Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1896-10-28
It must have been very near the quar-.

It must have been very near the quar-
ter when | saw stealing down the gar
den, her head and shoulders wrapped
Up in a white cloud. my Witch. At
least I thought so at first. But | soon
saw 1t wasn't. 1t was someone more
kin and less kind. Nevertheless, as the
form drew near, peering about in the
dusk, | sprang forward, caught her In
MY arms and kissed her. She had no
breath with which to utter a sound.
She could only listen to my ardent
far more ardent than l ever bestowed
oil Witch-expressions of affection.
MY darlingp' l went on. Il know
you would never have made such a lit
tie fool of yourself if it hadn't been for
that malicious catamaran, Aunt Betsey
jane" The form within my arms
struggled | was holding her tightly
or my face might have suffered. But
III tell you 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 1t was
went on: aunt Betsey Jane is 45
now = the form wriggled-'about
twenty-five years ago"-I could hear
| er heart beat. relented-"No, Witch,
| will not tell you that story! You have
come to me and l can afford to pity
Aunt Betsey 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. | opened my
n ,,,,o GsxNa nf tn fatch comatbinU dear
You shall. Only come back at once, or
/; shall feel like telling that old tale
about Aunt Betsy Jane"
She scuttled off to the house and In a
minute or two Witch came down the
garden in very dignified manner. l
let her come right to the edge of the
water and peer about. l knew she
couldn't see me. Presently she said,
anxiously: "Johnw
My heart jumped, but l didn't in
tend to give myself away, so 1 simply
said, "Wellv' But she didn't intend to
give herself away, either. She turned.
Then saw that had my work cut out
Tor me.
Stay, Witch; Pm in the boat" l ex-
claimed in a tone of deepest entreaty,
10 scrambled on shore. She paused.
: caught hold of her hand witch" l
{, ed, reproachfully, 1--WE been waiting
liz re for nearly eight hours and Pm so
ia int l can hardly speak"
That fetched her! A woman will go
cheerfully for hours without crumb,
do yards and yards of shopping on a
halfpenny bun and think nothing OF T.,
but let man only say he missed his
lunch and they make as much fuss over
him as IL he had suffered the martyr
dom of st. Lawrencei
You poor thingw exclaimed my dar-
ling. "Come in at once and have some
thing to eat"
mo, Witch" said, family, but firm
ly; you must forgive me-"
"Forglve you! OF course I forgive
you. didn't know you had been here
all that time. Do come in at once or
you'll die. l know you will"
But l stuck to my guns and l didn't
go indoors until 1 had made Witch
promise that we should be married that
day month. Then 1 consented to 60 in
and work mighty havoc among the eat
| ables.
Aunt Betsy Jane came to our wedding
and made us handsome present. Then
| she went to live with some friends in
the North. l think the poor old soul
had had some suspicion l knew her
Story, and so had tried to part us. She
took my note from Amelia in the morn
| ing and kept it for tnat reason. My
| CARING did not know l was in the boat
until Aunt Betsy came in from the gar
| den and told her.
But l have never told my wife n
word II isn't wise to tell your wife all
the little peccadilloes of your friends