The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-11-24

and afflicted cousin to do my best to
turn back the wheels OF time for ten
years and 90 out to the Beeches tire
next day as the rathnr audtsh young
lover of my pretty cousin.
After Went up stairs 1 stood at
the MIRROR in my dressing-case o long
time. Was it true that Dick Edgar
of ten years agts was only hidden UNI
der q sseiperfiai layer Of hair and
dress9 took UP the comb and. drew
a part down the center OF my head.
It was becoming. 1had only given,
up venting my hair like that ON;
Julia's account. She thought it fop-
pish. Her little basket stood ON O.
table near with the scissors cleaning
temptingIy. had promised, And it
had to be done; but didn't halt
mind seeing my cherished Whiskers
drop. / felt oddly, al though were
getting rid OF some sort of q disguise.
and in the course OF a half hour /
stood bethFe the mirror with smooth,
plump cheeks and a little upward.
curved mustache,
I-undsesssii and got into bed with
the himbleness of 25 and forgot TO
wish for Julia at all.
The next morning / spent an hour
in combing MY ftiistache down and
parting my, hair very mitch On the
Side. before | e6Gld muster courage to
90 dawn to breakfast and face the
Servants. r..
81 hardly knowed We, sir" old John
said, with the familiarity efleng SER
vice. ..
SIT is cooler So" / said, sAnd,. by
the way, John, take this telegram
down and have It sent off at once" /.
It was to the tailor who had af-'
rayed me in the gorgeousness of my
youth, and whotn l had cut for
economic reasons since had been d
benedict. told him to send down on
the moon train anything iii the way
of collars, hats, ties or coats that
was new and suitable FOR summer
wear in the country. And then /
went off for my usual morning at the
factory. The box was waiting for
me at 1 o'clock when I came home,
andI told old, John to have the dog
cart ready at 2. At half-past- 2 /
drove out at the gate, and old Mr..
Morehouse, who had the opposite
place, looked up and gave me asort
ofgasp as lifted my hat to him.
I had on a pink and white striped
shirt, q high collar and big white tie,
a yellow and white blazer and sailor
hat with a polkadptted band. 1knew
people would talk, but it was no.
body's business how chose to dress,
SO far as l could see. As ! ydrove into
the handsome Beech avenue thatgave
it's name to the old house where my
aunt and cousin lived. It seemed al
most as though l had suffered a
loss Of memory as well as poor Nelly.
Ny heart had quite a youthful throb.
NY aunt had none of Mr.. Warehouses
astonishment.. See had not seen me
since my marriage, and she had been
living among people to whom blazes
ofgaudy hues were as the sands of ;
the sea. Her eyes were tired with
weeping over her cherished child hut
she. frightened with hope at the
thought of my helping her to lead
Nelly into the light again. "
While we were talking of her she
came in, and thenI always thought
it was the rest Of Us who were bewil-
dered. Surely ten years had not gone
over her head. She had on a short
white frock, with elbow sleeves anda
sc;lrlet sash. Her yellow hair was in
q big golden cable down her back
and waving jn-,a fringe across her
pretty white forehead.
There was the SHINE seashell color
in her cheeks, the same roguish look
in her eyes that was there: before she
began to think with Herbert Spencer
and get shadow in their blue depths
by looking on the dark side with
Schopenhauer. -,
When she saw me, she gave q little
cry, and flew straight into my arms.
.HYou naughty boy" said She. Il
don't think I ought to speak to you.
Where have you been these two days?"
And as kissed her sweet firm lips,
| said in my soul, "She is my cousin
after all"
Presently she looked me over.
"Dick,," she said anxiously, "you
have<been working too hard. There
are wrinkles all around your eyes,"
You know have the factory
now" said family.
: "You!" and she fairly screamed.
HYou! What in this world do you
know about a factory?" Alasl l
couldn't tell her of those weary years
of working for my present position.
My aunt made signs to me over my
cousins head, and I changed the
subject. -
l don't attempt to explain it, but
by the end of a week all sense of the
of my position had van
ished. went to the factory in my
blazer, and / am afraid that some
times / transacted my business very
much as though / were the inexpe-
rienced boy Of Is that / looked.
But the Beeches was q large estate
and my aunt and cousin rarely left it
during their visits to the place. So
there was little chance for gossip
connecting ME with my cousin in any |
way.
] The only times when was bound
to grow old was when I wrote to Ju-
liza, and before a week was over, and
was in the full swim of my newly &C
quired youth, an accident happened
that put me out of that. Isprained
my right thumb and could not hold a
pen. / telegraphed and told her and
added that l would telegraph every |
other day, whhh 1 religiouslys did. |
Or rather Mr.. Smith, my bookkeeper, |
did it for me.
Nelly and Il wandered about
through the groves, finding here
and there truelovers' knots that we
had cut in the smooth back of the
beeches long ago. We used to carry
o little basket, that held our lunch
and a volume of poems or new
novel. f<'t
There were agreat many clever |
little novels that Nellie had not read.