The banner-enterprise., 1883-05-03
MISS KATE'S AUNT.

L No3 hS Juob tllC Hlttli IVA AhliG
Kate" said Mrs. Picrrot, who was not
q Frenchwoman, notwithstanding her
name, but only Frenchman's wife.
From long association, and from
listening to that gentlemans conver-
sation, she had imbibed French princi-
pies to sufficient extent to make her
quite approve of the marriage de con-
venance, and Mr.. Pierrot, as his Ameri-
can neighbors called him, quite agreed
with his wife's remark.
In fact, the first suggestion that the
man in question, who was Mr.. Hugh
Sherbourne, should marry Miss Kate, y
had come from NJ. Pierrot; and had,
after some familiarizing herself with
the idea, come to be fixed fact in the
mind of Mrs. Pierrot.
"Miss Kate" was lady of rather
uncertain age, whom those interested
in her thought had remained "Miss
Kate" quite long enough.
She lived in a pretty little cottage
not far from the Pierrots, and was
indeed their landlady; and Mr.. Sher-
bourne was their rich andrather eccen-
trio lodger, who had met Miss Kate
once or twice in Mrs. Pierrot's parlor,
and had become curiously interested in
her because of a real or fancied re-
semblance which she bore to a former
friend of his-which former friend, as
the Pierrots had taken pains to discover,
was an object of an unhappy attach
ment. AS for Miss Kate on first meet
ing Mr.. Sherbourne, and being intro
duced to him, she had turned violently
red, then equally pale, and had alto.
gether shown such emotion and en-
barrassment that the Pierrots never
had any doubt but that she had met
her fate and had surrendered at dis
cretion.
From that hour the two mat h
makers determined that MrSherbourne
should marry Miss Kate; and at once
entered into various little conspiracies
for forwarding their design.
But the object was gained. Miss
Kate had got into the habit of dropping
into her neighbor's house quite like one
of the family, and being there she was
frequently begged to remain to tea,
and then, as the evenings was short, it
was too dark for a lady to go home
alone, even so short distance as that
between Mrs. Pierrot's house and Miss
Kate's.
Naturally then, Mr.. Sherbourne be-
ing of \ gallant style, Notwithstanding
his disappointment IN love, always
accompanied her; and thus friendship,
which was an excellent good substitute
for more romantic passion, according
to the Pierrots, gradually sprang up
between these two amiable people.
From walking home with Miss Kate,
Mr.. Sherbourne soon came to calling on
her of his own accord, and everything
went on in manner to all appearances
quite satisfactory to the Pierrots. And
TO that remark Of Mrs. Pierrot's, with
which this brief chronicle begins, Mr..
Pierrot responded in tone of intense
conviction:
"Of course, as ] have always said,
cheri, he is the very man for Miss
Kate; but toll me, mon ami, has he
asked her yet; has she told you any
thing absolutc?"
"She tells me anything-eyerything,
I think" said Mrs. PierrOt, muSingly,
"but she tas never said explicitly, in
80 many words, that she is going to
marry him, or even that he has plainly
asked her to do so, yet l have got the
impression, somehow, that they are en-
gagged"
Hum-ml" said Mr.. Pierrot reflect
lively. In his country, he could not
help thinking. young ladies, especially
elderly young ladies, were not so
u ysterious; and il they had an engage