Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-12-24
MISS NAN.


eyes and long lashes, pale complexion,
light brown hair, with here and there
strand of gray, not pretty, but attractive
looking, simple in manner, speech and
dress-that was Miss Nan.
That she was an old maid was beyond
dispute Her most intimate friend would
not have denied it if he could. Though
for the matter of that he could not, be-
longing, as he did, to the feline species
and not being blessed with the power of
speech. She was turned" 35 If she was
day, and the most hopeful Of that social
scourge known as matchmakers had long
since scratched her name off their list of
possibilities.
Miss Nan lived in her own cottage, and
the lawn in front Of it was the neatcst in
Tiffin, as the little parlor inside was the
tidiest The three cats that monopolized
the hearth rug in tho parlor of evenings
were us sleek as could be and exceptional
ly we'll behaved for cats. Tho furniture
was of quaint pattern but the easy
chairs were comfortable in the extreme,
and if the little earthcnware teapot was
half as good brewer as it was singer
don't blame her for indulging in it's con-
tents rather freely.
That Miss Nan had good heart and q
kind one I can vouch for, and so could
many barefooted urchin and many an
overworked factory girl. There was no
Sunday school teacher in Tiffin as beloved
by her scholars, and they all knew the
flavor of her famous cookies. l was not
surprised to hear one day that Miss Nan
had had bit of romance In her life, SO
long ago that the younger generation had
never heard Of it and the older generation
had long since forgotten it.
There had been certain handsome
young man who had courted her In tho
old days, and not unsuccessfully. He had
been practicing law for three or four years,
and his prospects were unusually bright.
He was genial in his way but proud to
fault. He had never been II ladys man,
and despite tho fact that many jaunty
caps had been set for him he had almost
been set down for u young bachelor con-
firmed in his waywardness until he met
Miss Nan ut church festival. From that
evening the predictions toppled over like
cardhouses, for, though she did not appar-
emily rcciprocate at first, he was deter
mined wooer, with youth, good looks and
winning tongue to back him. So at last
she meltcd-of course she did, for what
else was that woman's heart Of hers Gre
ated?--and the gossips began to wonder
when the day would be set and to surmisc
among themselves that it had been set
and was still secret. But whether it
really had or had not been Silas Grantley
knew and Miss Nan knew, but the Cos
sips never did find out.
OF the matrimonially inclined young
ladies whos had set their caps for Sila"
Grantley before the fateful church festi.
val none had set them SO artfully, so
hopefully as Lizzie NIinks She was u
pretty bit of woman Qong SINCE the
wife of henpecked husband), with spar
king black eyes, sharp features and q
tight little figure that she was won't to
deck out with tho gayest ribbons imagi-
nable She had Spanish blood in her veins
and was proud Of it, and proud of her
temper too. Though Silas had never paid
her any serious attention, she had ap-
peared attractive to him until he met
Miss Nan. If it had not been for that,
there is no telling what might not have
happened. Miss Minks was not young
lady to submit to such total eclipse
calmly, and the truth was that she never
had any intention of submitting to 1t at
all. One day about the time that the gos-
sips had settled it satisfactorily among
themselves that 1.-The day had finally been
set" she came to the conclusion that mat
tiers had progressed far enough and made
an afternoon call on her successful rival.
| She left her pretty airs and graces at
home with her gay ribbons that morning
and was sad enough figure when her
hostess ushcrcd her into the parlor-tho
same little parlor, though Miss Mans
mother was living then, and was bright
CT to her than it was in after years. Lizzie
| Minks told her story we'll and wept bitter
tears over 1t too. She told how Silas had
wooed her and won her and had promised
to marry her, and how the day had been
named, and how he had kept up the cruel
deception even after he had met Miss Nan
herself, and how heartlessly he had final
" thrown her over and laughed ut her.
Then when shO saw that the girl ut her
side appeared sorcly troubled she became
remorseful and vowed that she ought not
to have told her. Then she grew hystcr-
ical and rallied against all men and de.
spised herself for an idiot to have ever
trusted one of them. Her auditor was very
quiet through 1t all, but Lizzie Minks
knew that her shaft had been a straight
one and went home exulting. After she
had gone, Miss Nan did what many an
other girl in her place would have done.
She had hard cry She did not tell her
mother She could not have told any one.
She hated to think that even Lizzie Minks
knew the man she loved in such an altered
light. But the mere fact Of thinking OF
him softcncd her, and she hoped-aye, In
the loyalty Of her heart, she trusted that
Silas had been misunderstood. There
should DO no misunderstanding between
them. She determined to tell him that
evening, when he called, all that she had
heard. But tangled through hcr trouble
| was sore feeling of disappointment that
Silas could have even carclessly trified with
another woman, and q feeling, too, Of un.
conscious jealousy In the thought that
he had prolonged the farce after he had
begun the wooing Of herself 1t was q
feeling akin to resentment against him, In
| justice to her own worth.
When no entered the parlor q few hours
later, he knew at once that something
was wrong, and Miss Nan did not leave
him long in doubt She told him the
whole story, only withholding the name
| Of her informant. She kept back her tears,