Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1892-01-18

s: $: !: S.: 5.
t II c age of
fair, fat and
forty" wasted few glanccs on men.
She had lately established herself in Il
suite of rooms on the southeast corner
of Laurel street, facing the lovely lit.
tie Beech park. 1t was just the place
for quiet spinster who loved nature
and retirement, and she enjoyed it
with unalloycd pleasure for a few days.
Opposite her new abode was quaint
old house with four immense windows.
wherein were set tiny pancs Of glass,
to each room. The inhabitants seemed
to be very quiet persons, and she sell
dom saw them except in the evening.
After she had been domiciled about
week in her new place her attention
was attracted by Il very queer action
of an old gentleman who lived in the
quaint house. After finishing her one
o'clock dinner she always established
herself cozily with work or book at
her front window, and the
old gentleman would as regularly APP
| pear in his yard, and drawing out of
his pocket rcd bandanna, raise it
solemnly, high in air! lie 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 tiXcdly. 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 10 he
| fearfully nervous; she was really afraid
| it would draw down the gossip of the
ncighborhOod on her SO she tried in
many mild, well-brcd ways to let the
old gentleman understand that She did
not like his very open attentions. She
pulled down her blind, and, on pccping
out to see what effect it had, found it
had none; he still waved. Or She
would retreat to the farthcst 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 weeks visit. Every spinstcr has
a favorite niece or nephew, and Jack
Brown was Miss Sophia's. She adj.
mircd 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, although his hair was au-
burn, and his mustachc, such as it was,
undcniably red.
The first day of his visit Miss Sophia
kept him engaged Ivy showing him her
photograph albums, of which she had
half a dozen. But she couldn't keep
this up a whole week, so the second
day Jack remarked, as the bandanna
and its owner appeared:
What a queer old chap! What's he
doing?"
To which Miss Sophia TREMENDOUSLY
replied: Il 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, really believe he's trying to
tlirt with you or else he's q lunatic!'
Jack was senior at college and had
taken his degree in the art of flirting.
The following day Jacks ire reach ed
n climax as the old gentleman appeared
as usual, and not only waved the Of
Tending red rag (Jacll was a fiery re
publican) but actually gazed fixedly al
Miss Sophia's window for fully fivc
uinuteS
lie grabbed up his hat, and said tc
his aunt, III know the meaning OF
his COMPOUNDED impudence or my name.
: not Jack Brown" IT.
He dashed downstairs, paying no at
tention to his aunt's pleadings: Don
Jack! don't! you Will only make mat
= tcrs worse"' She pulled down her cur
4 tain, and peeped from behind it to SEE
what Jack would do.
I He was striding angrily across the
} street, and in u few moments was al
? the old gentleman'S side. With a wrath
full face, aud sternly determined man
=. ner, he said.
Sir, what is the meaning of you
Internal impudence? 1t is nice thinl
e that quiet lady cannot sit at her win
, dow without being insulted."
The old gentleman cleared his throat
n wiped his mouth with the offending
r handkerchief, smiled gently, raised hi
} hand to his ear and said in soft, mile
voice. Hey! Please speak a it'll
n louder. I'm quite deaf"
!, Thereupon Jack, as is customary
d with people who are unaccustomed t.
, talking with the deaf, roared loudly
! and rapidly, prefacing his former in
quiry with: II say" conscious tina
This cut illustrates the Norma