picture
of a handsome young man in the dress OF
clergyman. The guitar leaned against
the arm of coy, old-fashioned crimson
sofa; hanging shelf of books occupied
one corner of the room a mirror, whose
furnished frame was almost hidden by a
pretty arrangement of autumn leaves, hung
in the other. ''Humph, she's got some
taste,'' said the bachelor to himself, and
began, without knowing why. to wish he
were at home-in fact, was meditating an
inglorious retreat, when the old maid en-
tered the room.
Tall, graceful, with chestnut-brown hair
parted simply over frank, unwrinkled
brow, and gathered into silken net at
the back of her head honest gray-blue eyes
that looked full at you; arched eyebrows two
shades darker than the hair, small straight
nose, cheeks little faded, but still throw
ing out pink roses on occasion; lovely
mouth, with the faintest suspicion of
shadow at the corners, which was instant
ly lost In sunshiny smile.
"Our neighbor, Mr.. Guernsey, I be-
lieve ?" she said in remarkably pleasant
voice.
'sYes,'' replied Mr.. Guernsey blushing
violently, 1.-THE idea of it an old bachelor,
fortyefge his last birthday, blushing be-
cause an old maid looked at him y and
having uttered this monosyllable, he
dropped his hat, and put his cane through
the crown of it as he topped to pick it up
again. The hat in his hand once more, he
went on: Il We called to see is you-that
is. your mother-I mean both of you, of
cnurse-in fact with sudden inspiration,
81 came to ask if you would like some
trout, Just out Of the water yesterday ~
ooh thank you; you're very kind"
said Miss Osberne, a little surprise in her
voice and a puzzled expression III her eyes;
broke in from outside:
"I've got him, boss an the DEVILS own
time I've had to ketch him. Bedad, he's
the liveliest lame dog liver nit in my life,
and he's pult down the other vine''-an'
"Good day. hurriedly said ''the boss"
flying before the old maids questioning
looks, and spinning off the stoop with such
impetus as to almost knock down his faith
full retainer. "Shut up you idiot p he
said in a hoarse whisper. ''Drop that dog
and go home and fasten the vine up
again"
s'Howly Moses % calculated Mike, as he
disappeared in hurry; sis it mad he is?"
ssOh, dear - exclaimed the old maid,
raising her pretty hands and eyebrows as
she caught sight Of the fine little fellows
dirty paws and dropping tail, he's been in
some mischief; I'm sure he has, saw your
man. What has he been doing, Mr..
Guernsey In the kindness of your heart
you're screening him; 1 know you are.
Oh, Wait? Wait If you weren't lame I'd
whip you. picked him up in the street,
one day, Mr.. Guernsey-the pink roses
in f,1n VIII
wicked boys had left him after breaking
his leg, and took him home and nursed
him we'll again, and the poor thing became
so attached to me 1 couldn't bear to leave
him behind when we left the CITY,"
''Of course not," said Mr.. Guernsey,
adding. rather irrelevantly, 81 don't won
der at it. Good morning." And so the
acquaintance began.
"What fool I've been,'' said Miles as,
once more on his own porch, he picked up
his newspaper again; 'but, bless me, who'd
want to hurt a lame dog ?"
A week passed away, during which Mr..
Guernsey only caught occasional chances of
his fair neighbor, as she came out into the
garden among the roses, with a plain straw
hat shading her face and tied with bit Of
blue ribbon under her chin. II always
liked blue ribbon, +" sighed the old bachelor
"She used to wear it," "She'' was the
young girl he loved some twenty years ago
and from whom he had been separated by
the Vaccinations of has father and her old
maiden aunt.
All was calm and serene, when one
morning Mike burst into the library where
his master sat- and gasped out ''Thim lamb
chops, sur, the dilicate tender ones l mint
for yer dinner, they're gone an the burrid's