The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-02-15

next morning said, carelessy, to the ole
housekeeper, when she brough, IN my toas
and coffee, Have the elderly couple next doc
any children"
mo, sir" was the reply, mot a chick %
child. which don't mean they haven't chick
lens, for they have, only ~ the saying is. New
or have had, though they 10 awful fond of 'em
Seems to me as folks that are awful fond o
Young ones never has EN-; p'raps that's Tn,
reason they're so fond OF em, not KNOWN,
what a worry and care they are, falling int,
ponds, and out of trrca and down stars, ant
getting the cholera mOrbus with eating unrip'
fruit
and the young lady" ! interrupted, dip
ping acrust into my coffee and nodding TOWARD
my neighbors garden, whom heard singing
Yesterday was
Their niece, sir, and is 20 have al The
money when she comes o' aye, # sh" don't dis
please her uncle. You scs, sir, Miss Millicenr,
Imothcr lived next door, and her aunt, hel
mothers twin sister, lived here. They were
the loyingcst sisters you ever knew, and died
within n few days Of each other, one leaving a
daughter, Miss Millic, and the other 4 son
Mr.. Chester, and Mr., Gardiner, now our neigh
I Dor was their eldest brother, though he looked
no more like them than YOU do, and he's the
Guardian, end Miss NllliCcn,'s to marry her
Cousin, and he's expected here on visit this
very day
| couldn't tell for the life Of me why ] spill
nv coffee on the snowy white tabltCloth and
Ichokc myself with the last fragment Of toast
Ibut do and the old woman hasiens to my
side, and thumps me- upon The back with all
the force Of which She is capable, and says, re-
Iproachfully, Good gracious, sir! Don't do It
Iapain, sir for what a dreadful thing 'twOuld
he to have You dead in the house and every
I.t. y,'r ~
Icuscd Of murder" With which pleasing re-
mark she hurries away to answer ring mt the
front door bell, and then returns to tell me as
she removes the dishes that the cousin has
come The driver made a mistake and stop,
ped at our door instead Of MIR. GARDENERS :.
And a very Incorporating young man he is,
ItUu one Of those men who look AS though they
would make good husbands and excellent pro.
vidcrs and she glanccs askanCe at my papers,
pens and ink, for as had already discovered
| the worthy old soul shared EmcrsOn's opinions
on the subject and gravcly doubted the capa-
Utilities of writer's and artists and people of
that Tx in regard to their taking care of them
selves, and had no doubt At all 80 to their utter
|incapablity of taking care OF any one else be
sides Themselves.
| Breah fast over ! went 10 work again-thst
is, | tired to 90 to work, but my efforts were
head and | jumbled my historical facts and
the words of the sweet Scotch song together in
such wild confusion that a, last gave up in
despair, and pushing my writing material
away, | determined to refresh my eyes and
brain by taking look at MY ncighbors beau
Itiul garden.
As pccpcd between the blinds Bub came
tearing out like mad, ran around the grape
arbor three times, snapped at grasshopper,
Jumped over The low fence into the meadow,
made some communication 10 Sis, VINO was
grazing there, HnG got back in time Ia meet
the two people who came sauntcring up the
garden walk.
Millcent and the COUSIN a tall, slim, sharp
faced, passably good-looklng young fellow with
his HAIR parted in Tie middle, 4 blue necktie,
and a iaultlcsS summer suit
! | glanced in the mirror ut my own obstinate
curly, brown crop that deiied parting any
where, my cravated neck and my wcllworn
blue flannel, and began to hat him. Mill
cent walked beside him, her lair neau uroop-
ing and and a smile upon her lips She was
dressed in white and had "A PINK rose clinging
to her cnrls and one in her bosom, and u
bunch of halfopencd buds at her belt, and She
plucked another from the vine and fastened it
with her own pretty hands into the button
hole of her cousins immaculate coat.
From that moment hated him, and from
| that moment my work ceased to progress and
/ took to walking up and down my rooms in
the daytime and strolllng about the garden
half the night.
| In a few days-they seemed like months to
me-"Mr. Chester" as the housekeepcr called
him. went away again.
! blessed the driver, the horses, the very car
rage that took HIM back to town, for You
have guessed it, suppose-was wildly in love
with my neighbours tair-haired niece.
! Wen, one night was swinging in the ham
mock that hung IN the midst of the group of
old apple trees, swinging and thinking of her.
when gradually ceased swinging and think
ing and wandered into the land of dreams
And voice, sweet, familiar voice, followed
me there, and heard 1t say;
But, aunte, do not love my cousin; and
should woman marry man whom she does
not lOvc?"
NO, by heavens!" Non' shouted spring
ing from the hammock, still half asleep.
Two shrieks a scampcring n loud bark and
my neighbours garden was deserted
Early the next morning heard Mr.. Gardi
ner loudly and angrily questioning the meek
old housckeeper.
wished to remain in hiding, did he ?" he
shOulcd-"oh, So rs to write undis,urbedH'
And then, sarcastlcally, "a very pretty story
but slightly improbable, and very pretty
young man listcnlng-the spy--to the CONVEX
sation of two ladies, and rudely joining in
with u voice like thunder soaring them nearly
out of their senses. Where is he, this retiring
young fellow This exclusive author? BY
heaven If he do not come out to me will go
in to HIM"
rushed down stairs and confronted him at
his own gate, my eyes flashing and my voice
trembling with passion.
II am no listener, no spy" | said II was
sleeping IN my hammock anu wa, suddenly
awakened by very emphatic question Annie
Lau--that is, Mlllic-l mean your nIcCe-;!sk
ed her companion. In the confusion OF the
moment answered the question as emphatic
ally ~ it was asked. If have frightened and
offended the young lady | humbly ask her
pardon hut | warn YOU, sir. to call me no
more opproDrous names"
Mill4cont came out on tho porch "Hd .-l00r-a
az me shylY.
ole doesn't look very wicked uncle" She