The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1896-03-13
WON BY WRESTLING.

giving musical "At Home and per-
Torrance of siflleurs had proved the
hit of the evenings entertainment.
An hour or so later, the crowd" hav-
ing dispersed, Birdy Jackson, Hartley
and I were idly discussing the events
Of the affair in the smoling-room.
Jackson and were stopping over night
with our host, being old chums of his,
and living some distance out of town.
mo idea you could give us such
ripping performance, Birdy," remarked
Hartley; land when your wife joined
in was perfectly astounded.'
Jackson laughed softly.
"No, she doesn't do it at all badly
he admitted, "You'know, Dick, there's
a bit of romance attached to that whis-
tie of hers; in fact, it was the means OF
bringing our matrimonial desires to an
abrupt point at an extremely critical
Leriod in our courtship.'
Hartley gave me a gentle kick.
"Then your union had spice OF TO-
nance about it?' he said.
Rather! Unique in the annals OF
love-making, l should say. But folks
are so COMPOUNDED incredulous nova
days, I've never attempted to tell the
yarn but once, and then l swore I'd
never do it again."
But he had to, on this occasion, and
soon began TO interest us as follows:
"First of all, you must know, Mr..
King"-addressing me-"lm called
Birdy on account of having practiced
from earliest infancy n cheap form of
musical recreation. Though cutfed as
boy, severely reprimanded for warb-
ling in slack business hours and sound
ly execrated by the neighbors, l never
theless persevered.
"a year this last summer l came in
Tor sum of money, which rendered me
a practically wealthy and independent
man, and to celebrate my good fortune
] threw up my business berth and went
into Yorkshire to spend few weeks
with professional bachelor friend
nnd to idle generally.
"While there / was introduced to a
Col. Alton and his daughter Evelyn,
were intimate friends of my chum.
Nice CIR she was; plenty of go with
cut being the least fast In less than
fortnight was over head and ears in
love with her. The subsequent after
moons at the Chase were too hot for
tennis. Col. Alton spent them snooz-
ing in his study. Evelyn's elderly COM
,anion and her fathers housekeeper-
Tor Mrs. Alton had been dead some
vears-nodded in the shade OF her IA
,orite elm, and my friend had invari-
ably to leave for an important case be-
fore the tea came out. Very nice OF
him, thought.
"Ihus thrown together Evelyn and
monopolized the arbor. and ! used to
amuse her by trillipg selections from
the operas, Comic and serious), and she
would occasionally join in as a kind OF
flip to my performances. Though
woman in every respect, she could whis-
tie. In most of the well-knowp tunes
up to date or pathetically aged, she eX
celled, owing to the fact that during the
winter months for some years past she
lad always ofliciated at thepiano for the
village popular concerts, when the vo-
cal and instrumental items were natur-
ally of an amusing and light order-at
times scarcely high-class, perhaps.
"Then came the time when the col
onel had to be approached. The old
man gave me prompt and curt refusal.
He had other views for his child
tried remonstrance, then dogged per-
sistency, but with no avail. Evelyn
stood out like brick. This burst of
Independence resulted in her immediate
Punishment to regions unknown to me,
under the surveillance of a relative of
mature age and experience, and all COM
munication between us strenuously de-
MED and forestalled. All chances of
elopement, even, were reduced TO nil.
's!A few days later left my friends
for Bournemouth, there to recruit my
shattered health and think things over
quietly. I was crushed for the time be.
ing. AS / alighted from my cab at the
entrance to the North Cliff, where
lad taken rooms, an elderly lady came
down the steps. Her face seemed some
what familiar to me, though l could not
at the time recall to mind when AMI
where | had seen it before. When she
started as she saw me, and somewhat
hurriedly reentered the hotel, / was fur
Their mystified. A thought struck me as
was signing my name in the hotel reg
lister of visitors some time later Two
pages back l found AT entry: Miss AL
ton and Miss f. Alton l tumbled to it
in a second, then. The elderly lady l
had encountered was, undoubtedly, Col.
Atoms sister, who had been staying at
the Chase and left two days after my ar
rival in the village, and before knew
anything of Evelyn | had once passed
her walking with the colonel, and she
must have recognized me again.
81 remarked on the entry to the clerk
in d casual way, and he volunteered the
information that Miss Alton had, but &
few moments previously, given notice
of her intention to vacate their apart
ments the next morning. This stag
gered me. Then Miss Alton certainly
did not know ell, and decided on flight
as the only safe remedy under the cir
cumstances.
"Not a glimpse could catch of Ev.
elyn. After dinner, from a search on
the pier l returned to theNorth CHI
and sat disconsolately smoking out on
the balcony Of my roonl in the growing
dusk. Almost un"onsciously ! lapsed
into melody, and appropriately com
menced to WA BILE softly: Alice, Where
Art Tkou?' A slight movement on tine
balcony above mine, and one window to
the left. carsed me t. glance up. A
figure in white met my gaze. with one
of its hands, as If demanding silence
pointing warningly to the window be.
hind her. Yes, it was Evelyn, but hel
attendant dragon of al aunt was Ell.
IDENTIFY close at,hand. VerLcl communi.
cation, as well as writing, was out OF
the question. 1t was already too dark
for the deaf and dumb manipulation
even prcvid, d she knew it's working
An idea suddenly flashed upon me
l. -