The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1892-09-03

49, 'Ny WV LIZ -
no such women now" He paused. and
with a low bow, added. with the ez-
ception of the fair lady in whose pres
ence now stand"
l courtesied. Hope l did it properly.
It seemed the only thing to do under the
circumstances.
After this | begged the old gentleman
to visit any portion Of the house ami
grounds he pleased, and when he went
away presented him with Miss Nancy's
miniature, for which he kissed my hand.
standing at Il long distance aud touching
my fingers as though they were sacred
relics.
We talked him over at tea time. Jack
and |, and made up our minds that he
had once been a sutton of Miss Nancys.
1t was not a very difficult matter to
guess that. and from that day he called
frequently. He made me his confdante
at last.
He had adored Miss Nancy, he told
me, and she had returned his affection.
and they had become engaged to each
other with the consent of the mother.
and all went merry as a marriage bell
until. n some manner he offended the
object of his alteration.
Judge he made her jealous, having
been i'll his day a beau of the first water,
and much admired by the ladies; but he
was too modest to say so outright. But
at all events she would not forgive him.
She refused him the miniature which
| L1l 1~axo Co., I,~r. -Io +11Ir I1-Ix
her lock of hair and sent him back his
letters, and in all sorts of ways wreaked
vengeance upon him for his evil do
ing. Yet / believe she intended to re-
lent and forgive; and he also thought SO.
| nm sure. He made every possible
apology and overture, but she yielded
not one inch.
At last her mother died. That great
sorrow, it seemed to him, must bow her
pride, and she must more than ever need
a comforter, a consider, a protector.
Allowing time for the first burst Of
| grief. he wrote to her, asking her to re-
ply, whatever her fat might be, begging
her to forgive him, and once more prom
Use to be his wife.
"She never answered me-" he said.
"She never gave me one word in reply"
1t was on my tongue to say she had
been very vindictive, but | saw that that
would not do. Miss Nancy was sainted
in his memory, and could be suspected
of no wrong whatever.
Il erred beyond forgiveness, sweet
angel" he sai1-'.I erred beyond for
! %giveness;' and Bachelor Barton could
not have been moved from this opinion
by the whisper of an angel.
"Auntie," cried my little nephew,
there's something in the crows nest"
l was sitting in the garden and the
voice sounded above my head. looked
up with a start. In the road outside
arose a tall pole, and from time inne-
mortal a great crows nest had crowned
it. How little Billy had managed to
reach its apex | cannot say, but thert b"
was, and speeches. witt, horror | could
only i1nplore him, in dumb show. to de-
scend.
He answered with a laugh, flung some
thing to the ground and came sliding
down after it.
"You naughty boy" | cried. as |
caught him in my arms.
Its not a bit like a nest, auntie," he
said. ''It's all ugly and muddy. There
were ONE feathers in it, black. and
there was a dead bird, and there wa
that cap-a queer cap. | never saw such
a funny thing"
He picked from the grass the object
he had cast down. 1t looked like a
crushed leather box, and had been melt
ed by the sun and soaked by the rain
until it was shapeless; but it certainly
proved to be a queer, old fashioned cap,
with apeak and lined with oiled silk, and
as Billy tossed it about and turned it
inside out, a square, white package
dropped from some secret spot beneath
this lining, which had kept it from de-
struction adown the years.
Long years they must have been, for
the letter had been written before the
days when envelopes were used, was
curiously folded and sealed with a large
seal on which was the letter F" It
was addressed in a delicate, running
hand, to 'Alwyn Barton, Esq, The
Oaks" etc. In fact it had evidently
been intended for the old gentleman we
called Bachelor Barton, and to him | q.
ono dispatched it with a note Of e-pla-
nation.
His answer was a request that ! ana
my husband would do him the honor Of
calling, as Mr.. Barton was unUell arc
there was much to explain. And 81
purse we went.
Bachelor Barton, bolstered up with
pillows, lay npon Il lounge. pale is vel