Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-03-01

and thought IT was a-cat. Mind
you, cat. A yellow cat, too, I sup
pose, for my hair is yellow. A cat,
he said, for which he entertained q
most murderous antipathy-a regular
ribalder that had In truth been dis
turbing both our dreams nightly for
some time. Then we began to laugh
about it, and 1t WASH long before he
was on the wall by my side and we
were chatting away like old cronies.
1t was little improper, admit,
but you know starving man will
tnot likely refuse a dainty morsel
given him, and / was ready to die
from loneliness.
Well, after that the old elm tree
got to be a regular trysting place,
and very soon-but this Is Aunt
Jeans romance, not mine.
Walter Fairfax was his name. He
had come to study medicine with his
uncle, DR.. John Fairfax, the owner,
and besides himself the only occu-
pant of the next door house. The
old gentleman, 1 inferred from what
he said, had in q measure adopted
him.
After q good while, with consider
able trepidation, 1 put a few ques-
tions to him relative to the feud ex-
listing between the two families, and
found that he knew as little and was
as curious about it as myself.
We soon began to compare our
selves to the Capulets and Mon
tagues; and he said If he was Romeo
must be-but there l go again.
Well, it soon came to this, that
Walter loved me and I loved Walter,
and we admitted as much to each
other and had come to the conclusion
that things couldn't go on in this I'M
settled, unsatisfactory way. Walter
insisted upon coming over and speak
ing to my aunts about it, and when
he would take no refusal / promised
to mention the subject to my aunts
myself. 1t was most absurd state
of things, and / was determined to
get at the bottom of the trouble. /
knew that for some reason any allu-
sion made respecting our neighbor
was painful, really distressing to
Aunt Jean, so / made up my mind to
unbosom myself one afternoon when
Aunt Jean had gone out by question
ing Aunt Caroline regardless of con-
sequences. This / did. / went to
her room and found her alone. Aunt
Jean had gone for a walk, and with
out preamble let it of.
You will not believe me when 1 tell
you the old lady tainted outright.
Well, she did; and such a time /
hope l will never have again. But !
got the secret. 1t seemed that long
ago, when they were young, Aunt
Jean and the old doctor over the way
had been lovers, but that a few weeks
before the marriage the old fellow
had just quietly walked off and Tilted
Aunt Jean, which almost broke her
heart; and for no rhyme or reason
that anybody could see had, indeed,
stayed of until the last few years,
when he suddenly came back one day,
and had been at home ever since, for
which Aunt Caroline had sworn a
vendetta against him and every re-
mote connection of his.
OF course it was very bad for him,
and felt very indignant, but l could
not help it, nor yet could Walter; so
when Aunt Caroline quietly forbade
me ever to speak to Walter again l
simply told her l could not and l
would not make any such promise.
She seemed to regard my loyalty to
Walter as the most unprecedented
ingratitude and bad faith on my part,
and told me plainly that she would
write at once to mamma to explain,
and upon receipt of mammals letter
l was to pack up and put out for
home.
OF course / went straight to
Walter, waiting at the old trysting-
tree, and wept away my wrath and
indignation in his comforting arms.
He consoled me by saying that he
would come to my home to see mann
ma about it, and felt sure that he
could make it plain to her that he
was in no way accountable for what
his uncle might have done. He said
also that in three months he would be
81, when he would come into some
property of his own and-who would
think this was Aunt jeans romance
Aunt Caroline after this kept such
a sharp eye on me that it was almost
impossible ever to get meeting with
Walter. But we wrote letters every
day and put them into crack in the
wall, which made nice little post
office.
But the days sped by and mammals
letter came. / did not think it was
in mamma to be SO cruel and hard.
hearted. There is no use to tell you
all she said. 1t was what Aunt Car.
oline wanted her to say, and it meant
that / was never again to have any.
thing to do with Walter, and she
said / was to come straight home. OF
course all this was kept from Aunt
Jean, but I had the greatest mind to
tell. The only thing that restrained
me was that / hated so to mention
the subject to her, hated so the idea
Of hurting her.
1t was the afternoon before the day
on which l was to be shipped home
in disgace, when / walked out qui.
city right before Aunt Caroline's
eyes and went down into the orchard
to meet Walter. Why she didn't