The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-12-21

~ hersHlE. J. Was W1tkIDg TO Lake ltle
chances e tho first SO long as saw q
possibility Of tho second. And besides,
aiksex gave mo SO much Of her delightful
aAcieEy.
Though no spoken word ever passed be-
tween us on the subject there was yet
xhas .srnntp curverss Of kindred souls
and Tnn Jones apparently syupathized
With mo most completely. Bottle ard he
wersgast 1rsands, and Mayor Bly, the per-
united her to 60 anywhere under protec-
ton Of Cousin Tom, -inwhnnn heplaced
unbounded confidence During the burn
ing days Of that August many charm
ing picnic had vein the grand old woods
aboat Piketon; IN therrellpw evenings Of
autumn many never 70 be forgotten
sail ON the little mirror OF Lake. And
Whist teas were those on the old verau-
da. with tho. soft breeze signing through
the vines In sympathy with the beatings
Of rlyheart, and the light just undecided
enough for me to imagine any EXPIRES
sion In her face that best suited my ar
dent longingsl Later, when the early
snoUs began to fall, how merry were
those sleigh rides in the mayors sober
family sleigh, drawn by the sober family
horse. Tom always acting Jehul And
when the icier breath of winter blew
over The little luke. sheeting it with
surface CLASSY smooth, | had tenderiy
strapped the tiny skate thong round that
ravishingfy turned ankle-had held the
taper fingers in mine as we glided in
swift circles over its cold bosom. As /
have said, Tom was always with Us on
these jaunts; but we were partie car
rec and mindful of the philosophy as to
what constitutes COMPANY and what a
sscrowd.
Anna Bolton was ever Toms compan-
ion. A quiet, fair haired, sensitive
mouse of blonde, she was the direct
antipode in all things of her sworn ally,
Bette, under whose fostering protection
she would nestle confdingly as though
no harm could reach her there.
She was sole heiress and sole compan-
ion at her splendid residence, SHADY
nook. Of very deaf but Argus eyed
grandaunt. minated herself for the
full allotment Of the human span, the
senior Miss Bolton had small confidence
in the taste or honor of the sterner sex.
She jealousy watched the every move
ment Of her niece, religiously believing
that each man who set his eye upon her
fragile form used it but as medium
through which to cast unholy glances at
the estate some ten miles back of Pike
ton whose exponent she was. But the
home Of the spinster had no great charms
for her heiress unless frightened by the
presence of her stronger friend and ally;
so, when Bette could not be spared
from her household gods, it was great
comfort to quiet little Anna to sit under
these also, and to stay there meekly so
long rs Bette could alternately cajoleor
coerce the deaf spinster into permitting.
But that ancient and unwinking Cerbe-
rus had carefully reeounoitered the sur
roundings OF the mayoralty. She had
long since concluded that I was the
property Of the lady of the house, and
Tom, being only piece of live furni-
ture, Ike the cat, was not to be counted
So little Annals last visit had been al
lowed to run into months. She could
skate well, for all her fragility, and her
taste and touch in music were both deli
cate but decided So, after all, we made
her useful, though I felt compunctious
twinges when reflected how heavy on
hand she must be to poor Tom; for, be-
sides all other reasons, it was an under
stood thing among US that Miss Bolton
was engaged. II not formally contract
ed TO him she was so far committed to
certain Mr.. Goodwin as to make that
contamination a mere matter Of time.
Not q very enticing person was Mr..
Goodwin, 60 in years and money grub
IN nature, but--as the senior Miss Bel
ton was wont to say grimly-if not a
brilliant man, he was at least safe one.
Twenty thousand a year was his allot-
ment of this worlds goods, and the very
soul Of the spinster swelled within her
when she reflected what that would do
for .Shadynook.
Yielding in all things, the white
mouse appeared to accept her fate in this
with perfect composure, but she shrunk
with peculiar sensitiveness from any al
fusion to it by one of US. So, of course,
none was ever made; but land I was
sure Tom as well-looked upon her as
one OF the least interesting of the vic
tirns to the Moloch of convenience.
Hence fully appreciated the unselfsh
friendship that caused him to become
martyr to her stupidity, that I might be
left tete-a-tete with his glorious cousin.
One night when our bachelor pipes or
punch-had been stronger than usual l
said words TO that effect Toms rejoin-
der was characteristic He thrust his
tongue into his cheek, shut one eye very
slowly, and nicking my glass with his
said, Here's good luck, and bad cess
70 old Goldwini''
Verify, We need never leave our own
circle for evidences Of the mysteries of
Natures complex mechanism, and what
very odd errors we make in our estimate
OF them sometimesl
Atkength its heiress had been impera-
lively called back to '.Shadynook. The
minated Argus would have her return
for its Xmas disnalness, and when that
spinstar foot was once put down there
1t stayed. Exacting the promise Of
speedy visit from Bette, before Xmas if
possible, and INDUCING in many mys-
sxsr;ous whispers and . perfect fusiIlade
Of ki5ses that set me on pins and needles
It envy, the white-mousey one wspt her
self into her sleigh and faded out into
the snowy avenue.