Los Angeles herald., 1892-04-17
A WEATHER PROPHET

Miss Sophia Nichols was a lady OF
great modesty and of very retiring dis
position, and as she had passed the age
Of "fair, fat and forty" wasted few
glances on men.
She had lately established herself in q
suite of rooms on the southeast corner
of Laurel street, facing the lovely little
Beech park. 1t was just the place for a
quiet spinster who loved nature and re-
tirement, and she enjoyed it with unal-
loyed quiet for few days.
Opposite her new abode was a quiet
old house with four immense windows,
wherein were set tiny panes of glass, to
each room. The inhabitants seemed
very quiet persons, and she seldom saw
them except in the evening.
After she had been domiciled about q
week in her new place her attention was
attracted by very queer action of an
old gentleman who lived in the quaint
house.
After finishing her / o'clock dinner
she always established herself costly
with work or book at her front window,
and the old gentleman would as regular
ly appear in his yard and, drawing out
of his pocket red bandanna, raise it
solemnly high in air! He did not seem
to wave it, but let it go at its own sweet
will, or the winds will
On moonlight nights, always about 10
o'clock, he repeated this mysterious rite,
or whatever it was. His eyes We're
nearly always turned toward her win
dow, and stared fiXedly. Sometimes he
did not use the handkerchief at all, but
gazed steadfastly at her window.
This performance he kept up every
day, until Miss Sophia began to be fear
fully nervous. She was really afraid
it would draw down the gossip Of the
neighborhood on her. So she tried in
many mild, well bred ways to let the
old gentleman understand that she did
not like his very open attentions.
She pulled down her blind, and on
popping out to see what effect it had
found it had none; he still waved. Or
she would retreat to the farthest corner
of the room, out of his range of vision,
and her mirror told her he still gazed.
Finally her nephew came to make her
a weeks visit. Every spinster has fa-
.vorite niece or nephew, and Jack Brown
was Miss Sophia's. She admired his
youth Che was only twenty-four), his
courage, his well shaped body, and even
his impetuous Ito put it mildly temper.
He was rather good looking, too, al
though his hair was auburn and his
mustache, such as it was, undeniably
red.
The first day of his visit Miss Sophia
kept him engaged by showing him her
photograph albums, of which she had
half dozen. But she couldn't keep
this up whole week, so the second day
Jack remarked as the bandanna and its
owner appeared:
"What queer old chap! What's he
doing?'
To which Miss Sophia tremulously re-
piled, 81 don't know" which was liter
ally true, for she had her back carefully
turned to the window.
The next day Jack observed the same
performance and said:
"Confound the old scoundrell Aunt
Sophia, l really believe he's trying to
flirt with you or else he's lunatic."
Jack was senior at college and had
taken his degree in the art of flirting.
The following day Jacks ire reached
climax as the old gentleman appeared
as usual, and not only waved the offend
ing red rag Gack was fiery Republi-
can), but actually gazed fxedly at Miss
Sophia's window for fully five minutes.
He grabbed up his hat and said to his
aunt, "Tll know the meaning of his con-
founded impudence or my names not
Jack Brown!"
He dashed down stairs, paying no at
tention to his aunt's pleadings, "Don't,
Jack, don't! you will only make matters
worse!" She pulled down her curtain
and peeped from behind it to see what
Jack would do.
He was striding angrily across the
street, and in a few moments was at the
old gentleman's side. With wrathful
face and sternly determined manner, he
said:
"Sir, what is the meaning of your in
fernal lmpudence9 1t is nice thing
that quiet lady cannot sit at her win
dow without being insultedw
The old gentleman cleared his throat,
wiped his mouth with the offending
handkerchief, smiled gently, raised his
hand to his ear and said in soft, mild
voice: "Heyl please speak little louder.
I'm quite deaf"
Thereupon Jack, as is customary with
people who are nnaccnstomed 70 talking
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