The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1880-05-22
ADRIENNE'S STORY.
IHarper's Bazaar

lHarper's Bazaar.
1 was never happy at Aunt Brownies, but
there seemed no prospect that l should ever
leave her. 1 had come out, so to speak, as far
~ anyone so repressed could come out, but
might AS we'll have staid in. l only sat in
corners, talked with the chaperons, or listen
ed to some garrulous octogenarian. Aunt
Brownies interest in me, such as it was, died
a natural death after the first season-it had
ALWAYS been weakly-and the result was a
sad deficiency in my wardrobe. She had
married off two daughters without difficulty,
but a niece, it seemed, stuck closer than a
burr. However it was not my fault that l
remained unmarried. l had done my best
to be fascinating. Though / hated the idea
of marrying for a home or a position, yet L
was sure L should not find it hard to
love one who was kind to me, If
only on account of the novelty. L was
thirty now, and not unused to hearing
changes rung upon the old maid, and the beg
CARS who shouldn't be choosers, by my
younger cousins, Susette and Anne. But 1
had had one opportunity to change for better
or worse of which they had never dreamed.
The son of Aunt Brownies second husband.
Cedric Browne, had asked me to marry him,
three wears before, as we rowed up the river
in June for the rosy laurel blooms to deco
rate the house and piazzas for Susette's
birthday fete 1 sometimes wondered
what Aunt Browne would have
thought of the proceeding, as she
had set her heart upon marrying Susette
to Cedric. Perhaps refused him because l
was taken unawares, because l was net
enough interested to care about frustrating
Aunt Brownies plans; perhaps | did not ex-
pect to be taken at my word, but imagined
it the proper way to decline, in order to be
importuned. l believe all my favorite he
roines had conducted in this wise However,
we rowed home through the sunset, our boat
heaped with the pink flowers, in silence.
"You look as if you were laden with sun
set Clouds" said Susette, who was watching
for us on the shore; but / am certain that
Cedric looked like a thunder cloud.
The next day was the fete. Everybody
brought presents for Susette. Cedric gave
her an antique necklace of turquoises; l was
sure he had meant it for me. We had sup
,er out of doors, under the great pine-trees,
and dancing by moonlight. That day be-
gan to regard Cedric Browne attentively.
had known him under the same roof FOL
weeks at q time; l had laughed and talked
with him, believing him fore-ordained to
minister to Susette's happiness, Gas inacces-
sible as q star in Heaven" so far as L was
concerned. He had helped me with Adele's
children, who had come to live at Aunt
Brownies when their mother died. But thai
ne should regard me with any tender emo
tions had never even dared to wish. In
fact I had thought little about him till to
dav. I had never observed till to-day tina
his ewes were as tender as stars, that his fac'
was like that radient countenance OF Mozar
in the MUSHROOM, that his smile was simpl.
enchantment. / was rather late to make thes
discoveries.
He did not leave us at once; 1t seemed a
if he staid Just long enough for me to know
all had lost. Since then he had been wit
ne for a whole month; but little Walter wa
IN with spinal affection that kept him o.
his back, and me by his side; and though Ce
dric used to relieve me often by day and b
night, l could see from my window, and fror
occasional glimpses into the drawing-roon
that the balance of his time was spent in 81
settles company.
"Aunt Susette's beau is going TO make m
kite,n Teddy confded to Walter one da.
"Who's he?" asked Walter from his bet
aWhy. Cedric, of course-Cedric Brown
Bridget saws so herself" as if that put tE
matter beyond dispute.
The next day, when Cedric came up
amuse Walter with the affairs down stair
that youth demanded: 81 say, are you wea
Iv Aunt Susette's beau? Cedric, Adrienne
ever so nicer. When I'm man shs
marry Adrienne."
.sThen you'll be luckier than ], - said Cedri
winding up a top, and spinning 1t on b
palm
II was a year since then. no long
went out; was fairly passe. Aunt Brow
Rad abandoned all hopes of me. / was
GOOD nursery-maid, cheap governess,
inexoensiye companion in the family.
the meantime L could have married any Ola
IL 7 had chosen to accept Rev. Abel Al
berst and transfer my labors TO the parse
ACE. To be sure, this would not have prov
the brilliant marriage my aunt had expect
of me. nor the romantic one had dream
of myself, and it was not till came II
possession of 8 certain family secret that
began to revolve the possibility in my mir
It seems that when my aunt married
second husband, Mr.. Browne-Susette a
Anne were both Lowells-they had subsst
upon the patrimony left to Cedric BY
own mother, and that after his fathers des
Cedric had turned in the same family inco
from the estate for the family use, and tha
Adrienna Lennox, owed my daily bread
the man had refused, and who had forg
ten me. Earning my own livelihood was
90 the question, drudgery was my only vo
ton. and that was too badly paid to be
coureo;n0 I looked at Rev. Abel Annie
ottan n This period with view to install
him in Cedric's place, if Cedric would Of
yscate. Oddly enough, Mr.. Amherst