Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-10-11
A SINISTER.

She became a spinster 21 years ago. Thus fate decreed it.
 Young men had become afflicted with a passion for Caroline-wartime gal lants. three decades back. But before their mouths had caught courage from their eyes or their arms had acted out the convictions of their silences they had received her unspoken No" Her proud bearing was part of natures gift. and if in part it was q screen for her timidity, the mask was too deceptive. had Caro- line but known it. Her lovers fell away one by one from q fortress that only seemed invulnerable.
 When this troop of towards had yield cd. there had stepped forward a man of courage, of broad mental compass. Though young. he had served his coun- try-not alone passively, but actively, i'll battle. a private at first. He had fought bravely, and when graduated from the school of war had an ugly scar on his left arm to show for it. He was almost ashamed of it-so slight. The same bullet had killed a comrade near by. He had ambitions noble. strong. He had will of iron. energies unfaltering. He possessed. besides q fine physique, the sufficient physical backing to uphold him in his exploits. He was persistent in love as in elbowIng his way forward among his fellowmen. He loved Caro- line.
 She had often analysed her feelings toward him. She knew his love was honest. She approved his perseverance,, and vt, when he demanded an answer, she had said no. Later she had re- peated it-''No." Still he was obstinate. Then had come that farewell moment when hr was about departing for broader fields to give his ambitions play Answer me. Answer me finally!' he had demanded.
 At that critical moment she had ad- mired his manner. He had given no in- dication of lack of hope. She had hes itated an instant. 4 denser film had overspread her eyes. And then. con trolling her nerves, she had answered:
 Forever, Mir. Hadon, no!''
 Her eyes had looked into his an iu- stant, and then upon the ground. The agony that they suffered on the porch there together had been of brief mo- ment.
 Il go now" he had said. and left her. She had never called him by his given name. but. as he passed through the gateway these words had almost es- capped her:
 T do love you. John! Come back!' The words were never spoken. That was the instant in which Caroline became a spinSter.
 When she reflected upon what she had done. she was half regretful After all, , that which had deterred her from ac- cepting him was only whim ot her own. He Was handsome: YeS. II, WAS manly. Without doubt: He possess ! ed for her certain fascination, but l with leap. that to the whole world ex- cept herself was unaccountable, her thoughts went back to the ugly nurse she had had in her infancy. She shud- lercd as Sllc bcheld then, as clearly as 20 years previous. tho aged haS lowering at her, oglins her through those wary spec taclcs. How she had wondered if she appeared distorted ill the distorted eyes of Hannah!
 But those were tiny cares, childish compared to the worries of the present moment tu which her mind roturncd. ! Undoubtedly another man would love her exactly like him, cxcept-Caroline had rested her elbows upon her knees her face in her hands and was weeping Her rcveric had presently taken a more practical turn. How could she tell her father and mother that he had gone, gone forever: that neither they nor she should see him again: She dared not give tkt real reason, the paltry objection thai had offset his words of manliness.