The banner-enterprise., 1883-05-03

"Ine 1act Is, suppose, IL uependS
somewhat on that aunt of Miss Kate's,
OF whom we hear now and then. My
impression is that the aunts consent
will be necessary before Miss Kate will
even listen to proposal. far less
promise to marry any one. l know
Katie sets great store by her aunt-it
; is always what will auntie say-and
will auntie like it-or would auntie
| be willing l should do SO and SOP"
"Well, well. l wish this mysterious
auntie would-what you call it1-put
in an appearance, laughed MIR. Pierrot,
anyhow, | hope she won't be the means
of keeping Miss Kate from making a
good match--prUbably her last chance,
too."
A few days later Miss Kate came
over quite early in the day-an un-
usual thing, for her calls were generally
made in the evening, and as soon as
Mrs Pierrot saw her she felt that a
crisis of some kind had come.
"What is it, dear?" she asked with
the quick sympathy natural to the
feminine temperament on such oc-
casions. Something has happened, l
am sure"
Eyes, dear Mrs. Pierrot," answered
Miss Kate all in a flutter, "my aunt
has some and | have left them to-
gether."
He has proposed then-actually
proposed?"
"Oh, yes, long ago." Miss Kate
laughed, and added with blush. land
was accepted too"
"And you never told mel" murmured
Mrs. Pierrot reproachfully.
my dear friend. couldn't until my
aunt came" said Miss Kate, deprecat-
ingly.
"And now you have left them to-
gether," said Mrs. Pierrot. "Well she
won't be so mad as to refuse her con-
sent. She won't send him away"
"Oh, no; she will never send him
away any more" Miss Kate murmured
dreamily; and though the phrase
seemed extravagant to Mrs. Pierrot,
she only smiled, and was careful not to
intrude on her fricnIs happy musings
except by an occasional sympathetic re-
mark.
The timepassed, minutesintoq oquarter-
hours, and quarters into hours, but
Miss Kate seemed in no hurry to return
to her enamored swain.
AT last Mrs. Pierrot, who began to
get out of patience with her calmness,
dreaminess. content-whatever it was
said: "Kate, you do take things
coolly, l must say. I'm sure Hugh
Sherbourne must be tired waiting for
you. He has surely said all he could
possibly have to say to your aunt by
this time"
al am not at all sure of that" Kate
returned with sparkle of mischief in
her quiet, soft gray eyes. MY aunt
is thought by many people to be very
lovely and charming woman"
Lovely and charming" repeated
Mrs. Pierrot with toss of her head,
figuring to herself as Monsieur would
have said, some tyrannical old goi gon |
of sixty, PRAY, what may be her age?
this lovely and charming relative of
yours"
Aunt Nell will be twenty-one her
next birthday" Miss Kate returned,
demurely.
"Twenty-one," screamed Mrs. Pier
rot. "You are laughing at me; it's
impossible; why, you are yourself :"
"Just thirty-one my last birthday"
Miss Kate concluded, seeing that her
friend had paused, unable to complete
her sentence.
"People arc usually surprised at first;
but the explanation is quite simple and
natural. l was ten years old when
Nell was born. You see we were a
large family, and was the iirst child
Of the eldest daughter, who, having
married very young, made mea grown
up niece to a baby aunt, and lots of
fun it was, for | was lovely Nell's
favorite nurse, and almost brought her
up by hand, for poor grandma never
recovered"
BY this time Mrs. Pierrot had some
what recovered her breath. She started
up hastily, put on hat and mantle,
and exclaiming, al should like to see
this wonderful aunt of yours, started
at once for the frcnt door, closely ac-
companied by Miss Ka.e. AS soon as
they had reached the street, the latter
continued.
IL was just going to ask you to 60
with me and bo introduced to my
aunt-in fact, that was partly why
l came over, you see. Nell was married
at eighteen"
Married." exclaimed Mrs. Pierrot
with another cry of astonishment, and
insensibly her pace slackened--she was
not in such desperate haste TO reach
Miss Kate's house. And is she still
married, then"
"Well she hasn't divorced her hus-
band, though she once thought of do
ing 50, for there was a terrible misun-
derstanding between them, but that is
happily made right now"
"And he Is still living-she's not a
widow; the husband, l mean?" Mrs.
Pierrot gasped out in great confusion,
but Miss Kate understood her,
"She is certainly not widow she
answered.
allow interesting; tell me all about
it. There's no need for us to hurry
so,' and Mrs. Pierrot's pace slackened
still more; and by the time they had
reached Miss Kate's house the match
making lady ha learned much regard
ing the youthful aunt, but not sufficient
to prepare her for the scene that met
her gaze on entering the eozy little
parlor where sat Hugh Sherbourne and
Miss Kate's aunt.
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