Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1899-11-09

other cooog., YOU study up some
Guy. 0'''o"sIy demanded
'alo Doctor Mattison, grayelv A"'n'
cousin Elsie arrived with
ihU" heI Cohuuciice IN tue suuIeCt ui
her engagement and her ailments.
Il love Guy dearly sighed she:
but | shall never live to marry him."
'Oh, nonsense" said Cousin Elsie.
cheerfully.
You will see," said Jennie, fore
bodingly. Il have prcsentiment,
and my presentiments always comes
true
Guy Elmendiny was considerably
astonished when first he saw Miss
Elsie Brown. There were no blue
spectacles, no forty years, no extreme
opinions about Elsie. She was round
and rosy, with glossy brown hair. lips
like cherries, and the brightest of vio-
let blue eyes, and she was hardly
twenty.
Guy became fast friends with her at
once. Doctor A1attison, who was
middle-aged bachelor, did so also; and
the house was more cheerful than it
had been for months.
"a year to- day since jamie has left
her room?' said Guy, soberly.
"And yet she doesn't Hook SICK"
said puzzled Elsie
She isn't sick'' said Doctor Mat
tlson. ''Come, Miss Elsie, 1 chal-
lenge you to game of chess
"Well, said Elsie, ''here is the
board
Let us sit by this window" said
! the doctor, moving his chair.
Why"
Because there's a neighbor oppo-
| site-Miss Salina Settlegate -
1t was about week afterward that
jamie was sitting listlessly in her room,
hearing merry voices below stairs,
and wondering why their owners did
not come up stairs to share her dreary
vigil, when tap, soft and low as the
tick Of French clock, sounded on
the door
Come inn' sighed jamie.
And Miss Selina Settlegate rustled
/ into the room.
Miss Salina Settlegate would have
made very good realization of Mr..
Elmerding's fancied idea of Cousin
! Elsie She wore spectacles, although
they were not exactly blue; she was
hard on the border land of the forties,
and she had long, pointed nose,
that looked as if it might have. been
sharpened by prying into other peo-
! ple's business
Excuse my intrusion," said Miss
Salina; ''but I have felt 80 sorry for
you"
jamie coldly inclined her head. She
didn't like Miss Salina, and she could
not imagine what excess of imperti
nerce had brought the woman.
"Yes." said Miss Salina, ;especial-
| ly since that bold ones come here,
who flirts so au-da- -ciously with your
ahem.- your young man
"FIirts"' cried jamie, turning pink
and white. like sweet-pea blossom.
Il make it rule never to pry
into other folks affairs said Miss
Salina, "but with your windows ex
actly opposite, l can't help seeing
what is going on. How can she be SO
treacherous, with her chess playing,
and her 'Emblems of Flowers, and
her reading poetry out of the same
books, and-l saw it with my own
eyes, my dear-his arm around her
waist?"
1T can't be possible" cried jamie.
They're down stairs now, tetea-
teter said Miss Salina You can
surprise 'em, if you've mind to.
jamie grew pale Real trouble
eifectually banished fancied ailments
from her mind; springing lightly to
her feet, she hurried down stairs.
with step that was wonderfully
light and free for such q chronic IN
valid
Miss Salina shutfied down after
her, and noiselessly opened the door
There said Miss Salina. Il told
YOU SO. Sparkin' on the sofy, side by
side
jamie, whose nerves were strung to
the highest possible tension, uttered
atlittle, hystericaI laugh. Cousin
Elsie was sitting on the sofa, indeed,
with a gentleman beside her, but II
was not Guy Elmerding.
doctor Mattison,' cried she
Exactly" said Doctor Mattlson.
rising to his feet. 80 we have sue
ceeded? Much obliged TO you, Miss
Settlegate.
"Ain't ii the right young man. de
manded the spinster, rubbing hel
long nose.
"Oh, yes-it's the right young
mani" said jamie, unable 10 repress 8
laugh, mortified as she was at hei
own foundstionless jealousy. "Deal
Elsie, why didn't you tell me?'
Because" Elsie made answer
radiant with smiles and blu ushes, I'VE
have only been engaged for about hv'
minute,."
"And Guy?"