The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-01-19
A NEW YEARS CALL.

Ana LOT BONNIE ANNE LhuTle
I'd lay me down and dee."
It was my favorite song. / looked up
from the desk where l was writing as the
fresh, young voice rang loud and clear
on the summer air, and drawing the win
dow curtains little aside peeped out at
a young girl in my neighbours garden.
A young girl as pretty, as blooming, as
pure looking as the delicate white roses
--blushing family in inconsistencies of
their beauty-thas had stolen from their
own trellis to climb the grape-arbor, by
the side of which, to pluck the fairest
and sweetest, for O moment she stood
inging.
fitted hither and thither among the other
flowers, the sun making gold of her flow
ing hair, until some one called Null
cent" from the house, and thrilling the
last line again, "Td lay me down and
dee," like a meadow lark, she vanished
from my sight.
Nv neighbor didn't know I was his
neighbor, though I was perfectly aware
he was my neighbor.
will explain. The cottage in Apple
land, of which l was occupying the sec
ond floor, belonging to an old friend OF
mine who had gone abroad. Knowing
that / was anxious to secure secluded
country home for month or two of the
summer so that / might finish and revise
well, no matter what, but work, l
fiatter myself, of some Importance, he
had kindly offered me the use of his
rooms as loug as I chose to remain.
Entire seclusion was my object in 60
ing to nv friends cottage, and that was
thoroughly understood by the old house
keeper, who never rlade her appearance
except at meal time, and who had men
toned my arrival to no one in the neigh
borhood.
After dark 1 used to let myself out at
o side gate effectually screened from view
by a group of grand old apple trees and
stroll about for an hour or two, and then
let myself in again without any one being
the wiser.
Not very difficult proceeding, how
ever,.I must admit, as my neighbor's
house and my friend is house were about
half mile from the village on one side,
with about two miles of dense woodland
on the other.
They had originally been built for twin
sisters who, marrying. refused to be ut
terly separated from each other, so only
low fence divided the front lawns and
back gardens.
Ny neighbor, as 1 discovered by peep
ing at him on sundry occasions, was an
elderly, stout gentleman, with keen dark
eyes, shaggy eyebrows, decidedly forid
complexion, stubby nose, stubby beard,
stubby hands and a projecting chin and
upper lip. His household consisted of
l.. E. c,1kla.lx- lnal;por oil IoIx, nc
stout as himself, a cook as stout as her
mistress, coachman and gardener as
stout as the cook, rough-coated, awk-
ward dog, answering to the name of
"Bub, and shaggy little pony called
sSis."
Well, here I had been domiciled for two
weeks, writing away as for dear life-as
totally lost to the world as though 1 had
never existed, until the morning when 1
heard the meadow lark singing "Annie
Laurie"
Who could she be? She didn't resem-
BILE my neighbor or my neighbours wife
in the least. l resolved to find out, if
possible, and SO the next morning said,
carelessly, to the old housekeeper, when
she brought up my toast and coffee,
Have the elderly couple next door any
children"
mo, sir" was the reply, mot a chick
nor child, which / don't mean they have
no chickens, sir, for they have, only as
the saying is. Never have had, and never
will have, I suppose. at their time of life,
unless by q miracle, though they are
awful fond of EN-; p'r'aps that's the rea-
son they're so fond of 'em, not KNOWN
what q worry and care they are, falling
into the ponds. and out of the trees, and
down the stairs, and getting the chol-
era morbus with eating unripe fruit,
and"
''And the young lady," interrupted,
dipping a crust into my coffee and nod
ding toward my neighbor's garden,
whom heard singing only yesterday
was-"
Their neice, sir, and is 70 have al
the money when she comes of age if she
don't displease her uncle. You see, sir
Miss Milicent's mother lived next door
and her aunt, her mothers twin sister
lived here, they were the lovingest sis
ters you ever knew, and died within I
few DAYS of each other, one leaving
daughter, Miss Mile, and the other
son, Mr.. Chester, and Mr.. Gardner, nov
our peighbcr, was their eldest brother
though he looked not more like then
than you do, and he's the guardian, an.
he is expected here on a visit this yer,
day"
couldn't tell for the life of me why
a.. Al L II Al