The Opelousas courier., 1896-12-12

G% e.: :: :; :s $' *; f.; y: ", ga e.: e;
Jane. Witch has a temper /; so have I
She wasn't christened Witch. God
fathers and mothers have much te
answer for, still I never heard of thei1
giving Witch az a baptismal name to
Christian child. No; her name il
Julia Felicia, which is simply absurd,
Fancy q little dark-eyed bewitchine
five feet nothing having a name like
that.
My name is John, and John I'm al.
ways called. Had 1 been c~hristened
Robert or Thomas I should have beer
called by either Of those plain, SEN
sible names. There is nothing for the
Imagination to catch hold of in my
face or figure. I'm not 6 feet in my
stockings; I'm only 5 feet 10. ]
haven't ''crisp golden hair" and a
"tawny beard" No; my eyes, hair
and beard are brown, and for the rest
I have nondescript features and good
teeth. Moreover, as I said before, 1
have a temper, a vile one, and in all
things. apart from my profession, am
a born fool.
1t was over a game of tennis that
Aunt Betsy Jane made us quarrel.
Witch didn't play up, and I "slated"
her. I've ''slated" Witch ever since
I have known her, and I've known her
since she was 10, SO she ought to have
got used to it. For the matter of
that, she wouldn't have bothered her
head about it if it hadn't been for nv
beloved aunt. Witch states me
ferociously sometimes, but it never
makes any difference.
Well, it was at one of Mrs. Douglas
eat Homes" that the row began.
Witch, Miss White, Dougal and I
were playing ten1is. Dougal and
Miss White we're Against us. As a
rule Witch ticks the other girl into
FITS, but on this occasion, for some
reason or other, the missed nearly
every ball. I was annoyed, and I ex-
pressed myself a little more strongly
than l ought to have done, but I'm
SUR | said nothing one whit stronger
than I've said scores of times without
any offence being taken. Be that as
it may, Witch refused to play any
more and went and sat down by Aunt
Betsy Jane.
I'm q doctor, and soon after that
some n fetched me away. 1t was a
bad case, and / didn't get home till
midnight. In the dining room some
cold meat and coffee wereI waiting for
me; SO was a note from Witch. / ate
o mouthful and drank a cup of coffee :;
then I opened the note. For a mo.
ment 1 felt as if I had a knife in nv
heart. 1t was such a cruel stab. Witch
my little Witch-would have moth
ing more to do with me. My conduct
at Mrs. Douglas had proved to her
that she no longer possessed nv re-
spect, and without respect love was
not likely to last long, ETC., etc. She
ended by saying that che would have
returned my ring, but could not re-
move it from her finger, but that she
would get the jeweler to cut it off to.
morrow. I smiled, a grim smile at the
last sentence. I had no intention of
allowing that ring to be cut off.
The lovely efnsion puzzled me al-
together. It wasn't in Witcn's usual
style. Naturally, a note of that kind
coming from her would have run in
this way: 'tJohn, I hate and and de-,
test you, and hope you'll keep out of
my sight forever" or something like
1t. Well, l went to bed. I was such an
ass that l never slept a wink all night ;
but / made up my mind what I would
do. l got up early and made a good
breakfast then I went into the sur
gerry, saw my assistant and talked
over the cases, and told him I should
be away all day. After that 1 went
to town, straight to Witch's fathers
Office. He hadn't arrived, but his
people knew me, and showed me into
his private roon.3 He and I are great
friends-always have been. So it was
quite natural to me to go to him fcr
advice, orlather to talk over things,
When he came in he seemed rather
surprised at seeing me; but. after he
had shaken hands he looked over his
letters, gave some directions, and then
calmly at me said:
snow, John!"
'Can you spare me half an hour,
sir"
'.Aa far Is I know. Go ahead"
"Well, I'm making $500 a year, and
my practice is increasing"
"That's good"
"Don't you think Witch and I might
marry on that?"
Certainly"
You have nc objection to our
marrying next month, ifshe consents? ?"
"None. I have no wish that she
should marry at all, but il she must
marry, I'd rather she married you
than any n else" !
"Thank you, Sir, for saying that.
Thank You very much" said I, CRATE
July, selling his hand and wringing
& hard.
Just SO, : said he, removing it from
ny grasp and looking anxiously at it.
'sBut why this fervor?n
I put Witch's precious epistle in
'front.' Of him. Heread it twice through
att~entiyely. put il down, and looking
ct me, said: