Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1892-01-23

suite of rooms On the southeast corner
of Laurel street, facing the lovely lit.
tile Beech park. 1t was just the place
for quiet spinster who loved nature
and retirement, and she enjoyed 1t
with unalloyed pleasure for a few days.
Opposite her new abode was 4 quaint
old house with four immense windows,
wherein were set tiny paues of glass,
to each room. The inhabitants seemed
to be very quiet persons, and she sell
dom saw them except in the eve ming.
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 one
o'clock dinner she always esta blished
herself cozily with work or book at
her front window, and the
old gentleman would as regularly ap-
pear in his yard, aud 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 at about ten
o'clock he repeated this mysterious
rite, or whatever it was. His eyes were
nearly always turned toward her win
dow, and stared tixcdlv. 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
fearfully nervous: she was really afraid
it would draw down the gossip OF the
neighborhood on her. So she tried in
many mild, we'll bred ways to let the
old gentleman understand that she did
not like his very open attentions. She
pulled down her blind, and, on peepinx
out to see what effect it had, found it
had none; he still waved. Or she
would retreat to the farthest corner of
her 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
a favorite niece or nephew. and Jack
Brown was Miss Sophia's She ad-
mired his youth (he 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, although his hair was au-
burn, and his mustache, such as it was,
snndeniably red.
The first day of his visit Miss Sophia
kept him engaged by showing him her
photograph albums, of which she had
half a 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 TREMENDOUSLY
replied: II don't know" which was
literally true, for she had her back
carefully turned to the window.
The next day Jack observed the same
performance, and said:
''Confound the old scoundrel Aunt
Sophia, l really believe he's trying to
nirt with you or else he's 1unatic!"
Jack was senior at college and had
taken his degree in the art of flirting
The following day Jacks ire reached
a climax as the old gentleman appeared
as usual, and not only waved the Of
Tending red rag Jack was fiery re-
; Miss Sophia's window for fully five
minutes!
sHe grabbed up his hat, and said to
his aunt, III know the meaning of
his confounded i'm pudence or my names
not Jack Brown
He dashed downstairs, paying no at
tention to his aunts pleadings: Don't
Jack! don't! you will only make mat
ters worse!' She pulled down her cur
tain, 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 a wrath
full face, and sternly determined man.
ner. he said:
.Sir. what is the meaning of your
Internal impudence3 1t is nice thing
that a quiet lady cannot sit at her win
dow without being iusulted!'
sThe old gentleman cleared his throat.
wiped his mouth with the offending
handkerchief, smiled gently, raised his
hand 20 his ear and said in a soft, mild
voice. Hey. Please speak little
louder I'm quite deaf"
Thereupon Jack, as in customary
with people who are unaccustomed to
talking with the deaf, roared loudly
and rapidly, pretauing his former in
0uiTy with, II say conscious that