Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-09-03

| uUt's - VoNNlu tOit0a VI biO
Temple, Barrister-at-Law one of the
rising mon, the papers said, had con-
demned myself to spend my vacation In
an obscure country house, and Dorothy
Braithwaite Out rather pretty name,
thought), spinster, showed herself so
unimpressed as TO absent herself from
the house the whole day. | felt dis
agreeable, and slipped my soup In
silence. But with the fish came
| Dorothy.
IL am sorry am so late, aunt" she
said. Mrs. Wade's Tommy has the
measles, and had to mind her other
oliye-branches while she fetched the
doctor This is Mr. Oswald Jones?"
had risen, and she looked at me
with frank smile as we shook hands.
II am terribly hungry" she said. III
was beginning to fear that / should be
too late to get any thing"
She sat down and began to eat with
healthy appetite. watched her. My
foreboding was utterly stultified. Not
angular, but tall and stately; not sal
low but with complexion of red and
brown, fair hair and a pair of eyes so
large, blue, darl1-fringed, expressive,
That felt my visit was not In vain.
would have gono twice as far to make
the acquaintance Of the owner of such
eyes. She was not prim, but perfectly
I self-possessed. She seemed to ignore
me- She seldom spoke during the meal,
and when she did it was to tell her aunt
of some incident of her days work. Oc-
casionally she would look up at me, and
was charmed with her delightful eyes.
When tho ladies left me, ] did not lin
ger long, but fastened after them. Lady
Powncoby was settling herself for her
post-prandial nap Dorothy was sitting
at the window, leaning back in her
chair, and looking out into the gather
ing dusk.
Come and sit here" she said to me,
and placed chair opposite her.
You must make yourself at home,
Mr. Oswald Jones'" said n sleepy voice
from the other end of the room. II am
an old woman; you must put up with my
weaknesses.
II am rather surprised to find myself
here" I said to Dorothy.
Are you? Aunt often speaks of you.
She thinks a great deal of you"
| lnueeu. L ndruly KNOW ntI.
"She reads the Times, you know, and
whenever she sees your name in the
law reports, she reads them with ten
fold interest. Here's Mr.. Oswald Jones
name again. she will say; Il really
must know more of that young man. ,"
why does she always call mo by my
full name? Why not Mr.. Jones, sim
ply2"
"Oh, there are SO many Joneses, you
know Our curate's name is JONES' and
no doubt she calls you Oswald Jones to
distinguish you from him"
Perhaps Dorothy was to be assistant
curate in more particular sense.
Strange to say, | felt Jealous But
was prevented from asking any ques-
tons by sudden introduction to another
inmate of the house. Something stirred
behind the curtain at my side, and out
sprang large white cat, which, having
been disturbed In its sleep, dug its
claws into the carpet and arcbed its
back I'm cat fashion, and then lcaped
into Dorothy's lap. Dorothy began to
fondle 1t, strolsing its head, putting her
head against its, and performing those
many little tricks which ladies and cats
enjoy. Now l abominate the whole
feline race, but the thing | hate most in
the world is white cat And this cat
especially won my dctestation. Its fur
was spotlessly white. and the fact that
| could find no fault with it made me
hate it the moro. Dorothy spoke to it
and kissed the animal. ] loathed it,
~ hate cats" cried.
'Popsy hates men," Dorothy serenely
replied. "NIr. Arthur Jones, our curatc,
you know, is the only man she will al
low to touch her.
perhaps he is not the only jones'"
said feeling more jealous still. LET
me try
But Popsy did not approve of my pat
ting. Somewhere from her interior
proceeded a low rumbling, her ears were
laid back, and Judged it wise to relin.
quish the experiment
1--WE are to be enemies, then" ! said;
and fear | was Scornful of Dorothy's
evident affection for the cat.
Here Dorothy suggested that we
should walk in the garden; | agreed,
and that walk was the first of many.
Before fortnight passed was madly
in love with Dorothy. ! was distracted
ly happy when in her company. But
felt some little uncasincss because OF
Rev. Arthur Jones and the white cat.
had watched the reverend gentleman
carefully lie was bright, happy-faced
young cleric, and his behavior left no
sort of doubt in my mind that nc loved
Dorothy. And his high spirits seemed
proof to me, either that he had won the
lady or fully expected to do so. Scarce
~ night passed without my dreaming
of him or the cat. In one of my dreams
l saw an ancient Sybil warning me with
outstretched finger to beware OF the
white cat. and as gazed, fascinated, at
the animal, the form of Its countenance
was changed, and I saw the curate's
face, wreathed In triumphant smile.
Time sped rapidly away. ] went
with Dorothy TO picnics and garden
parties; ] took her for drives, walks and
rides; I boated with her, played tennis
with her and listened to her singing.
regained my health and lived in an Ely
sum. | determined that my vacation
should not close without question and
an answer - mine the question, Dor
othy's the answer. / loved her; did she
love me?
suffer from an embarrassing defect
Of constitution. | can talk to the be-
wigged solcmnites on the bench with
out quickcning of pulse, but with ladies',
If ever | wish to go beyond mere society
talk, became nervous and confused
and stammcr painfully, Although
had made up my mind to ask Dorothy
my question, day after day slipped by,
and IL was still unasked. The last day
of my visit came. | was to leave by the
train, at ten o'clock. | passed the day
with Dorothy, but said no word to her
Of what was on my heart Dinner
time came, and still | said nothing.
Lady Pownceby, after declaring that
she would forego her nap on this my
last evening, went to sleep in the draw