Middletown transcript., 1893-10-07

I&1N6k$1G&H nun
and gard ems
joined each other and very pretty
lawns and gardens they were, too, fol
he widow and Judge Berkeley hated
each other with a hatred that was
vi orous and mutual and there was
nothing on earth that would have in.
duced either of them to be behind the
other In anything If it could be helped
by infinite pains and labor and medi.
tation.
To have the earliest and the latest
roses, to pick ripe strawberries first, to
transplant tomato vines soonest, the
widow or her venerable neighbor would
have sacrificed almost anything that
they possessed.
It was a curious rivalry, but it did
no harm, gave employment to two de-
serving men, who, as gardeners, fully
appreciated the situation and chnckled
over it to each other across the fence
when they were sure their employers
were not looking.
The quarrel between these two old
people dated back to long before the
death of the lamented Samuel Dodge,
but his relict had kept up the side of
the departed spouse with faithfulness
and interest.
It is not likely that either Judge
Berkeley or Mrs. Dodge could have
told the cause Of the difficulty with
great definiteness, but each was de-
termined to preserve the family honor
at the cost of whatever might be.
Now, these two people had each one
child-Mrs. Dodge daughter and Mr..
Berkeley son.
What wonder that the two young
people we're lonesome or. that they
should have met more than once behind
the arbor in the Dodge garden when
they were sure that mamma Dodge
was miles away and papa Berkeley was
locked up In his library studying assidu-
ously horticultural books with view to
trlumphs over the widow Dodge.
Little Miss Lillian Dodge was pretty
and bright and demure.
Arthur K. Berkeley was recently
graduated from college. played tennis
IN . flannel suit and picked a banjo on
the the wide veranda.
It was through the banjo that they
got acquainted, although, being abso-
luiely forbidden to know each other,
they would probably have met some
other way If not as they did.
Miss Dodge had been playing on the
piano. Her windows were open for the
evening was warm, and the sound of an
air from Mendelssohn came softly on the
evening breeze to the young mans ear
as he sat ON the wide yeranda smoking
lazily and thinking Of nothing in par
ticular except the lonliness Of the place
an the ill-luck that tied him to it.
He was not much of a musician and
he did not know the air, but be
liked it.
Presently, after the music had stop
ped, he went in and got his banjo and
tried. softly, to reproduce the part that
most attracted him. He could not
quite catch it though.
He hoped she would play it over, but
she did not, although be waited until
the lights went out in the Dodge house,
hold.
The next evening the widow Dodge
drove away in her carriage and Mr..
Berkeley, the elder, shut himself up in
his study.
The young man walked brayely over
and spoke to Miss Dodge through the
open window. He asked her to play
the air for him, and he had to get his
banjo to show her what it was he
wanted.
These things did not take long.
They met often after that, at first by
accident, than by open design.
When he told her that he loved her
she put her pretty head down on his big
chest quite contentedly, and they
proved their love by the widest vows
of undying faith and devotion.
At first they were quite happy. think
ing and talking of their love; but one
day, quite naturally enough, Arthur
spoke of their marriage. It happened
in this wise:
Lillian was gathering basketful of
flowers down in the garden behind the
arbor, and Arthur strolled down on
his side and cautiously leaned over ths
fence.
MAY come oyerpn he asked.
Lillian nodded encouragingly,
.Mama has gone over to visit Mrs.
GodelI. . she said.
Arthur cleared the fence at q bound,
md Then 80 down on the long garden