The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-05-12
OLD AND YOUNG BIZ TURNS.

in her fathers castle, looking out of a
window which overlooked q wide land
scape. Her maidens were in a little
group at the other end of the apartment,
busily engaged at their embroidery,
laughing and chatting and whispering
Just as they might were they alive now
| for this was many years ago, and they
are all dead and buried. The Lady An
mabel took no notice of them--she was
thinking. At last she looked up and
yawned:
"Oh, am sleepy and thirsty. Mabel,
bring me some water"
Mabel obeyed; and as she received the
cup again. said:
Your ladyship will not be sleepy to-
morrow
Tomorrow? What is Tomorrow
"Does not your ladyship recollect that
tomorrow is your ladyship's birthday?
and"
"My birthday? Oh, yes, so tits. I
had forgotten all about it. We are to
have q merry time of it, I believe; but
am sure feel in no humor for merri-
ment now. Indeed I should like to be
alone. Lay down your work for awhile
and take stroll in the courtyard"
When she found herself alone, the
Lady Annabel walked up and down the
small apartment, then stopping before
the looking glass she said:
"My birthday Am indeed twenty
nine tomorrow? Twenty-Five! that
sounds very old. 1t is ten years since
my father came into possession of this
estate, and every one of those years has
passed one Just like another. I feel no
older than I was then. look no older"
and she looked long into the mirror
then. II am no older in any respect.
How wish they would let my birthday
pass by in silence, and not distress me
by publishing to all the assembling
crowd that the Lady Annabel is now
twenty-nine.
| Her reverie was here disturbed by the
hasty entrance of her father.
"Why, what makes you look so down
cast, daughter? For shame! Go down
and assist in the preparations of to-.
morrow's feast, instead of mOping here.
But I must not forget to tell you saw
my neighbor l. this morning. We
passed through his grounds, and he
Joined our hunting party"
At this the Lady Annabel's color
heightened. visibly.
"He expects his son back in few
months; and he and were settling that,
as our estates touch, and AS he has but
one son and have but one daughter
but hear my men; they have brought
home the stags-one of them has such
horns! You must come down after o
while and see them"
So saying he left her.
Jasper is coming home" continued
the Lady Annabel to herself. How we'll
do remember the first time l saw HIM
it was on my birthday. l was Il tall girl
and he little boy, and l refused to
dance with him because he was whole
head shorter than l; but if my father
and his have plans for us"
At this moment her companions re-
turned, and quoting their laughing
countenances, sat down again to their
embroidery.
The next day was one of unusual fes-
tivity. BY midday the hall was
crowded with ladies and gentlemen of
high degree, from far and near. The
music was loud, and dancing and feast
ing were the order of the day The
Lady Annabel, contrary to her ex'
pectations, was begnilei by the Joy she
saw on every face around her, and
entered with great vivacity into the
sport that was proposed. No laugh so
loud as hers-no movements so full OF
glee. Late at night, when the guests
had departed, she threw herself, flushed
and excited, into a large chair in her
own room, and began to unfasten the
roses in her hair.
80 it is all over, and l have been
happy. very happy, indeed l have only
the recollection that it was my birthday
would intrude itself upon me to damp
my enjoyment every now and then. l
heard several people ask if it were true
that it was my twenty eighth birthday
they did not know it was the twenty
ninth. And that odious Miss What's
her-name actually said | looked very
we'll for that, very we'll indeed. should
be glad, know, to see her look half us
we'll, though she was, as she says, baby
wher was almost grown up. Twenty
nine, twenty ninel Oh! | wish l were
not so old" and, covering her face with
her hands, she burst into tears.
Let us pass over a few months. The
neighbours long expected son has come
home, and Lady Annabel is in state OF
anxiety, for her heart is true to her first
love, despite her twenty nine years. Her
father and his neighbor are great deal
together, looking over paper and inspect
ing boundary lines; but, contrary to all