The herald., 1893-10-25
A SPINSTER., ,
q. Z.

Young men had become afflicted with
a passion for Carolne-wartime gal
lants, three decades back. But before
their mouthsahad caught courage from
their eyesSors their arms had acted out
the convictiahs of their silences, they had
received herinnspoken mo" Her proud
bearing wastpart of natures gift, and if
in part itsvuasla screen for her timidity,
the mask swas too deceptive, had Caro-
line but known it. Her lovers fell away
one bysone- afrom, fortress that only
seemediinvua9ferable.
When .thisIfroop of towards had yield
ed, thereshad&tepped forward man Of
courage. of broad mental compass
Though, young, shehad served his ooun-
fry-no5 sakqne- 4passively, but actively,
in battles private at first. He had
fought bfaveEY, and when graduated
from ,tha sohoG1 ofswa had an ugly scar
on his left armyto show for it. He was
almost ashamed eof it-so slight. The
same bullet thadE KILLED comrade near
by. HehadsamtHTions noble, strong. He
had aHSIl fsiron,. energies unfaltering.
He possessed lhasfdss a fine physique, the
sufficient 'ttysfcal backing to uphold
him in his4exploits. He was persistent
in love as iflselbowing his way forward
among his Aellowmen. He loved Caro-
line.
She had often analyzed her feelings
toward him. She knew his love was
honest. Sheapproved his perseverance,
and yet;awhen he demanded an answer,
she had said mo. Later she had re-
peated it-'No." Still he was obstinate.
Then had come that farewell moment
when hewas about departing for broader
fields to give his ambitions play.
"Answer4me! Answer me finallyw he
had demanded.
At hatscritical moment she had ad-
mired his manner. He had given no in
dication of lack of hope. She had hes
itated an instant. A denser film had
overspread her eyes. And then, con-
trolling her,nerves, she had answered:
Forever, Mr.. Hadon, nor
4 Her eyes had looked into his an in
slant, and then upon the ground. The
agony that they suffered on the porch
there together had been of brief mo-
ment.
81 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:
Il do loveiyou, John! Come back"
The words were never spoken. That was
the instant in which Caroline became
spinster.
When she reflected upon what she had
done, she was half regretful. After all,
that which had deferred her from ac-
cepting him was only whim of her
own. He was handsome? Yes. He was
manly. Without doubt? He possess
ed for her a certain fascination, but
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-
dered as she beheld then, as clearly as 90
years previous, the aged hag lowering at
her, ogling hersthrough those wary spec
tacles. How she had wondered if she
appeared distorted in the distorted eyes
of Hannah!
But those were tiny cares, childish
compared to the worries of the present
moment to which her mind returned.
Undoubtedly another man would love
her exactly like him, except-Caroline
had rested her elbows upon her knees,
her face in her hands and was weeping.
Her reverie had presently taken 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 the
real reason, the paltry objection that
had offset his words of manliness.
Ten years ago Caroline found white
hair in the midst of that cascade of
black. She drew it over in FROM of her
face, looked upward at it with a slight
cast of the eyes and petulantly pulled it
out. She was not old. Forty is not old
The following day she discovered all
other. 1t had root near the right temple.
Yesterdays gray hair had been upon the
left. If she must grow old a virgin
Providence at least intended that she
should grow old symmetrically, in per-
feet form till the end. Then, as she
swept the long wisps Of black around in
front of her, she discerned another. This
nettled her. She carefully separated it
from the wealth of surrounding black
and fingered it to its source at the top
just at the very top of her well shaped
head. She pulled it out, exclaiming as
eho l;d on nVUaoGein
But she was now growing old. She
would not have minded these tokens had
they been seasonable gifts from Father
Time. But 40 is not old.
The following day Caroline penned
letter to distant apothecary.
Il have friend whose hair is becom-
ing gray" she wrote. please send me"
the pen tilted a moment. She was
writing for what in her younger days
she had called "that horrid stuff" And
yet it was only dye, and for u friend.
She finished Che epistIe and posted it
herself l.;t -s-
A fow days later small parcel came
through the mail addressed TO Caroline,
She took it to her room, and, although
there was no ono in the house but her
self, locked the door. She pondered. If
she should use the dye, would she be the
only one deceived? Would the rest of
the world pi(%e-s the deception at once?
She sat there awhile penaively listless in
her manner of Thought, examining the
label. Then a sudden revulsion againss