Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-10-28
sYou have 40 objections 10 onf mas.

sYou have 40 objections 10 our 0af.
rying next month, II she consentsr'
'.Nons. / have no wish that she
ehould marry at al, but II she must
marry, I'd rather she married you than
anyone else"
Thank you. sir. for saying that
thank you very much" said 1, grateful
II, ssixing his hand and wringing It
hard.
"Just So" said he, removing 1t from
my grasp and looking anxiously At It
But Why this fervor"
put Witch's precious epistle in front
Of him. He read it twice through at
tendvely. put 1t down. and looking
calmly At me said:
"very interesting! But scarcely to
b regarded a . prelude to very
speedy matrimony. should think"
"Ah, but It Il, sir. a girl doesn't
write . note like that and have done
with II. No, she continues to write
them. 1 shall probably get . similar
note once q month now and that will Be
very tirins. give you my word that I
did not sleep . wink last night The
practice won't stand that sert Of thing
long, you know" said / earnestly.
"You seem to have an accurate
knowledge Of women and their waya." I"
he remarked dryly.
allowed that speech 10 pass without
comment Comment seemed superau-
ous.
III might ask, should Ike 10 know
O.. - In
this Nstls misunderstandingT he
asked.
Il am, sir. It stands to reason; l
ehould not be 80 anxious II she were In
fault" and then l explained the whole
matter, finishing up with, Il can't re-
member exactly what / called her, but
whatever 1t was didn't mean It"
Il am not able to refresh your mem
ory to what you said on that occasion.
but can tell you what l have heard
you call her myself" said Mr.. Druitt.
quietly. And then he told me.
His tone was a revelation to me. Not
that I'd call Witch anything worse
than a little fool" But I realize what
It must have sounded like to the heav-
CTS, and to him. her fathsrl / don't
know how l looked. but felt mean,
cheap, worthless. Utterly %. began
TO stumble out apologies. He waved
bis hand.
"Au right" said he, but you see your
language Is at all times forcible."
He is a wise man, so he said no more.
He showed his wisdom therein, for I
Vent at once to see Witch In q very
contrite frame of mind. I was ready
10 make a mat Of myself and let my
darling trample on me II 1t should 50
please her. or to do any other extrava.
CANT thing, such was the depth Of my
humility. Still. as Journeyed Putney-
ward 1 wondered as to who could have
stirred up the strife between US. Sud-
denly it flashed across my mind that
Witch had seated herself beside Aunt
Betsy Jane, and that Aunt Betsy Jane
was her godmother and therefore IL
censed to interfere. l am not going to
explain how Aunt Betsy Jane came to
be Witch's godmOther. am not lady
novelist and therefore don't think 1t
necessary to explain everything. 1t has
nothing to do with this story; besides,
I WAS only 6 years old when she was
ckristened and wasn't consulted as to
ber sponsors. To be sure, 1t must have
been Aunt Betsy Jane who suggested
The letter.
When 1 arrived at the Cedars 1t was
about II o'clock. II all went well peace
would reign between Witch and myself
ia an hour. And If so 1 would take her
off to Richmond, get a boat from Mes
sums, row up the river, come to an
chor in q backwater 1 knew Of between
Richmond and Hampton and then make
Ter name the day. But things didn't
so well: they went exceedingly badly
instead. When Amelia amelia 10 the
Druitt's housemai0 opened the door
and l inquired for Witch she said,
Miss Druitt is not well, sir. but I'll
tell her you're here"
Then she showed me into the dining
room. This was ominous! In the
Druitts' menage 1t is customary to see
people who come on busfness-dress-
L1akers, laundresses, servants seeking
piaces-in the dining room before lunch.
Amelia left me and went upstairs.
rapidly diagnosed the situation. took
cut my pocketbook and wrote: my
da Ring. I shall wait in the old boat at
the end OF the lawn till you can see me-
ED then l signed 1t John"
Amelia came back. "If you please,
cir, Miss Druitt does not feel equal to
seeing you to-day, but will write to you
TO night"
Exactly" said I, quietly. Can you
give me an envelope? Thanks. Give
tAat 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 1t was seldom used,
rs the spot was not picturesque. but II
was secluded. hidden both from the
house and from passing boats by thick
dropping willows. 1t was here that
Witch and l had come to the conclu.
sion that we could not live without each
ether. sat down in the boat feeling
very wroth with Witch and bitter
against Aunt Betsy Jane. would
have given much to know II she were
In the house at that moment. though
out all had heard Of the days OF hel
youth. felt mean and spiteful l be
thought me of an old incident in hel
life wherein Aunt Betsy Jane hat
sailed very near the wind and had
Isrrow escape Of social wreck.
ought to have forgotten it, but an
not heroic. Both morally and physic
ally l am commonplace. That 10 to say
II Pm struck 1 hit back, or try to
Would you believe It? l sat in tina
boat, except when got up and stretch
ed myself. until 8 o'clock! 1t was near
" dark, and when heard the clocl
r,rike 1 swore to myself that II Witcl
u,d not appear before the Ginning o
the chiminE of the quarter I woult
row the old boat down to the bridge
Give q boy sixpence to bring 1t back