Middletown transcript., 1897-02-06

men have, but it is better than notl
ing. Why, Madge, my youth is owe
and / nave nothing left to remember
by-not even a love letter. think
/ had had just one love letter that
couldkeep always and read over an
over again, i should be contention the
/ / should feel that had one flower lei
out of the summer of life."
| ''But do tell me what happened"
urged.
Nothing happened. / once me
some one whom I loved very much
and I think he loved me; but I am no
even sure of that. l sometimes fet
I'D give everything have if coul
only be sure of that, but Pm not FL
was young man who had his way t
make in the world; and my dea
father-as 1 have told you before
thought great deal of our family an
position, and considered the man
loved was not good enough for me. 81
he just put stop to our friendship
"And you tamely submitted?"
"What else could I doP Ny dea
father was very stern man, and
dared not disobey him."
And as gazed into the timid face
realized that poor Miss Stubs had moi
needed much coercion to make her givl
up her day dream at her stern ia ther'i
command.
"What was your lover likeP" ]
asked.
"OhI my dear, he was the handsom-
est man I ever saw, with such attrac'
tive manners," she replied.
"Was he tallP" asked. (Being ffve-
foot-nine myself, l had a profound
contempt for little menl,
"Yes, dear, and such a fine Ggure;
nice broad shoulders, you know, and q
splendid carriage"
could not help wondering how a
fine handsome man cou Id have fallen
In love with such colerless nonentity
of woman, but-as I have frequently
noticed-there is no accounting for
tastes.
L was filed with pity for poor Miss
Stubbs; it seemed so sad to go through
life without ever really living, as she
had done; and thus it was that my
great scheme occurred to me. What
good thing it would be if Uncle
James would marry Miss Stubbs, and
SO give her some comfort at the end of
her lifel I said comfort, because I was
afraid happiness was no longer posi-
BILE to her; that had disappered forever
with the vanished fairy prince of her
youth; but comfortable old age is not
thing to De despised, and at present
the little woman was poor and desolate.
/ felt that Uncle Janesswas an inade-
quate substitute for the lost hero whom
Miss Stubbs had described to me; but,
on the other hand, what man with the
smallest pretension to heroism would
throw the handkerchief to a plain,
frightened, little spinster Of an uncer-
tain ageP
Uncle James was mothers only
brother. He was a worthy middleaged
bachelor-rather short aud increas
ingly stout-and was the apotheosis of
commonplace respectability. He pos
sessed kind heart and a dogmatic
manner; and he lived chiefly at his
club, and thought great deal too
much about things to eat: Tom said
that his highest feelings were aroused
only by pork chops, but Tom was ale
ways rather severe on Uncle James.
When my uncle didn't talk about the
food at the club, he talked about
shares and investments, SO it was no
wonder that Tom and I thought him
rather an old bore, though we were al
ways kind to him because he was rela-
tion. This, then, was the victim I yearned
to offer upon Miss Stubb's shrine, and
I divulged my scheme to mother.
Mother laughed. sI should be very
glad for your uncle to marry" she
said, "ss it worries me to think of him
all alone, especially when he is gouty.
But how could you expect him, or any
other man, to fall in love with that
faded old maidP"
s'Ohl / don't expect him to fall in
love-" I replied; The is far too old.
But I should like to see Miss Stubbs
comfortably settled, and I am sure she
would be good, peaceful, little wife.
Besides, Uncle James isn't exactly the
sort of person to win a beautiful
princess for his bride.''
'Poor JamesI And yet he had his
beautiful princess once. like other
men,"
"Tell me about it, mother. You
don't mean that that prosaic old uncle
Of mine was ever in lover"
81 do, though; he was dreadfully in
love once, years and years ago. He
used to tell me lot about the girl. and
how happy he would be if only he
could win her, though be hardly dared
to hope she would ever look at him. I
never knew exactly what happened ;but
he wrote to me saying that the thing
was finally at an end, and begging me
never to mention Annie Lorimer's
name to him again. And I never have
done so.n
.What q pretty namel Was she
pretty, toop"
II never saw her." replied mother,
shut James used to say she was lovely;
dainty, exquisite, fairy-like girl. as
fragile as a bit Of china, with golden
hair and blue eyes and a lovely com-
plexion. She danced beautifully. and.
was just the type to attract James.
who had always been accustomed to-