The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-07-13
IE IDIETENNEs STORY.

WIS never ndppD ~ Aulil
Brownies, but there seemed no pros
pect that | should ever leave her
/ had come, so TO speak, as far rs
any one so repressed could come out
but might as well have stayed in
] only sat in corners, talked with
the chaperons, or listened to some
garrulous octogenarian. Aunt
Brownies interest in me, such rs ii
was, died natural death after my
first season-it had always been
weakly-and the result was a sad
deficiency in my wardrobe. She
had married off two daughters with
out difficulty, but a niece, it seemed,
stuck closer than a burr. However,
it was not my fault that | remained
unmarried. | had done my best to
be fascinating. Though l hated
the idea of marrying for home or
position, yet [ was sure | should
not find it hard to love one who
was kind to me, if only on account
of the novelty. | was thirty now,
and not unused to hearing charges
rung upon the old maid, and the
beggars who shouldn't be choosers
by my younger cousins, Susette and
Anne. But / had had one opportu-
nifty to change for better or worse of
which they had never dreamed. The
son of Aunt Brownies second hus-
band. Cedric Browne, had asked me
to marry him, three years before, sas
we rowed up the river in June for
the rosy laurel blooms, to decorate
the house and piazza for Susette's
birthday tcte. / sometimes wonder
ed what Aunt Browne would have
thought of the proceeding, as she
had set her heart on marrying Su-
sette to Cedric. Perhaps / refused
him because | was taken unawares,
because l was not enough interested
to care about frustrating Aunt
Brownies plans perhaps | did not
expect to be taken at my word, but
imagined it the proper way to de-
cline, in order to be importuned, /
believe all my favorite heroines had
in this wise. However,
we rowed home through the sunset,
our boat heaped with pink flowers,
in silence.
"You look as if you were laden
with sunset 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 tete Eve
rybody brought presents for Susette.
Cedric brought her an antique neck
lace of torquoises l was sure he
had ment it for me- We had sup
ped out-of-doors, under the great
pine trees, and dancing by moon
light. That day / began to regard
Cedric Browne attentively. ! had
known him under the same roof for
some weeks at time | had laugh
ed and talked with him, believing
him fore-ordained to minister to Su-
sette's happiness. ''as inaccessible as
d star in heaven" so far as / was
He had helped me with
Adele's children. who come to live
1t Aunt Brownies when their moth
sr died. But that he should regard
me with any tender emotions | had
never dared to wish. In fact, / had
though. little about him till to-day,
had never observed till to-day that
bis eyes were as tender as stars, that
his face was like that radient count
enance, Of Mozart in the music-room,
that his smile was simply enchant-
ment. 1t was rather late TO make
these discoveries.
He did not leave us at once 1t
seemed as if he stayed just long
enough for me to know all | had
.ost. Since then he had been with
US once again for whole month T;
but little Walter was i'll with spi-
nal affection that kept him on his
back, and me by his side and
though Cedric used to relieve me Of
ten by day and by night, Icould see
from my window and from OCCASION
Il glimpses into the drawing-room,
that the balance of his time was
spent in Susette's company.
Aunt Susette's beau is going to
make me a kite" Teddy coniided to
Walter one day.
"Who's he?p asked Walter, from
his bed.
"Why, Cedric, of course-Cedric
Browne. Bridget says so herself"
Us if that put the matter beyond dis
pute.
The next day, when Cedric came
up to amusc Walter with the affairs
downstairs that youth demanded !:
81 saw. are you weallv Aund Su-