The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-10-29
THE OLD
BLUE JAR

x ~
600 oooo o 600 oooo COCO oooo ooo
Before Clementinc went down to
Midtown for the summer she made up
her mind that she would bend all her
energies to wheedle Aunt Phoebe out Of
the old blue ginger jar that Uncle
Julius had brought home from China,
little thinking that the old slant eyed,
fat sided mandarin would take such
joc,lar interest in her Joys and sor-
rows
The old blue Jar had perched for
many years on the corner Of the high
mnntelpiece in the old fashioned coun-
try parlor, and Aunt PhUbe knew that
If she gave It to Clementne she would
have dreadfully lonesome feeling
every time she stood on chair to dust
the old clock, the shells, the peddler
vases, the leather fans and other com
panons of its lofty abode. But Glenn
-entine was an accomplished wheedler,
and the fond Old aunt finally said she
might have her wish.
When Aunt PhTbe gave over to
Clemcntine her right and title to the
old blue jar, Randall was leaning in
the window and idly sitting rose leaves
from the old climbing vine through the
mcshes Of Ills tennis racket. Tie sympa-
thzed with her lively admiration for
the antique and unique In china and
was glad that she had attained her
Z 1,r;r, mt ~ n l,rp " In
tercst possessed his manly breast.
Clcinent!ne was going home In thu
moraing, and he had been trying in
vain for several days to get the feeble
courage Of his ardent convictions up
TO the declarative point. She was such
a lively, fun loving girl, and love, you
know, Is such intensely serious busl-
ness. Several times Randall fanccd
he had found her IN a sober and prop
erly receptive frame Of mind, when
with tritling Jest she would defeat
his intention and put the little god to
fight.
Now, however when the slant eyed
mandarin on the blue jar winked at
lin through the vines, Randall said to
himself enthusiastically:
"Wcll, old boy, that's the very thing!
Thank you for the bright idea! Are
they all as clever as you are over in
China?
That night, in his room under the
caves, lie constructed an eloquent let
ter to Clemcutine and in the early
morning sncaked into the parlor and
deposited it in the robust bosom Of the
old blue mandarin.
''lf she finds It before she goes home,
it Is all right" said the timorous, ador
ing fellow, "and If she doesn't find 1t
until afterward 1t will be all right too"
But the mandarin felt little funny
that day, SO when Clementinc packed
Epr trunk he inspired her to stuff the
ginger jar full of her silken hose, that
the precious article might take no risks
Of brcakage In its voyage. SO when
Randall parted from her at the station
she made 10 sign of knowing anything
In particular, and his hopeful heart de-
cdrh that she would surely find the
letter when She reached home, and he
world then hear from her.
Now. CIemintne was n girl who al
ways had Il great many things on her
mind, and when shr bad unpackch the
treasured jar and paced II on Il dainty
table in her pretty parlor-witll n self
congratulatory thought that it was so
respectable to have things that ones
relative had lwought from Chlla-she
wholly forgot the curious load that the
mandarin had on his breast. She missed
her s!lken hose, of course, and pestered
Aunt Phtrbe with messages about
them.
In Milltown. as you may imagine,
Randall waited for the answer to his
letter. Awhile he waited patiently,
then impatlently awhile, and then
dved into his law books with that
'conposure Of settled distress which
lovers have known in every age and
cline. He did not dream that the slant
eyed mandarin would be guilty Of the
ungcntlcmonly trick Of interccpting
love letter.
But the fun loving mandarin knew
what he was about. He was not with
out experience in these matters. and
he wanted to punish Clementine q
trifle and bring her to the proper con-
dition of seriousness.
And Clementine was feeling the stu
alton with all the sobriety that was de-
siral1e. She had suspected all sum
mer that Randall had tender feeling
for her which she felt qualified to re-
clprocate, hut she was proud girl and
could not by feathers weight Inhu-
ence the balance OF his attentions.
Therefore behind her smiles she had
been not little wounded that he had
allowed her to come home without hav-
ing given expression to his sentiments.
SO she, too now took on n sober
countenanee, and banished thought and
regret by Joining several new clubs
and taking membership in two or three
more charitable organizations.
Just before Christmas Randall one
day experienced in bis breast sort of
imperative neutrality-suspicious. Direct
from the slant eyed mandarin, who
knows?-that he might hear of some
thing to his advantage II he should 60
down to the city and call upon CIemen-
tine; so after some futile resistance to
the message he betook himself thither.
He was graciously received by Glenn
entine-that is, graciously enough for
q young man who had played the
triAer with her invisible affections
and he seated himself In cozy chair