The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-05-06

ucsS anu IeSiSudliOu tnaC were at once
lamb-like and heroic. 1t is something
which, in the hands of a clever wo-
man, we are all liable t o come, SO 1 do
not consider this a manifestation of in
herent weakness on his part.
Standing with reluctant feet
Where the brook and river meet
was Janey. Brown and slim, with the
grace of willow branches
sweeping over still, dark pools, was
Janey, with a streaming banner of
dusky-bronze hair and a sluggish red
flushing duly beneath the warm brown
of her smooth, firm cheeks. And one
great gift was hers; in the long, sweet
summe twilights my mellow
chords would thrill into undreamed-of
richness under the deft, magnetic touch
of her long, dusky fingers. She played
birds sing. as flowers unfold, as maid
ems dream, obeying a law she knew not
command voiceless but echoing
through all time and space.
Not many strangers cast q second
look at Janey when Ada was near. She
had none of that blooming beauty and
aggressive personality that character
lied the elder sister, but those who did
look twice were certain to look thrice
and again. 1t is my opinion that there
have been those who looked oftener
than was conducive to their own peace
of mind. but we won't go into details
now. Janey was aboutseventeen just at
this time, a large-eyed, dreamy young
person of no particular importance in
the busy household over and above the
daily busting of the best parlor; and l
do not have any notion that her opinion,
any more than mine, was asked when
Fred and Ada finally concluded to be-
come engaged-or perhaps it would be
better to be exact and say when Fred
to become engaged.
1t was only about a week after this
interesting event that Aunt Prim, from
whom our pretty Ada had indefinite
expectations, took into her crotchety
ola head that it was time for her to
make another attempt at dying. She
had been in the habit of treating her
scene about twice per annumf for longer
than l care to remember, and if the
final event did not go off without a
hitch it would not be for lack of full
dress rehearsals. Ada, who had an
eve to the main chance and recognized
the necessity of keeping a firm grip on
Aunt Prim and her probable legacy-it
would come handy for the trousseau-
started off precipitately with big box,
little box, etc, while Fred stood bare
headed on the platform and endeavored
to look properly ~disconsolate IS his
fiancee faded away in a halo of nasty
smelling smoke, rejecting placidly that
Fred had delightful manners and she
hoped he would not get a sunstroke as
a reward of merit.
Of course, Fred was very fond of Ada,
else why should he want to marry herr
But, to speak the truth, which has
always been my practice, Ada was q
very practical as we'll as a very exact
ing young person, and 1 suspect that
the poor young man furtively welcomed
the opportunity of Strengthening his
mental vertebra and drawing a long
free breath once more before settling
down to the cramps and kinks of the
matrimonial condition.
Itwas, nevertheless, a little dull with.
out vivacious Ada at first, and in his
new capacity of engaged young mar
Fred had not the hardihood to begin a
new Irritation with any of the rustic
bellies under the very eyes of his people.
in-law-elect, so he fell into the habit Of
spending many of his spare hours in
the society of brown-eyed Janey, whom
he had hitherto hardly noticed. Surely
no one could object to that-and no one
did, more's the pity.
Well, / don't suppose it will be HARD
for any one with a spark of romance or
imagination in his or her composition
to guess what happened. Indeed, il
the romance and Imagination both be
lacking, little knowledge of human
nature viii anwser every purpose. They
fellfn love.
0fscourse it was a fatally miserable
thing to do, but the long list of such
casualties in existence plainly goes te
show, in my opinion at least. that the
organs of the head and the heart have
not even Allowing acquaintance.
OF the fworJaney was by far the mos
innocent and unsuspecting-the woman
usually is at first, although she Otter
strikes a balance by triple-plated mis-
doing after having taken the fata
plunge-and it was not until she fell
Fredfs eager kisses on her lips that sh'
awoke to the knowledge of a love tina
was at once mightier than herself and
cruel wrong t the absent and unsus
pecting Ada. Fred being, it is safe t.
suppose, more experienced in the symp
toms of the tender passion, should hav'
realized their common danger and re
treated from the serious companionshil
before it was too late; but he didn't
and the little pastoral was played out t.
the bitter end and expiated with tear
and midnight vigils by the one an
much cigar smoking and inward ours
ing by the other. And then Ada cam
| home-and that was the worst of all.
81 will never accept my happiness a
the sacrifice of hers. 1 have been wea'
and wicked enough to almost justif
you in thinking that of me, but you ar
mistaken. You will be my brother o
nothing" Janey said, firmly, and Ere
answered with white, trembling lip:
Then I shall be nothing"
Ada was in the highest of spirits whe
she returned. Aunt Prim had not dice
to be sure, but she had given her tn
loveliest old brocade for a weddin
dress, and promised to be present i
| pcISOn db lHC tuCOiliuS CoIOulOhy-
and she would be sur to bring som
thing handsome.
\
There was a fearful thunderstorm
that night. 1t had been sultry an
ominous to the westward all day, an
o after Fred mounted his horse an
rode away into the flitful blackness tt
furious storm broke overhead. He ha
been firm in his resolution to e,
though the whole family, with the e.
ception of Janey, endeavored to di
suade him from the attempt.
THAT last clap was a stunne
Shouldn't wonder if the lightning struc
hereabouts," remarked Farmer Holt
he slowly pulled off a well-worn DO
and gazed refiectively into its capacio1
depths.
Morning dawned clear and brillian
and they had hardly finished common
inc upon the severity of the last nioht