The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-01-01
90 oG3o c 900 oCS0o oCoo oO0o &C,
TIE CID
DLUE JAR
30 oCOo O 600 oG3o oCSo o33o {

Before Clementine went down to
Midtown for the summer she made up
her mind tat she would bend all her
energies to wheedle Aunt Phpbe 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
joculur interest in her joys and sor-
rows
The oil blue jar had perched for
many years on the corner of the high
mantelpiecr in tie old fashioned coun-
try parlor. and Aunt Phoebe knew that
If she gave to Clementine she would
have n dr. adfully lonesome feeling
every time she stood on chair to dust
the old clock. the shells, the peddler
vases. the leather fans and other COM
pan;ous of lis lofty abode. But Glenn
entine was an accomplished wheedler,
and the fond old aunt finally said she
might have her wish.
When Aunt PhRbe gave over to
Clementine 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
meshes of his tennis racket He sympa-
thized with her lively admiration for
the antique and unique in china and
was glad that she had attained her
hearts desire but a more absorbing in
terest possessed his manly breast.
Clementine was going home in the
morning. 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 bust
ness. Several times Randall fancicd
he had found her in a sober ard pop
s"ly receptive frame of mind, when
with tri1ing jest she would def,at
his intention and put the little god to
fight.
Now, however, when the slant eyed
mandarin on the blue jar winked at
him through the vines, Randall said to
himself enthusiastically:
"Well, old boy, that's the very thing!
Thank you for the bright ideal Are
they all as clever as you are over in
Gilman
That night, in his room under the
caves, he constructed an eloquent let
ter to Clementine and In the early
morning sneaked into the parlor and
deposited it in the robust bosom Of the
old blue mandarin.
"If she finds it before she goes home,
1t is all right" said the timorous, ador-
ing fellow, land if she doesn't find 1t
until afterward it will be all right too"
But the mandarin felt little funny
that day, so when Clementine packed
her trunk he inspired her to stuff the
ginger jar full Of her silken hose, that
the precious article might take no risks
of breakage in it's voyage. So when
Randall parted from her at the station
she made no sign OF knowing anything
in particular, and his hopeful heart de-
cided that she would surely find the
letter when she reached home, and he
would then hear from her.
Now Clemlntine was a girl who al
ways had a great many things on her
mind, and when she had unpacked the
treasured jar and placed it on dainty
AuDic III Htl pittlg pul lOi WIN IL Scli
congratulatory thought that it was sc
respectable to have things that ones
relative had brought from China she
wholly forgot the curious load that the
mandarin had on his breast. She missed
her silken hose, of course, and pestere(
Aunt Phoebe with messages abou
them.
In Midtown, as you may imagine
Randall waited for the answer to his
letter. Awhile he waited patiently
then impatiently awhile and thH'