Daily Republican., 1884-01-31
toHiGlNAL
OLD MAIDS HALL.
by MINNIE TRYATT

by MINNIE TRyATT
al Constance, take thee, Eva, to BIZ
my mate, to live together in this lovely
cottage from now henceforth and-un'
til-untip'-faltered Constance. " I'm
til fate US do part" finished Eva in n
low mischievous voice. Then Constanc CO
Hatemap and Eva Feardeue kiss' d each
| other and the compact was sealed. But
there were no witnesses. Then they
plunged into hard work and had a
stranger appeared upon the scene his oil.
factor len would have been greeted by
the odor of soapsuds and newly scrub.
bed pine floors, and his eyes would have
beheld two busy maidens with 'shevel.
ed tressss and al air which said
Don't disturb us friends. we pray
but call again some other day.
The contrast between these two was
striking. Constance was u tall, slender
brunette with large, dark black eyes,
whose soft dreaminess threw about one
spell of fascination as resistless as 1t
| 1t was delightful. But her voice was
perhaps her greatest charm, rich and
full yet wonderously soft and sweet. 1t
was music when she spoke, but when
she sang, 1t deted description. Her
parents Wers dead and she was utterly
alone In the world. She had received
in her childhood good foundation for
thorough musical education, and was
now teaching music not only as q
means of support but also because she
thus had opportunity for further
study.
Her chosen mate Eva Fsardeue, was
petite blonde, merry and blithe n a
bird but she couldn'tpray and wouldn't
sing, and she derlared that she had Tut
one talent, and that was-making dres-
SEES. Her parents were In comfortable
circumstances and would have given
tn. ir daughter the best advantages
within their means but she refused all
offers. She didn't want them to waste
their money in having her taught arts
in which she could not excel. No,
she did know how TO make dress.
es and dresses she intended TO make,
she said.
SO she left home, and In the distant
city TO which she had come she had met
her friend Constance. After n year of
boarding house life, Of which both were
tired, q brilliant thought came to Eva.
Why should not she and Constance keep
house together
Surely, why not Constance saw no
reason, and NO 1t came TO pass on that
bleak March day, when our story opens,
that the two maidens found themselves
for the first time under their own swine
and fig tree '-only there was no fig tree
and the vine was not planted.
Constance" Eva had said, we
ouph to write out some kind of an
agreement or both vow to be true,
or something of the sort, oughn't we %
"Oh 1t isn't at sll necessary Is
1t You know we both want 10 live
together, and we will both do our best
for the support and welfare Of our tins
household, and beside, you know we
neither Of US ever intend to marry"
ooh !.no, of course not-perish the
thought I" said Eva, "but then let's
have ceremony for fun"
80 Eva had taken Constance and Con-
stance Eva, IN be mates together until
their lives end ? No, no, until fate
should part" them. Eva had wisely
said.
1t was pretty little cottage with
sunny bow window in front. and many
and very dainty were the devices which
had beautified the interior. Birds, and
flowers, and music, pictures on the
walls, easy chairs and rockers, surely
it was pleasant home, and then to be
both master and III distress thereof, added
to the charm. Each declared TO the
other that it was inst her ideal of q
home, and it was such comfort not
to have man around.
Constance became very successful In
her music. She had large and remu-
nerative classes and a well-paid position
as leading soprano in an Episcopal
choir. Eva was 30 successful in her
line of work that she laughingly said
she would have to write her name
Male. De Feardeue and raise her prices
to keep her orders from overwhelming
her. Time did not fly as we have
been tOld-it vanished, and before our
maidens realized the fact two years had
slipped away. The third year opened
to them much the same as the two sue.
ceeding years, but gradually there came
a change. As they sat together In the
evenings Eva noticed that little by lit
tie Constance sang more and talked
less. In the selection Of her songs, too,
Eva detected an all-pervading thought
Constance on her part thought Eva
growing strangely reticent. There was
an end Of the girlish condolences which
had been 30 dear to bOth-each felt the
other gradually drifting away, yet
neither questioned the other. So they
lived until summer came. Hitherto
they had taken their vacations togeth-
er, but this year Constance said
Eva, think of going to the Water
Cap" then half reluctantly, twill you
go too"
"No, thank you, said Eva hastily,
have made, or at least--well-the
truth is, Constance, I believe sea air
is what l need, 30 l shall go to Spring
Lake"
And each felt hurt that the other
could go without her, yet neither really
wanted the others company.
The day before they left home, as
they were seated at the cosy little tea
table with its snowy cloth and fresh,
sweet flowers. Florence tcyed idly
with her spoon and seemed very i'll at
ease.
Eva lifted her merry blue eyes and
asked constance, are you i'll %
Ono, my dear Eva, but l cannot
leave you tomorrow without telling
you secret"
"Ah," thought Eva, "then she, TOO,
has secret from me then shall not
feel 80 wicked for having kept mine
from her."
"a secret p she exclaimed aloud.
" Yes, dear, l ought to have told you
before, but somehow / couldn't. want
you to see this" and she took from her