The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-06-21
A GENUINE HERO.


tween dreamlaud and the real Wotlu 'uat
June afternoon, with the heecy goIe OF AeI
hair. all guiltess of pin or comp, and the
"bell sleeves" falling enchantInGly away
from her round white arms, while one trim
slippered foot hung from the edge oil the
hammock. 81,
Halcyon! Halcyon! Where are youY
II was one Of those exasperatlng voices
which, once having been sweet, had now
vibrant jar to its tones, painfully akin to
shrillness.
Halcyon frowned little, and raised her
self on one elbow.
"Oh, Aunt Hal, don't scream so! was
Just in such dream Of delight"
Well, you should have answered, then
Aunt Hal came out Of the vide shady hall
with an ELUSIVE swing Of her dTaperies, and
seated herself in a bamboo chair close 70 the
hammock.
She was comlcally Ike her niece-at
least, as much as a woman OF IS could De
ike a maid of IS. There was the same ye-
low Iuxuriaut hair, but harsher drler and
suggestive of dye; the same pink and white
complexion, artihcially heightened; similar
features, cruelty shsrpened by the lneXor-
able hand Of time, and teeth Just one degree
too white and regular to be real
Tie white dress she were was panIully
trying, and she was compelled TO use gold
trimmed eyeglasses as she held up IelIeI
TO the view OF her niece
What has happened?" drowsily de-
handed the latter lifting r PAIR OF DIue
eyes. frnged with dark lasheS.
THE stTaugest thing.
Another offer Of marriage ." haZarded
Halcyon, settling on the unlkeNesI thing
which could, 10 her opinion, happen.
How did you guesSY' Win q little eXu :
ant cackle. Exactly. The dear, foolish
Iad-and he SO much younger than /. w by,
he couldn't have been p when be went 10
Bombay, and / was at least 50 then"
"ThiTty-fYe, Aunt Hal" said HalCyon,
the merciess.
'Was it as much as thatP Well. he
seemed desperately IN love, then; though OF
course never took any notice Of the child.
But l suppose In that country OF black
amOoTs one can't help thinking about all the
women one has ever known at home and
he has written NE two or three letters"
Has he ?"
Halcyon sat straight up in the hammock
now. Her blue eyes glowed. The heat
had brought flush to her cheek which all
Aunt Hats canine saucers could not rival.
But l never told you, said the elder
beauty, because I remembered that there
was a sort Of boy and girl affair between
>
boarding -School. and l thought y0u would
be nettled. And here's the proposal at last,
deaT-With his photograph inclosed."
LET me see IT,"
What brave, good face 1t was-slightly
older and sterner than she had looked upon
when the Ayancanlan sailed away three
years, but yet so strong and manly!
She laughed Historically.
shall You accept hin? p
Aunt Hal nIbbled cOquettishly at the
edge Of the envelope; The new false teeth
cleaned in q smile
l-tbiDk-I-shallW
And You Il years older than he is!'
People don't think about such things as
they used TO dc" reasoned Miss Hartford,
the elder. Eros is immortal you know"
Halcyon sank back into the hammock
and reOpened her book.
You must do as you please, Of course"
said she. After that quotation about
Eros have not q suggestion TO offer"
jealous, poor darling" thought Aunt
Hal. with thrill OF pity. And SIZE said
We'll, cf course. one can't help those
things happening 10 one, and your time
will come soon, dear, never fear"
IT'S good thing" she added 20 herself.
She does not know anything about dear
Old Judge FlostToy. There's difference in
age, If you please, and the old pet is so in
fatuated about mel An old mans darling
OF young mans slave-whch?"
While Halcyon thought on her side
The silly goose! He has done it now
He has been making love to Aunt Hal
thinking be was cOGrting me. Oh, l
thought he knew her mans was the same as
mine. Didn't she stand godmother to me al
81. ChTys0Hne's and give me q coral and
bells and an embroidered christening robe?
And now he has actually proposed to herl
Well. II ne Is the man l take him to be, he'll
stand by MS eOloTS, cost him what it NAV
a man who could walk up to the lannon's
mouth at Bey-IdOnna surely wont shrink
even from Aunt Hal And I'd rather knew
that be was true hero th-than have pol
trOOD for my husband"
And Ralcyon turned her face toward the
pillow and cried great sparkling tears like
dewdrops.
$50 you're back again, lieutenant? Beg
pardon, I'd 0rter said colonel. | do sup
pose, said the old eab-driyer at the station.
whom Charlie Blossom had remem bered ever
since ne was child. well, l declare l
shouldn't hardly have knowed We! And
come home 10 be married eh ?"
Blossom bit his lips, but he laughed care
lessly. Jonas Hopper was a privileged in
diyldual, Ike the court testers of old.
How do you know, Hopper?
ION. dunno. Miss Hartford, she's been
gettIn, ready 70 be married, this long time. "
said Jonas, hosting the colonePs luggage
on the back OF the wagon. "And dress
makers and nlliners they will talk. won
know, though Pm told Miss Hal took great
pains TO hide it,"
ibid she2" aside: 1.-THE darlipgp9
AND a fine woman she is, colonel" Off
eiously added Jonas, as be pushed In the
last iron-clamped trunk "A yerv fine
woman, cOnsiderin' her age I wonder She
an't married long ago"
Colonel Blossom opened his sleepv black
eyes vide.
bVr
talking sbOut?"
Why, Miss Hal Hartford, 70 be sure"
Mss Halcyon or Miss Hallana?"
mere amt no Miss Haliana " said Tonas
Ihey re poth the same name; but we calls
tne aunt MISS Hal and the niece Miss Hal
eyon; Ny daughter she's lady's maid there.
ana q oTter know, il any one does"
"And which OF them Is II that is goir, -
be marrled?' breathlessly queried Blossom,
M,hy, the old 'un, In course! Beg par
donF' hurTiedly add Jonas. II mean Miss
Hal. Polly tells me there's twenty-fouT
dIneTent gownds ordered, let alone the
jackets ana parasols and ten-button kid
gloves ut TO make your hair stand on end. -
And Miss Halcyon-the Young ladv. "
cried the colonel-''she is engaged too p"
Not as any one knows on That's ALL
colonelP Got your TELESCOPES bagP Then
we'd better be moYin'."
Colonel Blossom pondered seriously all the
OD4lYlOUs
Jonas tneessant stream Of talk. Conld 4
be possible? No. that was utter nonsense
be strained his eyes as he approached the
mouse; Surely golden-haired HalcyoJ
W6lia De there, smiling, TO meet him!
But no. In her place stood middla.
sged charmer, rouged and powdered. with
pair cleaning meretTcously, and teeth
just a size too large for tie thin-IppeC
mouth. P'eD
10 one hand she held his loye-breatbino
letter. IN the other his photograph. And
during that second his heart sank iike Lad
he old not know-ah, how much more
aiIhcult would It have been to bear had he
known : that Halcyon Hartford's eve,
were surreptitiously watching him from tbt
neysuckle-garlanded easement beyond.
Dear Charles" the elderly damseI said
you are here at lastl'
De SET ms teeth. drew one long breath
and allowed her to slip a caressing ham
through his arm and Lead hira - a -