The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1896-11-28

A1C sAASo 00OAs - yOu PAO06Oe
sir. Miss Druitt does not feel equal
to seeing you today, but will write
to you tonight"
Exactly" said I quietly. Can
you give me an envelopes? Thanks.
Give that to Miss Druitt. please"
The maid left the room. and I went
into the garden. At the bottom Of
the garden ran the river. Chained
to a post was an old boat. It was
seldom used, as the spot was not
picturesque, but 1t was secluded,
hidden both from the house and
from the passing boats by thick
dropping willows. It was here that
Witch and I had come to the conclu.
sion that we could not live without
each other. / sat down in the boat,
feeling very wroth with Witch and
bitter against Aunt Betsy Jane. I
would have given much to know IL
she were in the house at that mo.
ment. / thought out all I had heard
of the days Of her youth. ! felt
mean and spiteful. I bethought me
Of an old incident in her life wherein
Aunt Betsy Jane had sailed very
near the wind and had had a narrow
escape Of social wreck.
fought to have forgotten 1t, but /
am not heroic. Both morally and
physically l am commonplace-that
IL to say, if I'm struck, l hit back,
or try to. Would you believe 1t? I
sat in that boat. except when I got
| up and stretched myself, till 8
: o'clock. It was nearly dark, and
when I heard the clock strike l swore
to myself that if Witch did not ap-
/ pear before the Ginning of the quar-
ter / would row the old boat down
to the bridge, give a boy sixpence to
bring it back again-and, we'll, when
Witch wanted me, she might send
for me-. That was all.
It must have been very near the
quarter when ! saw stealing down
the garden, her head and shoulders
wrapped up in q white cloud, my
Witch. At least l thought SO at first.
But ! soon saw it wasn't. 1t was
some one more kin and less kind.
Nevertheless, az the form drew near,
peering about in the dusk, I sprang
forward, caught her in my arm and
kissed her. She had no breath with
which to utter sound. She could
not listen to my ardent-far more
ardent than I ever bestowed on
, neutrality-suspicious. of affection.
my darling" went on, II know
you would never have made such q
little fool of yourself if it hadn't
been for that malicious catamaran,
Aunt Betsy Jane" The form within
my arms struggled. / was holding
her tightly, or my face might have
suffered. But Ill tell you a tale,
dear, about her. I'm the only living
soul that knows, now old nurse is
dead" You couldn't hear the form
breathe, SO still was it. / went on
Aunt Betsy Jane is IS now"-the
form wrigeled-''about Is years
ago'-l could hear her heart teat, !
relented-''No, Witch, l will not tell
you that story. You have come to
me, and ! can afford to pity Aunt
Betsy Jane. She was badly used
when she was young. and she can't
bear to see people happy now she is
old"
The form muttered. Iopened my
arms. want to fetch something,
dear. You shall. Only come back
at once, or l stall feel like telling
that old tale about Aunt Betsy
Jane"
She scuttled off to the house, and
in q minute or two Witch came down
the garden in a very dignifed man.
ner. l let her come right to the edge
of the water and peer about. ! knew
she couldn't see me. Presently she
said anxiously, "John!'
My heart jumped, but / didn't in.
tend to give myself away, so ! sim.
ply said, "WellP" But she didn't
intend to give herself away either.
She turned. Then l saw that l had
my work cut out for me.
"Stay, Witch; I'm in the boat. y
! exclaimed in a tone of deepest en-.
treaty as l scrambled on shore. She
paused. l caught. hold of her hand.
Witch" l cried reproachfully,
I've been waiting here for nearly
eight hours, and I'm SO faint I can
hardly speak"
That fetched her. A woman will
60 ~cheerfully for hours without q
orumb, do yards and yards of shop
ping on a halfpenny bun and think
nothing of it. but let a man only say
that he has missed his lunch, and
they make as much fuss over him
as If he had suffered the martyrdom
of St. Lawrence.
"You poor thingi" exclaimed my
darling. Come in at once and have
something to eat"
mo. WITCH" I said family, but
firmly. You must forgive me-"
Forgive you! OF course ! forgive
you. ! didn't know you had beer
here all that time. Do come in al