Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1890-05-16
MIR. NORSEMAN.


She folded The npto She had Just re-
rCfved and placed u Ia is enyelo?c
II think IN ray yes she unused. -
nm iO8sg rO1actitnes. and That dear little
girl h0 speaks Of may be q very pleasant
companion"
The note that had set Mrs. Vanderpool
into this train OF Thought was from the
most devoted Of her admirers. Mr.. Morse
man.
A widow with two hundred thousand
dollars safely invested is sure to have adj
mirrrs. and Mrs. Vanderpool was a hand
some woman as well as a woman Of
means.
Mr.. Norseman had iron gray hair and
rather on elderly look about the throat
aud shoulders, but he was "A man Of ele-
giant He spoke of his little
place on the Hudson in a way that made
people understand that it wasa very fine
one, and that the prefix was the out
growth Of modesty. The general opinion
was that he had retired from business.
lie seldom spoke Of the matter. lie
had. however. told the widow that he
was still connected with certain mercan
tile enterprises las a sort Of sleeping
partner" For the rest. he dressed well.
walked well. made offerings of roses al
their most expensive seasons, and pro
tossed himself 10 be madly in love with
9frs. Vanderpool.
The fear OF being married from mo
lives of interest had often interviewed t.
prevent tie widow from accepting the
I~oiDte,i attentions of men younger thar
herself. They did not arise in thinking
Of Mr.. NorAman, settled and solid rs he
Ayas.
"Ill do it." tho widow said to herself.
~ woman is so much happier with o
protector. and I'm sure / should be proud
Of Mr.. Norscman; and after awhile ont
fades n little, and it is a great deal NOR,
comfortable to occupy a m%atron's posi-
tion-n widow who has no family Is al
Ways sort Of elderly girl"
Then Mrs. Yandcrpool SAT down to her
desk and, taking hcr most delicate pen.
inditcd on her finest paper tho following
epistlc;
DEAR MR NoRsEAAN-Ihave received
your motto and read it very carefully
Without actually giving you n positive
answer at this moment, l will say that
its contents do not dioplease me. l am
going into the country 10 pay n visit to-
morrow and will remain away three days.
Oa Thursday l shall be at 1ohse all the
afternoon and should be glad to sec you.
Yours sincerely,
ADELAIDE NANDER3OoL."
Having sent this billet-dOux to the
larlp post box by n servant. Mrs. Van
dcrpool prepared for hcr visit to III old
aunt at -, and shortly left New York
behind her.
This visit was, l regret to say, n sort
Of pcnauce which Mrs. Vanderpool i'm.
posed upon herself every spring. Tho
aunt was one Of those ancient females
who. having Outlived vanity and til,
desire TO dodge Time, delight in un
pleasant "reminiscences and in recording
thc passage If years.
Mira. NanderpOcl knew that her az
would b. mentioned within tho first tcI
inmates. that she would b. forced t,
remember things ahe desired 20 forget
that all those skeletons which the mos
respectable people desire to lock away il
cupboards would be trotted out, anC
that she would return To the city with
large collection of ancient goods L
match--silks Of obsolete colors. wooden
OF a sort no longer woven, cott0ns o
patterns at least twenty-five years old.
She would sleep in a sort OF state bed
room, where she always expected TO sc
a ghost; she would be obliged to rea'
aloud from ancient devotional work
printed with long SIS, or fg0M such nov
el9aa Sir Charles Grandson" and Am,
La she would be requested to sing am
accompany herself OF o little old plan
Of six octayes, which had not been tune
for thirty years. md to assist in the max
ing Of very coarse rcd flannel petticoat
for tho poor Of the church. Sunday sh
would spend in 4 drauShty little churcl
where n well meaning but inaudible oil
preacher would read one Of his old sci
mons, and where mach handshakin
must be gone through in the vestibul'
Moreover. there would be at least tw
wearisome tea drinkings-one at the re-
idpncc Of Col. Whackcnl. whose memor
had grown weak. and who alway5 too
her Tor her own grandmother; the othC
AZ that Of birs. Ledsky, who went TO a
the funerals she heard Of aud entertaine
her guests solely with accounts thereO
However, 1t was 4 superstition Of Nh
VanderpooPs that it was her duty TO Wis
Aunt Tahitha, and she always performe
it once a year.
On this location tho old lady's remini
cences were more unpleasant than usua
the novels more g~carisome. the sermon
nore inaudible and the tea drinking
more ghastly, AMI it was with a sense {
relief that she found her visit at an en-
and hid her aunt good-hy. Her trun
had been sent 20 the depot in the mori
ing, ard, as she was fond OF walking
she decided % follow it on foot.
Take tho road 10 The right then, Ad
iaide." Aunt Tabitba had said. 'It'g be
Ter paved"
Accordingly Adelaide took the road
the right and found It much longer tina
she expected. As she entered the dep.
her train steamed u of it, and the
AVIS no other ~ New York for two Ion
hours.
The little wooden building was clio
and unpleasant. and after pacing it ne
wously. for awhile Mrs. Nanderponl sauI
tered ont again. and turning down n we