Los Angeles herald., 1892-04-17

prefacing his former inquiry with 81
say" conscious that he was making a
spectacle of himself and that in all
probability the whole neighborhood
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 it door opened softly
and girls voice, trembling with laugh
ter, said: "What is it, father? Does the
gentleman want somethingr
81 think ne does, Bertha, but I cannot
understand what
After one glance at the girls face Jack
'*sized himself up as an ass" as he would
have expressed it, 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 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, enjoy
ing the situation as only mischievous
girl can, but he managed to convey his
meaning.
Then she said: 81 understand you
perfectly, and can perhaps explain it
satisfactorily to both you and your aunt.
Father keeps weather record, and he
has as long as can remember He takes
observations three times day-at 2 in
the afternoon, at Z in the evening and
early in the morning, probably before
your aunt gets up" Here two ire
pressible dimples broke out and limited
that laughter was not far behind. Jack,
who had recovered his equanimity, ad-
mired them immensely, but he was not
to be diverted from his purpose, SO he
said judicially:
"But why does he use handker-
chief"
"For the very simple reason that if
there is light wind stirring he cannot
tell its direction any other way"
"Well, why does he stare SO at my
aunt as she sits at her windowY'
81 think it is not at her but''-here she
paused long enough to make impressive
what should follow-''at the smoke
stack from the furnace. The smoke that
comes from it makes a first rate weather
vane."
This explanation was made so demure-
ly and with such evident enjoyment at
the righteousness of the situation that
Jack was slightly provoked at her and
said rather sharply:
"Well, you must admit that it looks
queer to fellow not accustomed to it,"
''I've no doubt it does," she replied
with a smile, "but we have always
lived here, and father has always taken
observations just in this way, and every
body knows his peculiarities, so of course
it awakens no comment"
AS Jack had no reply ready, she said:
'Please make my apologies to yonr
aunt for any annoyance she may have
felt" and as the comical side came up
permost again she broke into laugh
and said: Poor old father! The idea
of him being accused of fiirting!" Jack
Joined in the laugh, and the innocent
cause of all the trouble and fun sat star
ing out of the window as mild and placid
as though no such charge lay at his door.
AS yet he did not even know the reason
of the visit of the erstwhile angry but
now smiling young man.
Jack apologized humbly, but he had
no idea of letting the story get out on
him, SO he tried in an elegant manner,
which turned out flat failure, to init
mate to the girl that it should be secret
between themselves, as he said:
81 hope you will not--I mean, ah, er-
but you WON'T
"Won't tell it on you," she said, with
unfeeling bluntness. Father would be
avenged rather more than the case calls
for if the students should get hold of
the story" Then taking pity on him
she said sweetly, II will never mention
it again of course, and will not even tell
father"
Jack asked her to call on his aunt,
which she promised to do, and he took
his departure to explain to Miss Sophia
that she had only made the same blum
der that many another woman had done
at q conclusion too readily.
Jack visited his aunt with great regu-
larity, but spent the major portion of
his time at the weather prophets across
the way, SO that the neighbors concluded
he was taking postgraduate course in
meteorological something Rochester