The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1900-05-19

Aunts are often odiously eccentric
nersons. The idea had occurred to me
even while Aunt Maria Markham was
/ alive. After her death was convinced
Of it.
80 was poor, dear Julia, though cir
cumstsnces thanks to Aunt Markham)
withheld her from informing me of the
fact.
By Aunt Maria's will was to have
the brute of bulldog and Julia the
cat The conditions were that with
each qualruped the legatee was to re-
ceiye $500 per annum. This sum to
be paid ss long as the cat and dog re-
spectively enjoyed life in this terres-
Trial sphere, and afterwards also for
or,r respective lives (Julia's and mine)
il the sad quadrupeds eventually died
natural deaths.
II was simply iniquitous-for sew
ersl reasons.
To begin with, Strong, as the bull
dog was called, had frightful teeth and
syet more frightful temper. Ishonld
think aunt had paid hundreds of dol
lars in hush-money to folks whose
flesh and blood the brute had tasted
to say nothing of trousers, dress skirts
and hose.
Sweet, as the cat was named, was
An enormous object, with enormous
claws. Its temper was really not bad.
But once aroused, Sweet was q demon;
nothing less. In aunt's time 1 had
seen this great tiger of cat stroll care
lessly into the yard where Strong was
chained and there lay itself down to
rest just three feet from the limit of
Skong's tether. The sight Of the dog
when it happened was pathetic. But
it didn't trouble Sweet. The cat lay
half curled, with its green eyes on
Strong, and I would not have put odds
on the bulldog if they could have had
astraight set-to without any favor.
Visitors loathed Sweet. She pos
sessed lazy, cool way of clawing up
fellows legs and yawning while she
hung on to the skin. And no lady
was safe from her. Be tho dress ma
terial what it might-from cambria to
satin-Sweet was bound to assault it
on the sly.
But all this was comparatively moth
ing to the great hardship of all.
IN Jest had more than once told
Iulis that I had told Aunt Maria that
shs tJulia) wss the only person fit to
Aks charge Of such dear treasure as
Sweet in case of sad happenings.
Really, I had done no such thing. but
Julia now disbelieved my solemn as
severations.
Il will accept Aunt Markham's
charge" she said, "but we must never
see each other again. you and l."
We were cousins, you know, and
rather better than engaged, I imagined.
|! could previous to aunt's demise)
have conceived the collapse of the
heavens, but not Julia's reputation
Of our joint future.
And so she fetched Sweet and in
stalled the slick demon in her dear
studio, and was left to console my
self with that more than demon, Strong,
ttebulldog.
N was under stress of this treatment
oy Julia that l did thing that now
seems to me superhuman.
Please, sir" said my aunt's house
Keeper, when I contemplated the dog
snat was mine, II don't know how
you'll get him to your rooms, nor
what you'll do with him when you
get MN there. Since the poor missus'
death he has been something awful"
!, Oh, he has, has hep" said I, staring
ii1e one fascinated at his awkward,
broad chest.
walked off there and then-driven
y rage and the thought of Julia-and
came to an old curiosity shop. Here
'nere was complete suit of rusty ar
NOR, not too heavy for an athlete of
ny build. arranged to borrow that
xmor, put it on in aunt's own parlor
ana then with my rhinoceros hide stick
waiked up to the lair of the dog.
mean it may have been. I care not.
Tor 20 minutes 1 smote Strong
until there was no bite left in him.
ne bestowed many tooth marks and
scratches on the armor, but that didn't
nurt me. And when the 20 minutes
wore past he rolled over on his ugly,
great back and wagged his short tail.
Then did slip off my armor aud 60
9eldly up to the dog. It licked my
nands. / had conquered, and I knew
mat Strong would thenceforward,
need were, die for me. But I
aated it more than ever, for never
lore than at this moment did feel
ne wanting smile from my dear
Thus began the miserable three
months of Our eStrangement.