The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-10-03
A WEATHER PROPHET.

Miss Sophia Nichols was a lady Of great
modesty and of a very retiring disposition.
and as she had passed the age of fair. fat
and 4O'' wasted few glances on men.
She had lately established herself in
suite of rooms on the southeast corner OF
Laurel street, facing the lovely little Beech
Park. It was just tha place for quiet
spinster who loved nature and retirement
and she enjoyed it with unalloyed quiet for
q few days.
Opposite her new abode was a quiet old
house with four immense windows, wherein
were set tiny psnes Of glass, to each room.
The inhabitants seemed very quiet persons,
and she seldom saw them except In the
evening.
After she had been domieiled about a
week In her new place her attention was
attracted BIZ very queer action OF an oid
gentleman who lived in the quaint house,
After finishing her l &C dinner she
always established herself : with VOTE
or book at her front window, and the old
gentleman would As regularly appear In nls
yard. and, drawing ont of his pocket red
bandana, raise IL solemnly high IN air.
He did not seem to wave it, but let II go at
its own sweet will or the winds will.
On mo0nl ght nights, always about 10
whatever it was. His eyes were nearly al
WAYS turned toward her window, and stared
6xedly. Sometimes be did notuss the hand
keTchief at all. but gazed steadiastly at her
window.
This performance he kept up every day,
until Miss Sophia began 10 be fearfully
nervous. She was really afraid it would
draw down the gossip OF the nelgh0orh0od
on her So she tried in many mild, we'll
bred WAYS 70 let the cid gentleman under
stand that she did not like his very open
attentions.
She pulled down her blind and on pop
ping out to see what effect il had found il
had none; he still waved. Or she would
retreat 10 the farthest corner Of the room,
out Of his range Of vision, aud her mirror
told her he still gaZed.
Finally her nephew came to make her a
weeks visit. Every spiuster has fay0rite
niece or nephew, and Jack Brown was MISS
S0phia's. She admired his youth me was
only "a, his courage his weli-shaped body
and even his impetuons ito put 1t mildly
temper. he was TSt.er good-looking, too,
although his hair was auburn aud hIs mus
tache, such as it was, undenlab!y red.
Tie first day of his visit Miss Sophia kept
him engaged by showing him her photo
graph albums, of which she had q half
dozen. But she could not keep this u a
whole week. so the second day Jack re-
marked as the bandana and its owner ap-
peaTed:
What queer old chap What's be do
ing?"
To which Miss Sophia TREMENDOUSLY re-
piled, II don't know" which was literally
true, for her back was carefully turned to
the window.
The Dext DAY Jack observed the same per-
Torrance and said;
"Coafound the old scoundrell Aunt So
phla, l really believe he's trying to hlrt
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 a
climax as the old gentleman appeared as
usual and not only waved the offending red
hag-J2ck was a fiery RepublIcan-but
actually gazsd fxedly at Miss Sophla's win
dow for fully five minutes. He grabbed up
his hat and said to his aunt:
"Pll know the meaning of his COMPOUNDED
impotence or ny names not Jack BTown"
he dashed downstairs. paying no atten-
tion to his aunt's pleadings.
Don't. Jack, don't! You'll only make
matters worse"
She pulled down her curtain and peeped
9rom behind 1t TO see what Jack would do.
he was striding angrily across the street
and in few moments was at the old gen.
tleman's side. With a wrathful face and
sternly determined manner he said:
''Sir what is the meaning of your In
ferpal impudeuce? II is nice thing that
QUIET lady cannot sit at her window with
OuL OeluR
The old gentleman cleared his throat.
wiped his mouth with the offending hand
kerchief, smiled gently, raised his hand TO
his ear and said in soft, mild voice:
Hey Please speak little louder. I'm
quite deaf"
Thereupon Jack. as Is customary with
people who are unaccuStomed to talking
with the deaf, roared loudly and rapidly,
prefaeing his former inquiry with l say"
conscious that be was making a spectacle OF
himself and that in all proba bllity the
whole neighb0rhoOd heard him.
Still the old gentleman shook his head
despairingly and said:
Come into the house. My daughter will
make me understand. You talk too rapidly
and loudly"
Just as he said 1t door opened softly,
and a girls voice, trembling with laughter,
said:
What is It. fatherP Does the gentleman
want something"
II think ne does. Bertha. but cannot
understand what"
After one glance at the girps face Jack
'slzed himself up as an ass" as he would
have expressed ii, and he knew she had
overheard the whole interview. He really
had not the courage to tell her outright that
her father was accused of flirting with his
Aunt Sophia. or else he was a lunatic, and
that neither he nor his aunt approved of his
conduct
The girl let him founder and get red in
the face for about ten minutes, ENJOYING
the situation as only mischievons girl can.
but he managed 10 convey his meaning.
Then she said:
81 understand you perfectly. and can per-
haps explain it satisfactory to both you and
your aunt Father keeps a weather record.
and he has as long as can remember. lie
takes observations three times day-at 2
IN the afternoon. at in the evening, and
early in the morning. probably before your
aunt gets up"
Here two irrepressible dimpIes broke out
and limited that iangbter was not far behind.
Jack, who had recovered his equanmity.
admired them immensely, but he was not
tudicially:
But why does he use o handkerchief"
FOR the very simple reason that IL there