The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-04-02

found her irresistibly teasoble, and
was deep and artful enough to
pretend y firm confidence in
her fondness and admiration fol-
him. At all events, wherever Aunt
Clarice was Hero was sure to be some-
where near. If she sat down upon q
sofa, Hero wriggled out from under it;
if she entered a room, Hero bounced at
her from behind the door; nay, he even
secreted himself under her bed at night,
for the express purpose OF coming out
in the small hours, and waking her by
the contact of his cold wet nose and
warm wet tongue. After she had twice
aroused the whole household by her
wild shrieks at these uncanny visits,
Aunt Clarice mildly but firmly an.
nounced her determination.
"My dear Madge,'' she said, g! am
very fond of you; I am fond OF Jack,
too; but really a man who keeps sucn q
wild beast about his house is tit only for
Bedlam. | can't expect you to turn
him out for me, so l have decided to
turn myself out for him. am not quite
ready to 60 home yet, so l have taken
board for a few weeks where shall be
quite comfortable"
Jack only laughed, and said :" Tit for
tat" when he heard of Aunt Clarice's
departure. He laughed still more when,
on comparing notes, we found that she
and Uncle Philip were now inhabitants
of the same boarding. house in Ninth
Strect-a curious coincidence, certainly,
but not worth going into Mysteries
about. 1t really seemed as if Jack
would never get over it. Every now
and then, during the whole evening, he
would suddenly throw himself back,
kick up his heels in the most undigniied
manner, and roar. When I asked him
his reason for such behavior, he would
say only, "Uncle Philip and Aunt
Clarice tho! no! ho!" And for days
the mention of either name would bring
a most absurd and diabolical grin to his
face, which was handsome enough one
in general. .a.. .......l..
1t was rather curious, l thought, that
since Aunt Clarice had left us so ab-
ruptly we had seen nothing either of her
or of Uncle Philip, although more than
a week had passed. Aunt Clarice was
always out-or so the servant said when
called; and as for her, she had never
once crossed our threshold since that
unlucky day.
was just expressing my feelings upon
the subject to Jack, with Bijou hopping
about the carpet at my feet, when the
door-beL rang, and Jane brought in the
mornings mail. There was only one
letter, and that saw in a moment to b.
from Aunt Clarice. - '''' w.
\ "High time,I Think" I said, AS tor
it open. Then, in another moment, and
with q shrek, "Jack, look here!"
, This is what Jack looked at: ,rns
MY DEAR MADGE: have not seen you 70
g the last week because was trying to max
up my mind whether or not to be an old foo
and in such cases the fewer witnesses on
has the better. I've decided at last, whethe
4 for better or for worse remains to be seen
- Perhaps you know that Jacks Uncle Phil
;, Phelps and are old friends, and meetin
3 now and all Well, the long and short of
r Is that we have made up our minds to b
r. married. ....r....r- ..4...- .-
3 This is all at present from ILL., ..'
- . Your attached aunt, 80
-.s-.. ClARICE VAUGHAN.
P.S.-If Master Jack and you hadn't soc
II fit to turn your house into q menagerie,
wouldn't have happened. A mutual hatre
/. of pets was our first bond Of union. H..
It was crying by the time Jack had iii
d iished the letter. and even he locke
grave, though there was most exa
I perating twinkle in his eye.
.. "Good-by to our fortunes, little won
10 am he said. v->5H .
"Oh, Jack! Jack!" I cried. "Ar
d to think it was all the doing Of that hat
I full dog!" CT
., "Not at ALL" said Jack; "my d.
It. hadn't half so much to do with 1t as 20,
Or birds. If they hadn't driven Unc
he Philip out of the house, there won
r have been no room in it for Aunt Claric
ir, and in that case they might never ha
p met again" ...-.........4,.
q "Nonsense!" I cried, indignant
mt "H it hadn't been for the dog, Au
mt Clarice would have been here safe 81
ed sound ut this minute. I've great mil
no to poison him" a4l.3 .-.'5 =.
of Jack suddenly grew very stern. ''
you do, IN wiring the neck Of your m
no cradle Bird" he said. "a ~. y -. ~ i.
VI? l had never seen Jack look 80 angl
he nor anything like SO angry, before, 1
Oh for one minute I stopped short in ab'
9rs lutte terror; then But before I co,
g speak there was hasty scutlle on t
mt stairs, and Hero in person rushed i,
1T. the room. Bijou lifted bis head a
If fluttered his wings, but he was too la
en- In another instant Hero had pount
cir upon the tempting plaything. Therev
2 strangled squeak, an agonized ga
D." and poor Bijou had disappeared bod
ald down the gaping red throat, and HI
as was on his back, kicking convulsive
while I rushed screaming from the roc
If W ~ ~ Y Nv. u }-': r
nd, OF course Jack and l ssembraced, y
1e- tears . after the double tragedy. Nett
s > of US could accuse the. other, you 6
for if his pet had killed mine, mine.
= 60, proved equally fatal to his. Then
ust there we forswore all future division
gen interests. whether in the shape of
INK or anything else. "a 1saA- 9
yer Uncle Philip and Aunt Clarice PHI
a. prove to be the most cheerful and {
an tented of elderly couples. It seems
90 tits an old love affair. Jack knew Q
; az s all along, which was the reason Of
.no profane. laughter when he found
our they had established Themselves in
sarae house. They were engaged "
lei9 both were young, but quarreled. A
rr!u Clarice married. Mr.. Vaughan on
IN pique, while Uncle Philip RENAME
uo' bachelor for her sweet sake. e
nm. vNYn ~ >A..-lV- o$1nl =,