The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1894-02-10

means at mana Dy Wnlcn 10 get IL
back. At this juncture | had the
breath taken out of me by a stone
that came crashing through the
branches within six inches OF my
head. | scrambled TO my knees as
best 1 could i'm "a kind OF dazed fash.
ion, to see the good-looking young
mar not twenty yards away, stand
ing stockstill and covered with con-
fusion. 1t truly isn't a usual thing
in polite society for "A young gentle
nan TO throw stones at n young lady.
At first he was tongue-tied then he
hurried on TO beg "A thousand pardons
and to explain that he had only seen
my head moving between the branches
and thought it vas a-cat. Mind
you, a cat. A yellow cat, too, | sup
pose, for my hair is yellow. A cat,
he said, for which he entertained "a
most murderous antipathy-a regular
ribaldcr that had in truth been dis
turbing both our dreams nightly for
some time. Then we began to laugh
about it, and it wasn't long before hc
was on the wall by my side and we
were chatting away like old cronies.
1t was a little improper, ! admit,
but you know "A starving man will
not likely refuse "A dainty mOrscl
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. lIo
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, | inferred from what
he said, had in a measure adopted
him.
After a good while, with consider
able trcpidation, ! put II few qucs-
tiOns TO him relative to the feud PIX
listing between the two families, and
found that he knew as little and was
as curious about it as myself.
We oon began to compare our
selves TO the Capulcts and Mon
tagucs and he said if he was Romeo
| must bc-but there | go again.
Well, it soon came TO this, that
and we admitted as much TO each
other and had come TO the conclusion
that things couldn't go on i'm this un-
settled, unsatisfactory way. Walter
insisted upon coming over and speak
ing to my aunts about il, and when
he would take no refusal | promised
TO mention the subject to my aunts
myself. II was Il most absurd state
OF things, and | was determined to
get at the bottom OF the trouble. |
knew that for some rcason any alIu-
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 n walk, and with
out preamble let it off.
You will not believe me when | tell
you the old lady tainted outright.
tll, Nllt Alh anu SuNIl a. lllllt 4
hope will never have again. But !
got the secret. II seemed that long
ago, when they were young, Aunt
Jean and the old doctor ovcr the way
had been lovers, but that II 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 off 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 n
vendetta against him and every re-
mote connection Of his.
OF course it was very bad for him,
and felt very indignant, but could
not help it, nor yet could Walter; SO
when Aunt Caroline quietly forbade
me ever TO speak to Walter again |
simply told her | could not and |
would not make any such promise.
She seemed to regard my loyalty to
Walter as the most unprecedented
ingratitudc and bad faith ON my part,
and told me plainly that she would
WI &C at onC to mamma to explain,
and upon receipt Of mammals letter
| 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.
lie consoled me by saying that he
would como TO my home to sec mann
ma about il, 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 Owl and-who would
think this was Aunt Jeans romance?
Aunt Caroline after this kept such
n sharp eye OF me that il was almost
impossible ever TO get Il meeting with