Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-07-18

borough.
AT % years of age Lois English stood
feet . inches in her high arched
stockinged feet Her shoulders were
broad and sloping, surmounted by a
beautiful white column of throat on
which small head was slightly poised.
Her skin was fair and on her cheeks
the delicate bloom showed as shows
the sun-kissed side of a peach. Her
nose was slightly acquiline, her mouth
somewhat large, but the lips finely
chiseled and her chin firm and deftly
moulded. 1t was in this chin and in
her straight level brows that her char
acter showed most Her eyes of red
dish hazel We're large. liquid, express
sional. compelling. They had a hun
dred changes in an hour. They bub-
bled with laughter. or there was a
mocking devil in them, or sorrow look
ed through them, or high resolve, or
anger, or simple apathy Her hair. OF
that dark Titan red which is so rare
and so lovely, was piled in masses and
when she loosed it the glory of it swer.
to her knees. Her form was a splendid
combination of grace, suppleness and
strength. Physically she was almost
ter, nor struggle from side to side. 1t
was the very essence of the poetry of
motion, a long, gliding stride, effort
less and calm. which took her over the
ground at four miles an hour, and miles
of 1t served only to bring a deeper
flush to her round cheek Taken to
London with proper accompaniment.
she would have been heralded as the
most beautiful of all the American
beauties who have set that capital by
the ears. AS it was, she taught school
in Grayborough and sang low-pitched
songs in the summer twilight and
longed for freedom and sternly resolv-
ed to do her duty.
1t was on the Sd day of September.
1898, that Miss Tabitha sent to a de-
partment store in Boston and purchas-
ed pair Of high-heeled shoes, a size too
small for her. On the Sth Of Septem-
Der she went to the millinery empori-
UNI commanded by the Misses Scruggs
and had made over heavy green silk
gown, present from her dead brother
20 years before. She had grown thin
ner with the decades and it needed
taking up" On the 9th of Septem-
Der her new hat came home, very
wonderful creation, indeed Lois took
it -. hand and made it less wonderful,
but more like hat. On the 14th of
September she curled her hair on a hot
iron and tied pink ribbon in it, put on
the high heeled shoes, the green gown
and the hat and went out for walk to-
ward sunset. She had not done such a
thing since Lois was child On the
n ~ of If
mixture of pride and timidity in her
manner. She looked affectionately, al
most remorsefully, at the girl and start
ed dozen conversations, to drop them
when half begun. Finally. with a hec-
tic flush on her high cheekbones,
culver in her voice and her pale eyes
fixed on her plate, she asked desperate
ly:
Lois, | am not so very old, am ~"
Lois, busy with the Augusta paper
which had come the night before. look
ed up and said: "Eh, Auntie?"
II am. Miss Tabitha repeated, with
a touch of resentment. not so very
old, am I?'
why, bless you, no Lois answer
ed. You do not seem any older to
me than when | was a baby. Why do
you ask that?"
Miss Tabitha fingered bit of colo
muffin on the tablecloth. looked up
swiftly, looked down, hesitated and
took a header:
you know Mr.. A. E. Smith-Mr Abb
SALON. Eliphalet Smith ?"
why. of course | know everybody
in Grayborough. The old carpenter?
What about him.
HE is not DID," said Miss Tabitha
brindling. He is not vet so. To
young chits person of 80 is aged. Mr..
Smith is man in the prime Of life, a
careful man and a godly man"
We'll. we'll" was the soothing an
swer. "Of course, Auntie, of course. I
spoke hastily. What about him."
Miss Tab'tha brindled and cast her
ed sourly. She looked happy, yet
somewhat scared She said:
"He-he hrs asked me to marry
him
The girl sat for a moment dumb. Her
face paled Then she asked slowly:
And you answered--what? But I
need not ask. see il IN your face
When is II to be. Auntie? Have you
THOUGHT Wei
Now Miss Tabitha resented the fact
that her niece had not betrayed more
agitation. She resented also the infer
ence that her reply to the wooing car
penter had been necessarily affirmative
So she remained silent for a little space
as a rebuke. then spoke with asperity.
II have not set any time. | have not
told Mr.. Smith that would marry him
Propg sails are no such rarity with me
that | should snap at any offer.
might have married any single man IN
Grayborough IL | had chosen. | did
not choose. As for my thinking well
have done nothing all my life but
think for you and for others. II would
seem odd at this time If had not learn
ed also to think for myself consider
your assumption to be impertinence.
Lois rose, feeling genuinely sorry,
went TO the other end OF the table end
put her long round arms about her
aunt's neck.
Forgive me, she whispered. II did
not wish to hurt you. Tell me all
about 1t when you wish, Auntie.'
Miss Tabitha was modified. She had
asserted the dignity OF her spinster-